Table etiquette & house rules
American mahjong is a social game first. Most of what makes a table pleasant is unwritten — and most rules disputes come from house rules nobody mentioned out loud before the first deal.
Do not rush, do not stall
Wait until the previous discard has been claimed or passed before drawing. Draw and discard in a steady rhythm. Long pauses on every tile slow a four-player game down more than you would think.
Name your discard
Say the tile as you throw it — “three crak,” “red dragon.” It keeps the table honest and helps newer players follow the game. Never comment on what someone else discarded.
Leave the hand up
When you declare Mah Jongg, leave the tiles on the table until the table has checked the line against the card. Sweeping them up early is the fastest way to turn a win into an argument.
Card and rack
Bring the current year's card and your own rack if you have one. Turning up without a card slows the whole table.
Ask before the first hand
Every table has house rules. None of the following are standard NMJL tournament rules, and each one changes the arithmetic:
- Jokerless double — a hand completed with no jokers pays double its card value.
- Second Charleston — played or skipped? Many tables always play it, some never do.
- Courtesy pass — allowed, and how many tiles?
- Penalties — how does this table treat an incorrect Mah Jongg call? Dead hand, or play on and review it afterwards?
- Minimum exposure rules — some tables require a minimum hand value before you may expose.
- Point values — does this table use the card's printed values as published, or apply local adjustments?
Common table missteps
None of these are written laws, but each one frays the table. Most are easy to avoid once you know them.
Don't slow the game
- Thinking too long in the Charleston. The single most common cause of mix-ups is one player holding up the pass. Decide and move.
- Looking at your drawn tile in the table center. Bring it to your rack first — other players can read it, and you may have to return it if someone calls the prior discard.
- “Picking ahead.” Drawing or peeking at your next tile before your turn is illegal under the NMJL card and a dead hand in tournament play.
Be easy to play with
- Exposing before you discard. Put the called tile onto your rack as you call it; do not leave it loose in the center. Announce “Mah Jongg” clearly and show the hand.
- Sloppy joker placement. Sandwich a joker between the naturals it stands for so opponents can read your winning line at a glance.
- Harmony beats winning. The point of the game is the table. Accept a ruling gracefully, congratulate a good hand, and keep the mood light.