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?