Rules March 20, 2026

Mahjong for 4 Players: Rules, Setup, and Gameplay Guide

Mahjong is a four-player game. This complete guide covers seating, building the wall, dealing tiles, turn order, claiming discards, and how to win — for American, Chinese, and Japanese variants.

By Wei Liang · Founder & Production Lead, Mahjong Market

Mahjong is a four-player tile game that combines strategy, observation, and a bit of luck. American (NMJL), Chinese, Japanese riichi — the core structure is the same: four players sit around a square table, draw and discard tiles, and race to complete a winning hand. The rules below cover the complete flow of a four-player game, from setup to the moment someone calls mahjong.

The basics: what you need to play

To play mahjong with four players, you need:

• A mahjong set — 166 tiles for American, 144 for Chinese, or 136 for Japanese riichi
• Four players — each takes one seat (East, South, West, North)
• A square table — ideally with a padded surface so tiles do not slide
• Racks and pushers — required for American play, optional for Chinese and Japanese
• Dice — usually 2 or 3, to determine dealer and wall-breaking position
• An NMJL card — only for American play; lists the valid hand patterns for the year

Step 1: Determine seating and the dealer

Before the game begins, players must decide who sits where and who deals.

How to assign seats:

1. All four players roll the dice.
2. The player with the highest roll becomes the East player (the dealer).
3. East chooses a seat. The player to East’s right is South, across is West, and to East’s left is North.
4. Seats remain fixed for the entire session.

In American mahjong, the dealer role rotates counter-clockwise after each hand. If East wins, East remains dealer for the next hand. If anyone else wins, or if the hand ends in a draw, the deal passes to the player on East’s right.

Step 2: Build the wall

Once seated, all players build the wall together.

1. Shuffle all tiles face-down on the table.
2. Each player builds a row of tiles in front of them, two tiles high.
   • American: 19 stacks of 2 (38 tiles per wall)
   • Chinese: 18 stacks of 2 (36 tiles per wall)
   • Japanese: 17 stacks of 2 (34 tiles per wall)
3. The four walls form a square in the center of the table.

The wall is the draw pile. Players will draw from it throughout the hand.

Step 3: Break the wall

The dealer rolls the dice to determine where to “break” the wall — the spot where tile dealing begins.

1. Count the dice total counter-clockwise from East’s wall.
2. The wall section at that count is separated (broken).
3. Tiles are dealt starting from the position just after the break.

This step randomizes the starting position so no player can predict which tiles they will receive.

Step 4: Deal the tiles

Tiles are dealt in rounds:

1. Each player receives 4 tiles at a time, drawn from the wall starting at the break.
2. Dealing continues counter-clockwise until each player has 12 tiles (3 rounds of 4).
3. East receives one more row of tiles and the next tile — 14 total.
4. South, West, and North each receive one final tile — 13 total.

East starts with 14 tiles because East takes the first turn. All other players start with 13.

Players organize their tiles on their racks (American) or standing on the table (Chinese/Japanese), grouping them by suit and type to recognize patterns.

Step 5: Understand the turn cycle

Each turn follows the same structure:

1. Draw one tile from the wall.
2. Decide whether to keep it.
3. Discard one tile face-up into the center of the table (the “courtyard”).
4. The next player (counter-clockwise) takes their turn.

This draw-and-discard rhythm continues until:

• A player completes a winning hand and declares “Mahjong!”
• The wall runs out of tiles (a draw, or “washout”)

Step 6: Claiming discarded tiles

Players are not limited to drawing from the wall. They can claim tiles discarded by other players to complete sets — but only under specific rules.

The three types of claims

Pung (triplet) — Claim a discarded tile to complete 3 of a kind.

• Can be claimed from any player.
• Must be declared immediately after the discard, before the next player draws.
• The claimed set is placed face-up in front of the player.

Chow (sequence) — Claim a discarded tile to complete a run of 3 consecutive tiles in the same suit.

• Can only be claimed from the player immediately before you.
• Example: If you hold 4 and 5 of dots, and the player before you discards 3 of dots, you can call “chow” to complete 3-4-5.

Kong (quad) — Claim a discarded tile to complete 4 of a kind.

• Can be claimed from any player.
• After declaring a kong, the player draws a replacement tile from the end of the wall (because a kong uses 4 tiles but the hand structure only accounts for 3 per set).

Claiming to win

If a discarded tile completes your winning hand, you can declare “Mahjong!” and claim it. This ends the hand immediately.

Step 7: Build the winning hand

In all three variants, the winning hand consists of 4 sets and 1 pair (14 tiles total).

Sets can be:

• Pung — 3 identical tiles
• Kong — 4 identical tiles
• Chow — 3 consecutive tiles in the same suit (not allowed in American mahjong)
• Pair — 2 identical tiles (the “eyes”)

American mahjong is different. Instead of chows, American play uses the NMJL card, which defines specific hand patterns for the year. These patterns may include pungs, kongs, quints (5 of a kind using jokers), and sextets, as well as special hands like “2468” or “consecutive runs.” You must match one of the card’s patterns exactly to win.

Step 8: Scoring and the next hand

After a player wins (or the hand ends in a draw):

1. The winner reveals their hand and shows it matches a valid pattern.
2. Scoring varies by variant:
   • American: The NMJL card lists the value of each hand (typically 25–50 cents per hand, paid by each non-winner)
   • Chinese: Points are calculated based on the complexity of the winning hand
   • Japanese riichi: Uses a complex point system with “fu” (mini-points) and “han” (doubles)
3. The deal rotates. If East won, East deals again. Otherwise, the next player becomes East.

A full game continues until each player has been East at least once (an “east round”) and often through multiple rounds. American mahjong sessions typically run 2–4 hours.

Tips for four-player mahjong

• Watch the discards. The tiles other players discard reveal what they do not need — and what they might be collecting.
• Defend when behind. If an opponent is close to winning, discard tiles that are unlikely to help them (tiles already discarded earlier, or “safe” tiles).
• Use jokers wisely in American play. Jokers are wild but can only be used in sets of 3 or more, never in pairs. See our joker guide for the full rules.
• Communicate clearly. Call “pung,” “chow,” or “mahjong” loudly enough for everyone to hear. Miscommunication leads to disputes.
• Keep the game moving. Aim for 10–15 seconds per turn. Slow play drags the session.

What to do if you are short a player

If you only have 3 players:

• American: Remove the North wind tiles and one suit. Play with a modified NMJL card.
• Chinese: Play 3-player variant (removing one suit). Faster and more aggressive.
• Japanese: Sanma (3-player riichi) is a recognized variant with its own rules.

If you only have 2 players, mahjong does not work well. Consider a different tile game or use a mahjong app for solo practice.

Get started

The best way to learn mahjong is to play. Gather three friends, get a complete mahjong set, and work through a few hands slowly. The rules click after 2–3 sessions, and the strategy deepens with every game. For a deeper dive into American rules, see our beginner’s rules guide.