Tiles 101

Mahjong Tiles 101: A Beginner's Guide to American Mahjong Tiles

American Mahjong is played with 152 tiles: suits, winds, dragons, flowers, and jokers. Some sets also include blank tiles, which are usually extras, but some groups use them in house rules.

The Three Suits

There are three numbered suits, each numbered 1 through 9. There are four of each tile.

Winds

There are four winds: East, South, West, and North. There are four of each wind, for a total of 16 wind tiles.

Dragons

There are three dragons:

There are four of each dragon.

Flowers

American Mahjong uses 8 flower tiles. The artwork may vary by set, but in American play, all flowers are treated the same. The numbers or seasons on them usually do not matter.

Jokers

American Mahjong uses 8 jokers. Jokers are wild tiles, but they have limits. They are usually used in groups like pungs, kongs, quints, or sextets, depending on the hand.

A simple beginner rule: jokers can help complete groups, but they cannot be used everywhere.

Blank Tiles

Many American Mahjong sets include extra blank tiles. In standard NMJL-style play, blank tiles are usually not used and are kept as replacement tiles in case one gets lost or damaged.

Some groups use blanks as part of their house rules. For example, a blank may be treated as an extra joker, a wild tile, or a special replacement tile. Because this is not standard everywhere, always ask before playing:

“Are we playing with blanks?”

Quick Tile Count

Beginner Tip

When learning, do not worry about memorizing every symbol right away. Start by recognizing the big categories: suits, winds, dragons, flowers, jokers, and blanks if your table uses them.