Small Table Mahj / American vs. Chinese
American mahjong adds 8 jokers (152 tiles), plays only the hands printed on a card that changes every year, and starts with the Charleston pass. Chinese mahjong (Hong Kong style) uses 144 tiles, no jokers and no card: any four sets and a pair win, runs included.
Hong Kong style, the common Chinese game
| American | Chinese | |
|---|---|---|
| Tiles | 152 | 144 |
| Jokers | 8 | None |
| Winning hands | Only lines on this year's card | Four sets and a pair |
| Runs (1-2-3) | Never called | Allowed (chows) |
| Before play | The Charleston | No passing |
| Flowers | 8, used in hands | Set aside for bonus points |
| Racks | Yes | Usually not |
In Chinese mahjong you build toward a shape (four sets and a pair) and score what you made. In American mahjong you build toward one exact hand from the card and switch when the tiles don't come. The card is new each year, so even long-time players relearn it every spring.
Both use 108 suit tiles, 16 winds and 12 dragons: 136. A Chinese set adds 8 flowers and seasons for 144. An American set adds 8 flowers and 8 jokers for 152.
Riichi, the Japanese game, is closer to Chinese play: 136 tiles, no jokers, no card. Its rules don't carry over to American mahjong either.
Only with 8 jokers added, and racks help. Some sets also lack the flowers American hands need.
Different more than harder. American mahjong has fewer choices each turn but a new card to learn every year.
The National Mah Jongg League publishes the list of winning hands each year; only those hands win.
No. You can't call a tile to finish a run; calls are for groups of identical tiles, or to win.
Small Table Mahj is an independent guide written in our own words. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Mah Jongg League, and it shows no hands from the League's card. Buy this year's card from the League.