Mahjong Etiquette

"Mahjong" always takes priority over all other calls.

You may only call a discard for an exposed Pung, Kong, Quint, or to complete Mahjong — never for a pair (unless it completes your hand).

There are NO Chows in American Mahjong — you cannot call a tile to make a sequential run.

If two players call the same discard, the player whose turn comes next (closest to the discarder's left) gets priority.

You may exchange a natural tile for a Joker in another player's exposed group — but only at the start of your turn, before drawing.

Always announce "Joker exchange" clearly so all players can see.

Jokers that are discarded are dead — they cannot be picked up by any player.

Keep your tiles on your rack and concealed from other players at all times.

Place discards in a neat, orderly row in the center of the table so all players can see them.

Don't reach for a tile until the previous discard has been named and a brief moment has passed for others to call.

Announce your discard clearly by naming the tile (e.g. "3 Bam", "South", "Soap").

A hand is "dead" if you have the wrong number of tiles, expose incorrectly, or call Mahjong with an invalid hand.

A dead hand must continue to draw and discard but cannot win. Don't reveal which hand you were playing.

If you mistakenly call Mahjong and expose your tiles, your hand is dead for that round.

Don't name tiles you're looking for or comment on what others might need.

Keep the game moving — study the card between rounds, not during play.

Congratulate the winner graciously, even when they take your tile!

Put phones away during play — it's a social game, be present.

Offer to help new players without being condescending.