American Mahjong
American Mahjong is the US version of mahjong, played from a yearly card of winning hands published by the NMJL, with eight Jokers and the Charleston tile pass.
Definition
American Mahjong is the version of mahjong most widely played in the United States. Mahjong arrived in America in the 1920s, and the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL), founded in 1937, standardized the American game. Three things set it apart: Joker tiles, the Charleston tile exchange before play starts, and a card of valid winning hands that the NMJL publishes every year. A standard game has four players.
How It Works in Gameplay
A game begins with building and breaking the wall, dealing tiles, and playing the Charleston. Players then take turns drawing from the wall and discarding, trying to build a hand that matches one of the lines on the current NMJL card. An American set has 152 tiles, including eight Jokers and eight Flowers. Jokers can stand in for tiles in groups of three or more, and groups can be as large as five matching tiles (a quint) or six (a sextet). A winning hand has to match a line on the card exactly.
Example
Four friends sit down for their weekly American Mahjong game, each with a current NMJL card propped up. After the Charleston, one player decides to go for a Consecutive Run hand. The game unfolds with calls, Joker exchanges, and good conversation until someone declares Mah Jongg.
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