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I know Mah Jongg

Beginner walkthrough · Step 5 of 8

5. Your turn: draw, then discard

ⓘ Fictional training card · NOT the official NMJL card

Not a real card. Fictional practice card — NOT the official NMJL card. Its hands are made up for learning. To play real games, buy the current NMJL card from the League and study it. Real hands, sections and points will be different.

Practice card line (fictional) · Bams

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One color = one suit. On the card, two or three colors mean the line needs two or three different suits.

1|1|
2|2|2|
3|3|3|3|
4|4|4|
5|5|

Any one suit · exposed (X) allowed · 14 tiles

Discard floor (center of the table)

NN

Your rack (13 tiles)— outlined: Just drawn

1|1|2|2|2|3|3|3|4|4|4|5|中R

Play moves to the right. On your turn you draw one tile — a 2 Bam, perfect! Now you have 14 tiles, so you discard one. You discarded North and said "North" aloud.

Ruth, table captain

“Say each discard's name out loud as you set it down. It keeps the table friendly and gives everyone a fair chance to call.”

Ruth · Table captainEtiquette
North
East
NN
↓ draw from the wall
West
You — South

▣ = 1 stack (2 tiles, one on top of the other) · each wall = 19 stacks = 38 tiles.

Play moves to the right (counter-clockwise). You draw the next tile from the wall, then discard one face up in the center and say its name.

Watch it happen: A full round of turns

EastNorthWestYou · South
NN
Wall: 99 tiles left
1|1|2|2|3|3|3|4|4|4|5|NN中R

1/7 East starts with 14 tiles, so East doesn't draw. East discards first and says the tile: "North." Official Rule

Takes about 21 seconds. You can pause any time and pick up where you left off.

Seen from above. You are always South at the bottom; East is on your left, North across, West on your right. Practice tiles only, not a real NMJL card hand. About 21 seconds.
Show details: how it happens, League rules and tips

How it happens at the table

  1. 1.
    East starts by discarding one tile — East already has 14. Official Rule
  2. 2.
    Play moves to the right (counter-clockwise). When it's your turn, take the next tile from the wall in play. Official Rule
  3. 3.
    Put the new tile on your rack. You now hold 14. Official Rule
  4. 4.
    Choose one tile to discard. Place it face up in the middle of the table and say its name aloud, e.g. "North." Etiquette
  5. 5.
    You end your turn with 13 tiles. Official Rule

What the League requires

  • Official Rule Each turn: draw one tile from the wall (or call a discard), then discard one tile. You end every turn with 13.

Good advice — not a League rule

  • Etiquette Name every discard out loud as you place it, so everyone can decide whether to call it.
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