At your pace
Rules & Reference
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.
Quick reference
- A turnOfficial Rule
- Draw a tile (or call a discard), then discard one tile and name it. Play moves to the player on your right — counter-clockwise around the table.
- ExposuresOfficial Rule
- Exposed groups are placed face-up on your rack. You may only call for Pungs or larger, or for Mah Jongg.
- Two players call at onceOfficial Rule
- A call for Mah Jongg beats a call for an exposure. If both want it for the same reason, the player next in turn after the discarder (closest to their right) gets it.
- Joker swapOfficial Rule
- Only on your own turn — after drawing or completing an exposure, before you discard. Swap the matching natural tile for a Joker in any exposure, including your own. You can make several swaps in one turn. You may never call a discard solely to redeem a Joker.
- Too late to callHouse Rule
- Once the next player has racked their drawn tile or discarded, the previous discard can't be called — not even for Mah Jongg under NMJL rules. Some tables allow a late Mah Jongg call; agree before play.
- Wall gameOfficial Rule
- If the wall runs out with no winner, the game is a draw ('wall game').
Dead hands
- Official Rule
Once tiles are exposed they stay exposed. An exposure that can't match any hand on the card makes your hand dead.
- Official Rule
Check carefully before calling Mah Jongg. If you mistakenly declare Mah Jongg and expose your hand, your hand is dead and cannot win that hand.
Points-only practice scoring
House Rule
Practice scoring uses points only, never money: on Mah Jongg from a discard, the discarder contributes double the hand's point value and the other two contribute single. Self-drawn: everyone contributes double.