American vs. Chinese vs. riichi mahjong: what’s different
Mahjong is a family of games, so “mahjong rules” means a different rulebook depending on who’s talking. Here’s how the three biggest branches differ, and which one this site teaches: American, exclusively.
American mahjong plays 152 tiles with eight jokers, opens with a trading round called the Charleston, and only wins with hands printed on this year’s card; it never allows chows. Hong Kong and other Chinese styles let any four groups and a pair win, with chows legal. Japanese riichi plays 136 tiles and needs a required minimum called a yaku before any hand may win.
This guide compares three mahjong families at a glance; every other guide here covers standard American mahjong only.
The same trunk, three branches
Every variant shares the core: four players, walls of face-down tiles, draw one and discard one, claim discards to complete groups, and race to a complete hand.
Chinese styles, including the widespread Hong Kong rules, are the direct line: any four groups and a pair wins, chows (runs of consecutive tiles claimed from discards) are legal, and scoring counts multipliers called faan.
Japanese riichi tightened the screws in the twentieth century with the riichi bet, a required minimum called a yaku before any hand may win, hidden bonus tiles called dora, and the strictest defensive rules in the family.
How American mah jongg split off
American mah jongg split off in the 1930s under the National Mah Jongg League and evolved into the most distinct branch of the three. It removed chows, added eight jokers, invented the Charleston (an opening round of tile trading) and replaced free-form hand building with an annual card of legal hands.
If your relatives play with racks and shout about jokers, this is theirs.
Side by side
The middle column uses the widespread Hong Kong rules to stand for the Chinese styles.
| Feature | American | Hong Kong | Riichi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiles in the set | 152 with eight jokers | 144 with flowers and seasons | 136, no flowers |
| Winning hands | Only hands printed on this year’s card | Any four groups plus a pair | Four groups plus a pair, needing at least one yaku |
| Chows (called runs) | None, ever | Yes, from the player on your left | Yes, from the player on your left |
| Jokers | Eight, in groups of three or more | None in most rule sets | None; red fives as bonus tiles instead |
| Opening trade | The Charleston, three to six passes | None | None |
| The annual card | Yes, reissued every spring | No | No |
If American is your branch
Everything else on this site is for you: the full beginner guide, card reading, joker law, and lessons that deal real tiles.
If you were after riichi or Hong Kong rules, we’d rather point you out the door honestly: both have healthy online communities, and this is not the site for them.
Learn American mahjongCommon questions
Which mahjong should I learn?
Learn the one your people play. In the United States that’s usually American mah jongg; online communities and clubs skew riichi; family tables with roots in China play a Chinese style. The tiles carry over between all of them, so nothing you learn is wasted.
What makes American mahjong different?
Three things nobody else has: eight jokers, an opening trading round called the Charleston, and an annual card of legal hands. It’s also the only major variant without chows, runs of consecutive tiles claimed from discards.
Are the tiles the same across variants?
Mostly. All variants build on the same three suits plus winds and dragons. American sets add eight jokers to reach 152 tiles; riichi sets drop flowers and play 136; Hong Kong sets typically run 144 with flowers and seasons.
Is riichi mahjong harder?
It’s the deepest scoring system of the three, with a required minimum (a yaku) before a hand may win, bonus tiles called dora, and a defensive discipline all its own. American mahjong asks more pattern recognition; riichi asks more calculation.
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