Question: When you want a discard for an exposure, is saying “Call,” the same as saying “Claim”? Answer: No. Saying “Call” and “Claim” are not the same. When you say “Call,” you are announcing your intent to take the most recently discarded tile. At this stage, you may still change your mind. The tile is not officially […]
Question: Is it a rule that you cannot group like tiles together when discarding them? There is no written rule however, traditionally the game is played with discards being randomly placed on the table. From a strategic Mah Jongg standpoint, one should randomly place discards rather than grouping like tiles together. Here’s why instructors (and […]
Question: A player discarded a 9 Crak and another player used it for an exposure. That exposure resulted in their hand being declared dead. Can another player now use the 9 Crak if they need it? Answer:No. Once a discarded tile has been claimed and used in an exposure, it stays with the dead hand […]
Questions: What is the process of calling a tile? Answer: Any player may call a discarded tile to complete a Pung, Kong, or Quint. Simply say: “Call,” “I want that,” or “I’ll take that” — this alerts the other players to stop play. Pick up the called tile, check that it’s the correct one, and […]
Question: My instructor taught me to pick and rack my tile before discarding, but I’ve noticed many experienced players skip racking altogether. What’s the official rule on this Answer: While racking your tile before discarding is not mandatory, it is a recommended practice because it effectively closes the window of opportunity for another player to […]
Questions: If during the game someone discards before picking and their hand is called dead, can another player call the discard? Answer: Unfortunately not. In this situation, the discarded tile is considered “dead” along with the hand and cannot be called by another player. The only exception is if someone discards before East has discarded […]
Question: Which way should a player position their exposures, facing in or out? Answer: Although not an official rule, it has long been customary for players to position their tiles facing themselves, not outward toward the center of the table. These are your tiles and your hand to build, so the focus should be on […]
Question: What happens when a player pushes out the wrong wall and another players picks a tile? Answer: There are three possible scenarios when a player pushes out the wrong wall: Picking from the Wrong Wall: If a player pushes out the wrong wall and another player picks from it, the player who picked the tile […]
Question: If I pass my tiles during the Charleston and the receiving player has not yet picked them up, can I take them back and change the tiles? Answer: Yes, you may take them back only if you have not yet looked at the incoming tiles passed to you. (See also ID 148, Stopping the […]
The Value shown on the card which can be used as a point value or money value. In the examples below we will use .25 for the actual hand value to determine what is paid to the winner: Scenario 1: Player picks their own Mah Jongg (self pick win) using Jokers in the hand – […]