The short answer: A standard American mahjong set has 152 tiles: the usual 144 plus 8 jokers. You build a wall two tiles high with 19 stacks per side, and every player starts with 13 tiles, the dealer drawing a 14th.
If you’ve ever cracked open a mahjong case and wondered why there are so many little tiles, you’re not alone. For American mahjong the answer is a clean one: 152 tiles, dealt 13 at a time. Here’s what’s in the box and how it stacks up on the table.
What makes up the 152 tiles?
- 108 suit tiles: 36 bamboos, 36 characters, and 36 dots.
- 28 honor tiles: 16 winds and 12 dragons, four copies of each.
- 8 flower tiles: four flowers and four seasons.
- 8 jokers: the wild tiles that make American mahjong stand apart.
How do you build the wall and deal?
- Shuffle all 152 tiles face down and build a wall two tiles high, 19 stacks on each side.
- Some groups play 18 stacks per side and adjust, depending on their house rules.
- Break the wall where the dice say, deal 13 tiles to each player, and give the dealer one more for the first draw.
Curious how American mahjong compares to the classic game? Our guide to how many tiles are in a mahjong set explains the standard 144, while what is American mahjong and how to play American mahjong walk you through the differences. Prefer to just play? Try American Mahjong online, or unwind with Turtle Mahjong.
Related Questions
Why 152 tiles instead of 144?
The 144-tile set is the classic base that most mahjong variants share. American mahjong stacks 8 jokers on top, and the yearly card puts them to work. So 152 is the same familiar game plus the wild tiles that define American play.
How many tiles does each player hold?
Each player gets 13 tiles at the start, and the dealer draws a 14th. The hands on the yearly card are built around that 13-tile structure, and the game ends when someone completes a hand and calls mahjong.
Do the flowers count toward the 152?
Yes. The four flowers and four seasons are part of the 144 standard tiles, and the 8 jokers are added on top. Flowers never stay in your hand: you draw one, set it aside, and draw a replacement.