# Your First Game

> Complete walkthrough of playing your first American Mahjong game, from setup to Mah Jongg, with real examples.

**Source:** https://www.mahjongmaster.co/learn/american/beginners/06-your-first-game/
**Author:** Kenji Tanaka (https://www.mahjongmaster.co/about/kenji-tanaka/)
**Publisher:** Mahjong Master (https://www.mahjongmaster.co)
**Published:** 2026-02-16
**Updated:** 2026-02-16
**Variant:** american
**Difficulty:** beginner
**Chapter:** 6

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You've learned the rules, the tiles, and the strategies. Now let's walk through an entire game turn-by-turn so you know exactly what to expect.

## Pre-Game Setup

### What You'll Need

1. **166-tile American Mahjong set**
2. **Four players** (You'll be North)
3. **Four NMJL Cards** (current year)
4. **Four racks**
5. **Bettor chips** (optional)

### Seating

- **East**: The dealer (rotates each round)
- **South**: Right of East
- **West**: Across from East
- **North**: Left of East (that's you!)

### Building the Walls

1. Mix all 152 tiles face-down
2. Each player builds a wall: **19 tiles long, 2 tiles high** (38 tiles total per side)
3. Position walls in a square

## The Deal

East rolls the dice: **7**

Starting from East's wall, count 7 stacks in, break the wall there.

**Distribution:**
- Each player receives 13 tiles
- East gets 14 (one extra to start)

You organize your tiles and receive:

`2B 3B 3B 4C 4D 5D 5D 6D FF FF D D G Joker`

### Initial Analysis

Looking at your tiles:
- ✅ Two 3 Bams
- ✅ Three tiles in the 4-5-6 Dot range
- ✅ Two Flowers
- ✅ Two White Dragons (D = soap/white)
- ✅ One Green Dragon
- ✅ One Joker

**Potential hands** (scanning the Card):
1. Consecutive Run with 3-4-5-6
2. Flowers + Dragons hand
3. Like Numbers (multiple 3s, 4s, 5s)

You're keeping options open.

## Charleston: First Pass

### Right Pass (to West)

You decide to pass:
- `2B` - Only one, doesn't fit patterns
- `4C` - Wrong suit for your Dots
- `G` - Only one Green Dragon

You receive from East:
- `3B`, `FF`, `6D`

**New hand:** `3B 3B 3B 4D 5D 5D 6D 6D FF FF FF D D Joker`

Much better! Now you have:
- Three 3 Bams
- Good Dots progression (4-5-5-6-6)
- Three Flowers
- Two White Dragons
- One Joker

### Across Pass (to South)

Pass:
- `3B` (have three, only need two for most hands)
- `D` (one White Dragon)
- `6D` (have two but keeping 5s)

Receive from North:
- `5D`, `6D`, `Joker`

**New hand:** `3B 3B 4D 5D 5D 5D 6D 6D 6D FF FF FF D Joker Joker`

Excellent! You now have:
- Three 5 Dots
- Three 6 Dots
- Three Flowers
- Two Jokers

### Left Pass (to East)

Pass:
- `3B`, `3B`, `4D`

Receive from West:
- `7D`, `4D`, `D`

**Final hand after Charleston:** `4D 5D 5D 5D 6D 6D 6D 7D FF FF FF D D Joker Joker`

## Choosing Your Hand

You scan the Card and find a perfect match:

**Hand:** `FFFF 4444 5555 6666` (Flowers, four 4s, four 5s, four 6s, all same suit)
**Point value:** 40¢ (concealed) / 25¢ (exposed)

You need:
- ✅ One more Flower (have 3, need 4)
- ✅ Three more 4 Dots (have 1, need 4)
- ✅ One more 5 Dot (have 3, need 4)
- ✅ One more 6 Dot (have 3, need 4)

With two Jokers, this is very achievable!

## Game Play: Turn-by-Turn

### Turn 1 (East starts)
- East draws, discards `2C`
- South draws, discards `N` (North wind)
- West draws, discards `9B`
- **Your turn!**

You draw: `FF` (Flower!)

Now you have **four Flowers**, that's one complete part of your hand!

You discard: `D` (don't need White Dragons)

### Turn 2
- East draws, discards `8B`
- South calls "Take!" and exposes `NNNN` (four North winds)
  - Now you know South is building a Wind hand
  - Don't discard other Winds
- West draws, discards `1C`
- **Your turn!**

You draw: `4D` (another 4 Dot!)

Hand progress:
- Flowers: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ (Complete!)
- 4 Dots: ✅ ✅ (need 2 more, can use Jokers)
- 5 Dots: ✅ ✅ ✅ (need 1 more, can use Joker)
- 6 Dots: ✅ ✅ ✅ (need 1 more, can use Joker)

You discard: `7D` (doesn't fit your hand)

### Turn 3-5 (Mid-Game)
Over the next few turns:
- You draw `5D`, now you have four 5 Dots!
- You draw `6D`, now you have four 6 Dots!
- East exposes `DDDD` (four White Dragons)

Hand status:
- Flowers: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
- 4 Dots: ✅ ✅ (need 2 more)
- 5 Dots: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
- 6 Dots: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

You still need **two more 4 Dots**. You have two Jokers ready!

### Turn 6 (Decision Point)

You draw: `8C` (doesn't help)

You consider:
- Use both Jokers for the 4 Dots and wait for any 4 Dot to finish?
- Wait and hope to draw 4 Dots naturally?

**Decision:** You expose your hand partially:

You call out previous discard (can't, missed opportunity), so you expose on your turn:

"Exposure!" and show: `Joker Joker 4D 4D` (four 4 Dots using both Jokers)

Your rack now shows:
- **Exposed:** `Joker Joker 4D 4D`
- **Concealed:** `FFFF 5D 5D 5D 5D 6D 6D 6D 6D`

You've committed to this hand. You need one more tile for Mah Jongg, but you're now playing for 25¢ (exposed value, not 40¢).

You discard: `8C`

### Turn 7-10 (Late Game)

You're waiting for **one tile** to complete your 14-tile hand. Any of:
- Nothing! Wait, let me recount...

Actually, you have:
- 4 Flowers (4 tiles)
- 4 Dots (4 tiles, including Jokers)
- 4 5-Dots (4 tiles)
- 4 6-Dots (4 tiles)

Total = 16 tiles... that's wrong.

Let me recount your actual hand:

After Charleston: `4D 5D 5D 5D 6D 6D 6D 7D FF FF FF D D Joker Joker` = 15 tiles (too many!)

I made an error. Let me correct:

After Charleston you should have **13 tiles** (East has 14).

**Corrected hand:** `5D 5D 5D 6D 6D 6D 7D FF FF FF D Joker Joker` = 13 tiles

Much better.

### Turn 6 (Corrected)

You draw: `4D`

Perfect! Now your hand:
`4D 5D 5D 5D 6D 6D 6D 7D FF FF FF D Joker Joker` = 14 tiles

You scan the Card and commit to: `FFFF 4444 5555 6666`

You need:
- 1 more Flower (have 3)
- 3 more 4 Dots (have 1, can use Jokers)
- 1 more 5 Dot (have 3, can use Joker)
- 1 more 6 Dot (have 3, can use Joker)

But you only have 2 Jokers, and you need 4 tiles to fill gaps. This hand won't work!

**Better plan:** Choose a different hand.

Looking at the Card, you find: `FFFF 5555 6666 7777` (same suit)

You need:
- 1 more Flower (have 3)
- 1 more 5 Dot (have 3)
- 1 more 6 Dot (have 3)
- 3 more 7 Dots (have 1)

Still need 6 tiles. Tough.

Let's pivot to: `FF 5555 6666 7777` (only 2 Flowers)

You need:
- 1 more 5 Dot (can use Joker)
- 1 more 6 Dot (can use Joker)
- 3 more 7 Dots (have 1, need 2 more)

This works! With 2 Jokers, you can fill 5D and 6D, then hunt for 7 Dots.

You discard: `FF` (reducing to 2 Flowers) and `D` (don't need)

### Turns 7-12

Over several turns:
- You draw `7D` (now have two 7 Dots!)
- You draw `3C` (discard it)
- West discards `7D`!

You call: "**Take!**"

You expose: `7D 7D 7D` (your two + West's discard)

Now you have exposed tiles, so you're locked into this hand structure.

Hand status:
- Concealed: `5D 5D 5D 6D 6D 6D FF FF Joker Joker`
- Exposed: `7D 7D 7D`

You need **one more 7 Dot** to complete `FF 5555 6666 7777`.

Use a Joker? No! Jokers work better for the 5s and 6s.

### Turn 15 (The Winning Moment)

East discards: `7D`

"**MAH JONGG!**" you shout.

You reveal your complete hand:
- `FF` (two Flowers)
- `5D 5D 5D Joker` (four 5 Dots)
- `6D 6D 6D Joker` (four 6 Dots)
- `7D 7D 7D 7D` (four 7 Dots, including East's discard)

It matches the Card hand: `FF 5555 6666 7777` (30¢, exposed)

**East pays you:** 60¢ (double the hand value since they discarded your winning tile)

## Post-Game

Everyone compliments your hand. East becomes South, South becomes West, West becomes North, and you become the new East (dealer).

Reshuffle and play another round!

## Key Takeaways from This Game

- **Charleston** helped you shape your hand
- **Flexibility** - you started with multiple options
- **Commitment** - you chose a hand mid-game
- **Joker usage** - saved for filling 5s and 6s
- **Won off a discard** - earned double payment

## Tips for Your Real First Game

1. **Stay calm** - It's okay to ask questions
2. **Check the Card** often - Reference hands constantly
3. **Announce clearly** - "Take!", "Mah Jongg!", etc.
4. **Take your time** - Don't rush
5. **Have fun!** - American Mahjong is social

## What's Next?

You're ready to play! Find a local group, community center game, or start your own weekly Mah Jongg night.

**Resources:**
- National Mah Jongg League: [www.nationalmahjong league.org](https://www.nationalmahjonggleague.org)
- Local clubs: Search "American Mahjong near me"
- Facebook groups: "American Mah Jongg Players"

## Congratulations!

You've completed the American Mahjong Beginner's Guide. You now know:
- ✅ The 152 tiles and Jokers
- ✅ How to read the Card
- ✅ The Charleston
- ✅ Gameplay flow
- ✅ Hand building strategy
- ✅ Scoring and payments

Now go play, have fun, and welcome to the wonderful world of American Mahjong!

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**Want more?** Check out our [comparison guide](/blog/which-mahjong-variant-should-you-learn/) or explore [Riichi Mahjong](/learn/riichi/beginners-guide/) for a different style of play.

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*This content is from [Mahjong Master](https://www.mahjongmaster.co), a free educational reference for riichi (Japanese) and American (NMJL) mahjong. When citing this page, please link to https://www.mahjongmaster.co/learn/american/beginners/06-your-first-game/.*