How to Play

Mahjong, in plain English

American mahjong looks far more complicated than it plays. Here's the whole game in one read — told, naturally, in Golf Collection tiles.

Mahjong is a game for four players, played with tiles instead of cards. The goal is simple to say and a pleasure to chase: be the first to build a complete 14-tile hand that matches one of the winning patterns for the year. Think of it as gin rummy with better company and a far more satisfying click on the table.

American mahjong — the version this set is built for — has one feature that sets it apart. The winning hands are not fixed forever; they're published each year by the National Mah Jongg League on a small printed card. Every player works from the same card, hunting for the hand that best fits the tiles luck deals them. A new card every spring is part of the fun.

Step One

Know your tiles

All 152 tiles fall into a few families. The Golf Collection renames the artwork — never the rules.

The Suits · Part 1

Pouches

The Dots suit, ranked 1 to 9. Count the pouches on the tile to read its number.

The Suits · Part 2

Transfusions

The Craks suit, 1 to 9. Count the straws fanned from the glass — that's the rank.

The Suits · Part 3

The Greens

The Bams suit, 1 to 9. The flagstick is numbered, so the rank is never in doubt.

And the honor tiles

Beyond the three suits sit the tiles that give a hand its character. The winds — East, South, West and North — fly as course flags. The dragons — Red, Green and White — appear as the course gator. Eight flowers act as bonus tiles. And eight Mulligans are your jokers: wild tiles that can stand in for almost anything in a group.

Step Two

How a round is played

Four moves take you from a shuffled table to a called hand. Once you've seen them, you've seen the game.

1

Build & Deal

Tiles are shuffled face down and stacked into walls. Each player is dealt 13 tiles and sets them on a rack — hidden from the others.

2

The Charleston

The signature ritual: players pass three tiles at a time — right, across, left, and back — trading away what they can't use for something better.

3

Play the Hand

In turn, draw a tile and discard one. Claim a useful discard to expose a group — and lean on a Mulligan when the hand needs a wild.

4

Declare Mahjong

The instant your 14 tiles match a hand on the card, call “Mahjong.” Lay it down, and the round is yours.

One Thing to Add

You'll want a current card

The Golf Collection gives you every tile, rack and die a game needs. The one thing it can't include is the year's winning hands — those belong to the National Mah Jongg League, which publishes a fresh card each spring.

Cards are inexpensive and sold directly by the League. One card per player is the custom. With a card in hand and this set on the table, you are ready for your first round.

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For the First-Timer

Three tips for his first game

01

Pick a hand early

Glance at the card, find a hand your tiles lean toward, and aim for it. You can change course — but a plan beats wandering.

02

Hold your Mulligans

Jokers are powerful and scarce. Don't burn one early on a group you'd likely complete on your own.

03

Watch the discards

The tiles your opponents throw away tell you what they don't need — and quietly hint at what they do.

Ready to deal him in?

The Golf Collection has every tile he needs to learn the game — and never want to play another set.

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