Setup

Four players sit around the table with a rack in front of each player.

1. Mix the tiles

Turn all tiles face down and mix them thoroughly in the center of the table.

2. Build the walls

Each player builds a wall in front of their rack.

The wall is two tiles high.

The four walls together form a square around the center of the table.

3. Break the wall

The dealer rolls the dice.

Use the result to determine where the wall is opened according to the rules used by your group, then begin dealing from that break.

4. Deal the starting hands

The dealer, East, begins with 14 tiles.

Each other player begins with 13 tiles.

Place your tiles on your rack so only you can see them.

5. Study the card

Organize your tiles and look over the current American Mahjong card.

Identify several hands that could work with the tiles you were dealt.

Do not worry about choosing the perfect hand immediately. American Mahjong rewards flexibility, especially at the beginning.

6. Play the Charleston

Before normal drawing and discarding begins, players exchange unwanted tiles through a passing sequence called the Charleston.

The first Charleston is:

3 tiles right → 3 tiles across → 3 tiles left

Do not pass Jokers during the Charleston.

A second Charleston may follow:

3 tiles left → 3 tiles across → 3 tiles right

The second Charleston is optional. After the first Charleston, a player may request to stop passing.

The Charleston may finish with an optional courtesy pass of 1 to 3 tiles across the table.

Once the Charleston is complete, normal play begins.