CITY MAHJ TOURNAMENT RULES:

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City Mahj tournaments follow the current National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) card and official rules, along with the tournament rules below.

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The Tournament Directors have final authority on all rulings.

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TABLE MOVEMENT

After each round:

• East stays at the same table.

• North moves up 1 table.

• West moves up 2 tables.

• South moves down 1 table.

 

GAME PLAY

Picking & Discarding

• No picking ahead. Wait for the player before you to discard before you draw your own tile. Drawing early costs you the right to call their discard.

• A discard may not be called once the next player has covered it by racking or discarding.

• A tile is played once it is placed on the table or verbally named. It cannot be changed.

• Picking from the wrong place or wrong end of the wall results in a dead hand.

 

Calling a Tile

• A verbal call may be withdrawn until you touch the discard or begin exposing your hand.

• Once you touch the called tile or expose tiles, you must complete the call.

• A called tile must remain on the rack. Do not place it into your hand.

• An exposure may be changed before you discard, provided the called tile is used correctly.

• Once you discard, the exposure is final.

 

Jokers

• Always pick a tile before exchanging a joker. Failure to pick first results in a dead hand.

• Ask for a joker exchange before placing your replacement tile on the table.

• Once the exchange is announced and the replacement tile is placed on the table, the exchange must be completed.

 

Tile Count

• Maintain the correct number of tiles in your rack at all times.

• Holding tiles in both hands does not excuse an incorrect tile count and may result in a dead hand.

 

START & END OF GAME

• The game begins with East's first discard.

• An incorrect tile count discovered before East's first discard results in a redeal.

• The game ends when the final available tile is discarded.

• A hand cannot be declared dead after the final discard.

 

MAH JONGG

• Do not expose or mix your tiles until Mah Jongg has been verified.

• An incorrect Mah Jongg with no tiles exposed may be withdrawn and play continues.

• If any portion of the incorrect Mah Jongg is exposed, that player is dead and play continues.

 

If other players expose their hands before an incorrect Mah Jongg is verified:

• 2 intact hands: Play continues.

• 1 intact hand: That player receives 10 points.

• No intact hands: Game ends; all players receive 0.

 

SCORING

• Mah Jongg: Value shown on the current NMJL card.

• Self-pick: +10 points.

• Jokerless: +10 points, except Singles & Pairs.

• Wall game: 10 points per player.

• Dead hand: 0 points.

 

Score Sheets

After each hand, the player who made Mah Jongg signs the score sheet — except in a wall game, or whenever East wins, when West signs instead. Before you hand your sheet in, take a second to check that your points are next to your own player number. Once a sheet is turned in, that score is locked in for good, so it's worth that quick double-check before you submit.

 

PENALTIES

Misnamed Tile

• Incorrectly naming a discarded tile and another player exposes tiles based on the incorrect name, that player is dead.

• Incorrectly naming a discarded tile and another player calls it for Mah Jongg, the discarder's hand is dead.

 

If the misnamed tile is called for Mah Jongg:

• Actual tile completes Mah Jongg: Mah Jongg scores normally; miscaller receives a −25 point penalty.

• Actual tile does not complete Mah Jongg: Miscaller receives a −25 point penalty; the other three players receive +10 points each; game ends.

 

Throwing Mah Jongg

• To 0 or 1 exposure: No penalty.

• To 2 exposures: −10 points.

• To 3 exposures: −25 points.

• To 2 exposures in a Quint hand: −25 points.

 

Charleston

• Looking at a stolen tile during either Charleston: −10 points.

 

QUESTIONS & RULINGS

If a question or disagreement arises, stop play and call the Tournament Director. The Tournament Director's ruling is final.

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