Mahjong is easier than it looks
Start with the tiles and you’ll be reading a whole hand in ten minutes. No sign-up — learn a bit, play a bit.
Start lesson 1Mahjong in one page
Pick up where you left off: lesson →
Let’s start with the tiles!
I know this one!
Illustrated lessons
One idea per lesson, with tile pictures you get at a glance.
Quick quizzes
3 to 5 questions after every lesson, explained the moment you answer.
A daily puzzle
One “which tiles win?” hand a day — the same one for everybody.
Free, no sign-up
Just open it and learn. Your progress stays in your browser.
Three steps to your first win
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Bamboo here, dots there!1Know the tiles
Three suits numbered 1 to 9, plus winds and dragons. That’s the whole cast.
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A run and a set — done!2Make sets
Group tiles into runs like 3-4-5 or triplets like 7-7-7, plus one pair.
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I win!3Win
Four sets and a pair is a winning hand. Draw one, discard one, until you get there.
Today’s puzzle 2026-10-19
This hand is one tile away from winning. Which tiles would complete it? Pick every one.
Spot on! That’s every winning tile.
Not quite. The winning tiles are highlighted.
A new puzzle every day at 00:00 UTC — the same one for everyone. What does “one tile away” mean?
Mahjong in one minute
The tiles
Characters, dots and bamboo from 1 to 9, four of each, plus winds and dragons — 136 tiles in a basic set.
The goal
Be the first to turn your hand into four sets and a pair.
Your turn
Draw a tile, discard a tile. Round and round the table until someone wins.
Chow, pung, kong, win
Grab other players’ discards to finish a set faster — or to win on the spot.
Mahjong Academy
Short illustrated lessons, each with a quick quiz. Your progress is saved in your browser.
Beginner 8 lessons
Intermediate
Coming soon
Advanced
Coming soon
Which mahjong do you want to play?
Mahjong has a different flavor everywhere it’s played. Learn the basics here, then play one for real — free, against the computer.
- Tiles
- 152
- Hand
- 13
- To win
- A hand on the card
- Scored in
- Points
- Tiles
- 136
- Hand
- 13
- To win
- 1 yaku
- Scored in
- Han & fu
- Tiles
- 144
- Hand
- 13
- To win
- 3 fan
- Scored in
- Fan
- Tiles
- 144
- Hand
- 13
- To win
- 8 points
- Scored in
- Fan (points)
- Tiles
- 144
- Hand
- 16
- To win
- None
- Scored in
- Tai
- Tiles
- 108
- Hand
- 13
- To win
- None
- Scored in
- Fan (each doubles)
Meet the tiles
Every mahjong set, from the 108-tile Sichuan set to the 152-tile American set, is built from the same few families.
Questions people ask
How do you play mahjong?
Four players take turns drawing and discarding tiles. The first to arrange their hand into four sets (runs or triplets) and a pair wins. Each region adds its own scoring rules on top.
How many tiles are in a mahjong set?
A basic set has 136 tiles: three suits of 1 to 9 plus winds and dragons, four of each. Add 8 flowers for 144 (Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Chinese Official), drop the honors for 108 (Sichuan), or add jokers for 152 (American).
Which mahjong should a beginner learn first?
Learn the shared basics first — they’re the same everywhere. Then pick the style your friends play. If nobody’s waiting for you, Hong Kong mahjong has the simplest scoring.
What’s the difference between Taiwanese and Japanese mahjong?
Taiwanese mahjong uses 16-tile hands and flowers and has no minimum score. Japanese (riichi) mahjong uses 13-tile hands, no flowers, and every winning hand needs at least one scoring pattern (yaku).
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Everything here is free and needs no sign-up. It’s for fun only — no real money is involved.