A dealer is appointed who shuffles the 152 cards and deals 13 cards to each player; 14 to herself. Place the remaining deck face down, which is positioned in the middle of the table.

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The OBJECT, in the beginner's game, is to GO MAHJONG! By drawing and discarding until you have 3 sets of FOUR identical cards, and one pair.

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You win points by going mahjong! Each player starts with 650 points. A score keeper writes each player's name at the top of a column. She updates scores after each round. Points are won by the player who goes mahjong. Points are deducted from each opponent's score (see "Scoring").

Each player now tries to improve her hand by a series of exchanges known as "The Charleston" (named for the 1920's dance craze). Begin by exchanging three cards with the player sitting on your RIGHT. Add the ones received into your hand, then exchange three cards with the player sitting OPPOSITE you, then take three cards from hand and exchange with the player on your LEFT.

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ADVANCED RULE (add this once you're experienced)
Second Charleston: If one or more players wish to "Dance again," a second Charleston is performed; Repeat the process in the opposite order (pass first to the left, then across, then to the right).

Courtesy Pass: When the Charleston concludes, you may offer to exchange, sight unseen, one, two or three cards with the player seated opposite you. If this player agrees make the exchange.
Blind Pass: A player is permitted to Blind Pass one, two or three cards on the last pass of each Charleston. For example, if a player only has two cards in hand that she wishes to part with, she may take one card passed to her, sight unseen, add it to these two cards and pass them along. She then adds to her hand the cards not involved in the blind pass.

Note: A Joker may never be passed during a Charleston or Courtesy pass.

East (dealer) begins by discarding one card face up to start the discard pile. This brings her hand back down to 13 cards. Play passes to the player on her RIGHT. On your turn, Draw the top card, add it to your hand, and then discard a card face up on the discard pile. Play continues until someone goes mahjong. (Only the top card in this pile is "in play" as you'll see under "Calling.")

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The Deck
There are 165 cards in all. There are three main Suits, each comprised of 36 cards of the same color, four of each number I through 9. For example: four red l's (Craks), four blue 7's (Dots) and four green 4's (Bams). There are also four Dragons of each color. The sixteen Winds include four of each Wind (north, east, south, and west). There are eight Flowers (including the four
Seasons, which count as Flowers in the American game).

Pay attention to the latest discard! Whenever an opponent discards a card that you can use to complete a set of four cards, you may call for it. If you do, you take it and LAY DOWN the complete set to prove you're correct. (This is the only time you lay down cards prior to laying down your remaining hand when
going mahjong.

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• You may not call for a card to make a pair, unless you are going mahjong as a result.

• If two or more players call for the same card, the player calling for the card to go mahjong has priority over any other player. If not, then the one whose turn would come next receives the card.

• You may not call for a card to add to a prior meld.

• DISCARDING AFTER A CALL. After calling, a player discards to bring her total holdings to 13 cards. Play passes to the player on the right (meaning a player or two might miss a turn!)

Claiming a Joker:

When it is your turn, after you complete your draw, you are
then permitted to exchange one card from your hand, after
you draw, for a melded Joker if it is the card the Joker represents. You can even call for the exchange after another player calls for and lays down a meld, which includes a Joker.

For example, West calls for the 8 of Dots and lays down two more
8 of Dots cards and a Joker. You have an 8 of Dots in hand. You
can immediately exchange it for the Joker.

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If you later draw a card that can be exchanged for a Joker, you may do so upon the draw, and then continue with your turn. On rare occasions, you might find that you have too many Jokers in hand. This would happen if you need to complete a pair and are unable to use the Jokers. In this event, you may discard a Joker, but no one can call it.

You win the hand the moment you lay down your hand and shout "Mahjong!!" (You do not discard on your final turn; your final draw is part of the fourteen cards you need.)

• In the Beginner's game, you go mahjong as soon as you have three sets of 4 cards and a pair.

• For advanced players, you go mahjong when you complete the requirements for a winning hand, as listed below

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If you go mahjong, you take points from each opponent; These get added to your score .

• If you are playing according to the beginner's requirement, each opponent pays the winner 50 points. Thus, the winner's score rises by +50 for each opponent. Fifty points is subtracted from each opponent's current score.

• It is possible to win or lose more points. If you draw your "mahjong" card (rather than call for it from the discard pile), you are paid double. That means each opponent loses 100 points while you gain 100 from each. Further, if there are no jokers among your melds, you are paid double. So, if you drew the card you needed to go mahjong and your hand is jokerless, you will get 200 points from each opponent and each opponent will loses 200 points!

Penalties:​​

Mistakes are costly in Mahjong. Your hand "goes dead" and you are out of the round if you ever misplay and end up with more or less than 13 cards in hand and on the table, or you declare mahjong in error.

EAST (dealer) passes to the player on the right of the last dealer (formerly South). She shuffles all cards and deals new hands. Play until each player is EAST once. High score wins the game!

​Once you're experienced, you'll want to use expanded scoring!