Use a 152-tile set: suits, honors, flowers, and jokers
Each player starts with 13 tiles; the dealer starts with 14
Build a hand of 14 tiles, including one tile drawn on your turn and one tile discarded
Match your tiles to a winning hand from the current official NMJL card
Form sets called pungs, kongs, chows, and pairs
Use jokers as substitutes for any tile in a set, except in a pair
On your turn, draw a tile from the wall or take the most recent discard if allowed
If you take a discard, you must expose the matching set immediately
Discard one tile at the end of your turn
Call Mah Jongg when your 14 tiles complete a valid hand from the card
Expose your hand when you win
Score according to the official rules and any table rules being used
Rotate dealer after each hand if playing standard rotation
Follow the Charleston if your group uses it before play begins
Keep track of exposed tiles, discards, and jokers already in play
Avoid discarding tiles that help opponents complete their hands
Use the current year’s official American Mah Jongg card for legal hands