1Who pays what
The thrower of the winning tile pays double. If you draw it yourself, everyone pays double.
| How the hand was won | Player who threw the tile | Each other player | Winner collects |
|---|---|---|---|
| On a discard | 2 × value | 1 × value | 4 × value |
| Self-pick (own draw) | — | 2 × value | 6 × value |
| On a discard, jokerless | 4 × value | 2 × value | 8 × value |
| Self-pick, jokerless | — | 4 × value | 12 × value |
| Wall game | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2Three worked examples
Work out the value first, then double for the thrower, then double everything for a self-pick or a jokerless hand.
- A 25¢ hand on Ruth’s discard.Ruth pays 50¢. Doris and Marge pay 25¢ each. You collect $1.00.
- A 30¢ hand you drew yourself.Everyone pays double: 60¢ each from three players. You collect $1.80.
- A 25¢ jokerless hand on Doris’s discard.The value doubles to 50¢. Doris pays $1.00, Ruth and Marge pay 50¢ each. You collect $2.00.
Want to check a hand from your own game? Use our American mahjong payment calculator.
3Where the hand values come from
The value is printed at the end of each line on the card. Harder hands are worth more.
Each line on the card ends with a letter and a number, such as X 25 or C 50. The letter tells you if you may call discards for the hand (X = exposed, C = concealed). The number is the value in cents.
| Hand type (our Practice Card) | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Ordinary exposed hands | 25¢ |
| Harder hands with three suits or two dragons | 30¢ |
| Big groups (quints) | 40¢ |
| Concealed hands, Singles and Pairs | 50¢ |
The official card from the National Mah Jongg League uses the same idea, with values that change from year to year. See every hand on our free Practice Card.
4Playing for money, points or nothing
Most home games play for small coins or points. Agree before you start, and keep it friendly.
- Coins: many tables keep a small dish of nickels, dimes and quarters for each player and settle up after every hand.
- Points: write 25, 30 or 50 points on a score sheet instead of cents, and add up at the end of the night.
- Nothing at all: plenty of groups just play for fun, especially when learning.
On Easy American Mahjong the money is practice points only: no real money is ever won or lost. At the end of every game we show who paid whom and why.
5Dead hands, mistakes and wall games
A dead hand still pays the winner. A wall game pays nothing.
- Dead hand: if your hand can no longer match the card (wrong tile count, impossible exposures), you stop playing. If someone else wins, you still pay like any other player.
- Mahjong in error: if you declare Mahjong and are wrong, most tables let you take it back if nobody has exposed their tiles yet; otherwise your hand is dead. House rules differ.
- Wall game: if the wall runs out with no winner, nobody pays and the next game starts.
Read the full list in common beginner mistakes.
6Keeping score for a whole evening
Write each hand on one line: the winner, the value, and how they won. Total each column at the end.
| Hand | Winner | Value | How won | You | Ruth | Doris | Marge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruth | 25 | Discard by Doris | −25 | +100 | −50 | −25 |
| 2 | You | 30 | Self-pick | +180 | −60 | −60 | −60 |
| 3 | — | — | Wall game | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | +155 | +40 | −110 | −85 |
Every row adds up to zero: what the winner collects is exactly what the other three pay.
Questions people ask
How do you pay in American mahjong?
Everyone pays the winner the value of the winning hand on the card. The player who threw the winning tile pays double. If the winner drew the tile from the wall, all three players pay double. A jokerless hand doubles all payments again.
Who pays double in mahjong?
The player whose discard gave the winner Mahjong pays double. If the winner picks the winning tile from the wall, every player pays double.
Does a jokerless hand pay double?
Yes. A hand with no jokers pays double, on top of any other doubling. The exception is Singles and Pairs hands, which can never use jokers and so are not doubled.
What happens if nobody wins in American mahjong?
If the wall runs out before anyone declares Mahjong, it is a wall game. Nobody pays anybody, and the next game begins.
How much do you collect for a self-picked hand?
Six times the hand value: each of the three other players pays double. A 25¢ hand drawn from the wall collects $1.50.
Does Easy American Mahjong use real money?
No. The money shown in our game is practice points only. Nothing can be bought, won or cashed out.