Ways to play
How to Play American Mahjong With 3 Players (or 2)
Yes, you can play American Mahjong with three players or with two. With three, the by-the-book game skips the Charleston, though some groups add one back; with two, you play Siamese Mahjong, where each player builds two hands at once.
Can you play American Mahjong with fewer than four players?
Yes. American Mahjong is made for four, and four players is still the standard table. But a short-handed group doesn’t have to cancel. You can play with three, or with just two.
The two smaller games change different things. With three players, each of you still has one rack (the stand that holds your tiles) and plays one hand. The big question is the Charleston. With two players, you play a separate version called Siamese Mahjong, where each of you builds two hands at the same time.
Four, three and two players at a glance
| 4 players | 3 players | 2 players (Siamese) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Racks and hands | One each | One each | Two each |
| Draw pile | Walls | Walls | A loose face-down pile, no walls |
| Charleston | Yes, plus an optional second one | None by the book; some groups add one | None |
| Courtesy pass | With the player across, 0 to 3 tiles | Agree as a table | Optional, 0 to 3 tiles |
| To win | One 14-tile hand | One 14-tile hand | Two 14-tile hands |
The wall is the rows of face-down tiles everyone draws from. The courtesy pass is one last, smaller swap after the Charleston. You can read the full four-player version in how to play American Mahjong.
How to play American Mahjong with 3 players
With three players, the game looks a lot like the four-player game. Each player has one rack and plays one hand, and the tiles are still built into walls.
The difference is the Charleston: the trading of tiles before the first turn. In a four-player game, everyone passes three tiles right, then across, then left, and jokers are never passed. With three people, there’s no one in the fourth seat to pass to or receive from.
The by-the-book way: no Charleston
Experienced players describe the standard three-player game simply:
- Build the walls and deal to the three players.
- Skip the Charleston.
- Start playing straight away.
Without the Charleston, you start play with exactly the tiles you’re dealt. So take a careful look at your rack and pick a line to aim for before play starts. A line is one of the winning hands on this year’s card.
Can you do the Charleston with 3 players?
Plenty of players love the Charleston too much to give it up, and teachers don’t all agree here. Some describe three-player games with a Charleston; others play without one. If your table wants to trade, these are the house variations players describe:
- A false or “dummy” wall. Some groups build a wall for the empty seat and still play a Charleston. How the passes work around the empty seat differs from group to group.
- Jokers that come to you. If a joker reaches you this way, some groups let you keep it and others take it out.
Our guide to the Charleston explains the four-player passes, so you know what your group is adapting.
How to play Mahjong with 2 players: Siamese Mahjong
Two-player American Mahjong is often called Siamese Mahjong. It isn’t the four-player game with two empty seats. It’s its own version, and the biggest change is that each player builds two hands at once, one on each rack.
Setting up
- Put two racks in front of each player.
- Turn all the tiles face down in the middle and mix them. Don’t build walls. This loose pile is your draw pile, so leave space beside it for discards.
- Each player takes 27 tiles from anywhere in the pile.
- One player is the dealer and takes a 28th tile.
- Sort your tiles by suit and number, and look for a line on the card for each rack.
There’s no Charleston. Some players like an optional courtesy pass before play starts instead. You each say a number from 0 to 3, then swap the lower number of tiles. If either of you says 0, nothing changes hands.
How does a turn work in two-player Mahjong?
The dealer starts with 28 tiles, so the game opens with the dealer’s discard. After that, you take turns:
- Draw one face-down tile from anywhere in the pile.
- Put it on your rack.
- Move hidden tiles between your two racks if that helps.
- Throw one tile face up and say its name out loud.
Count check: you hold 27 tiles between turns and 28 on your turn. Your hidden tiles can move between your racks all game long, so a joker you meant for one hand can end up in the other. That flexibility makes up for some of what the Charleston would have given you.
Calling, exposures and jokers with two players
The newest discard is the live tile. You can call it until your opponent draws and racks their next tile. After that it’s dead, and no one can take it.
Calling works much as it does at four. Apart from the last tile of a hand (more on that below), you can call a live tile only to finish a group of three or more identical tiles. Say “pause” if you need a moment to check your card. Then put the group face up on top of the rack for the hand it belongs to, using jokers if you need them. That face-up group is called an exposure. The call counts as your draw, so you finish by throwing a tile and naming it.
An exposure is a commitment. Once you’ve thrown your tile after the call, the group belongs to that hand for good. You can’t move it to your other rack, and it shows your opponent what you’re building.
Trading for a joker
A joker in an exposed group can be traded for the exact tile it stands for. On your turn, you can put the real tile into your own exposure and take your joker back, or hand your opponent the real tile and take the joker from theirs. A valid trade can’t be refused, and the joker you win can go in either of your hands.
For the four-player details, see calling discards and exposures and joker rules.
How do you win two-player Mahjong?
You win when both racks hold a complete line from this year’s card, 14 tiles each. Finishing one hand isn’t enough.
You may declare one hand early, though. You call Mahjong on that one line and lay all 14 tiles face up, and the game goes on. Players do it for two reasons:
- To lock your jokers. Once a hand is declared, your opponent can’t trade for its jokers.
- To call the last tile. You can call the tile that finishes the line, even if it completes a pair or a single, which you normally can’t call.
The cost is that your opponent sees exactly which line you chose. To win the game, call Mahjong, lay both hands face up, name both lines, and let your opponent check them.
Short a player? Keep the four-player game sharp
Four players is the standard game, so it’s worth keeping it fresh while your group is short. Mahj Call always deals at a full four-seat table. On your own, you play against three computer players, Vivian, Pearl and Gloria, with the Charleston, the courtesy pass, calls and joker trades, whenever you have a few minutes.
When you’re ready to fill that fourth seat with a real person, find a table near you, or read how to host a mahjong night.
Questions
Can you play American Mahjong with 3 players?
Yes. Each player still has one rack and plays one hand, and the tiles are still built into walls. The by-the-book version, as experienced players describe it, deals to the three players and skips the Charleston. Some groups play a house version with a dummy wall and a Charleston, so agree on the rules before you start.
Do you do the Charleston with 3 players?
It depends on your table. The by-the-book three-player game skips the Charleston and starts play right after the deal. Some groups keep it by building a false or dummy wall for the empty seat. Those groups also differ on whether you keep a joker that reaches you that way. Decide together before you start.
How do you play Mahjong with 2 players?
Two-player American Mahjong, called Siamese Mahjong, gives each player two racks and two hands. There are no walls and no Charleston. Each player takes 27 tiles from a face-down pile, the dealer takes a 28th and discards first, and you take turns drawing and discarding. The first player to complete both hands wins.
How many tiles do you get in 2-player Mahjong?
In Siamese Mahjong you hold 27 tiles between turns and 28 on your turn. The dealer starts with 28 and opens the game with a discard. Your tiles are split across two racks, one for each hand, and you can move hidden tiles between them as play goes on.
What is Siamese Mahjong?
Siamese Mahjong is a two-player version of American Mahjong. Each player builds two 14-tile hands at once, each matching a line on this year’s card. You draw from a loose face-down pile instead of walls, there’s no Charleston, and you only win when both of your hands are complete.
Can you practice American Mahjong by yourself?
Yes. In Mahj Call you can play the full four-player game against three computer players, with the Charleston, calls and joker trades, whenever you like. It’s a good way to keep the standard game fresh when your group is short a player, so it all feels familiar when you’re back at a full table.
