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Beginner
How to Play American Mahjong — Step-by-Step
Never played before? Start here. A complete walkthrough from setup and the Charleston to calling tiles and declaring Mahjong.
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Beginner
American Mahjong Rules for Beginners
The full rules reference — tiles, how a round works, unique American Mahjong features, and key differences from other variants.
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Reference
Mahjong Glossary — Every Term Defined
Pung, kong, quint, joker swap, wall game — plain-language definitions for every term you'll encounter at the table.
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Beginner
How to Read a Mahjong Card
The card is your roadmap to winning. Decode abbreviations, understand hand categories, and learn to pick the right hand.
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Intermediate
What is the Charleston in Mahjong?
The Charleston is American Mahjong's unique tile-passing ritual. Learn the rules, strategy, and how to use it to shape your hand.
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Intermediate
American Mahjong Scoring Explained
How points work, who pays whom, self-draw bonuses, and how Mini Mahj scores your challenge performance.
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Intermediate
What is a Wall Game in Mahjong?
When the wall runs out with no winner, it's a wall game. Learn what happens, how to avoid it, and late-game defensive strategy.
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Feature
Play Mahjong with Friends Online — Free
Create a group, invite friends, and compete on a private leaderboard. Everyone plays the same daily puzzle. No account needed.
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Feature
Daily Mahjong Puzzle — Like Wordle for Mahjong
A new Mahjong challenge every day. Same tiles, same wall, everyone competing. How streaks, scoring, and sharing work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should a beginner start learning American Mahjong?
Start with the American Mahjong Rules guide to learn tiles, hands, and turn flow. Then read How to Read a Mahjong Card, and check the Mahjong Glossary whenever you hit an unfamiliar term.
What's the difference between American Mahjong and other Mahjong variants?
American Mahjong uses 152 tiles including jokers, requires hands to match patterns from an annual card, and includes the Charleston tile-passing phase. Chinese and Japanese variants use different tiles, scoring, and winning conditions.
Can I play mahjong with friends online for free?
Yes. Mini Mahj Groups lets you create a private group and invite friends to compete on the same daily puzzle. Learn how Groups works →
Are these guides free?
Yes. Every guide on Mini Mahj is free, with no signup required.