Have you always wanted to try American Mah Jongg, but didn’t know what to make of that card you have to buy every year? Card Free American Mah Jongg is the game for you! This system allows you to build hands just like those found on the card, but using simple rules instead of trying to find the hands on a card. Break free from the confines of the card and enjoy Card Free American Mah Jongg!
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OVERVIEW: This variation of American Mah Jongg allows you to play without any card of winning hands, such as the National Mah Jongg League’s annual card. This system uses all the gameplay rules of American Mah Jongg, but creates a new way of determining winning hands and scoring to allow players to avoid using a card. Though the rules are designed to be easily memorized, this game is not intended to be an introductory or simplified game. Card-Free American Mah Jongg should provide ample variety and challenging gameplay for all players. This guide was written assuming you are very familiar with the rules and terminology of American Mah Jongg.
RULES FOR PLAY: All gameplay rules are identical to standard American Mah Jongg except for winning hands and scoring. Click here for an explanation of the rules of standard American Mah Jongg.
WINNING HANDS: Winning hands require both a valid CATEGORY and a valid PATTERN of BLOCKS. The category is the set of number tiles or wind tiles used. The pattern is the various groupings of identical tiles, known as blocks, that are used to build a 14-tile winning hand.
BLOCKS: Blocks are groups of between 2 and 5 identical tiles. Block types are named as in American Mah Jongg: Pair (2 tiles), Pung (3 tiles), Kong (4 tiles), Quint (5 tiles). Jokers can be used to replace tiles in any block except for pairs.
PATTERNS: Patterns are created with combinations of blocks that add up to 14 total tiles, using two different block types.
Any number of blocks of each type can be used, as long as the total number of tiles adds up to 14. Different block types can be used in any order in a pattern. Below is a list of all the 9 possible patterns based on these rules. This list is for reference only and does not need to be memorized as long as the main rule above is followed:
One Pair and Three Kongs:
Three Pairs and Two Kongs:
Five Pairs and One Kong:
Two Pungs and Two Kongs:
One Pair and Four Pungs:
Four Pairs and Two Pungs:
Two Pairs and Two Quints:
One Kong and Two Quints:
Three Pungs and One Quint:
CATEGORIES: The categories are modeled after the standard sections on the National Mah Jongg League card. The category chosen determines which types of tiles are used in the various blocks in the pattern. The numbers or wind tiles selected from the category are known as the “set”. For example, the set 4-5-6 can be taken from the Consecutive Run category. Each number or wind in the set must be used in its own block. Numbers or wind tiles cannot be repeated in more than one block unless playing the Any Like Numbers category.
| CATEGORY | TILES | SET RULES |
| Consecutive Run | 123456789 | Use a set of at least 3 consecutive numbers from the category, making 1 block with each number for at least 3 different blocks in your pattern. |
| Consecutive Odds | 13579 | |
| Consecutive Evens | 2468 | |
| Multiples of Three | 369 | Use all three numbers, one number per block. |
| Any Like Numbers | 123456789 | 3 blocks, 1 of each suit, all the same number. |
| Winds | NEWS, NS, or EW | 4 blocks, one of each wind (N-E-W-S) or 2 blocks of opposite winds (N-S or E-W) |
SUITS: All blocks of the same suit must be next to each other in the pattern when tiles are arranged in sequential order. Hands with suits that alternate in the pattern, commonly known as “woven” or “braided” or knitted” hands, are not valid winning hands. For example:
This is a winning hand because the crak tiles are all next to each other and the dot tiles are all next to each other:
This is NOT a valid hand because the crak tiles are not next to each other in the sequence:
DRAGONS & FLOWERS: Blocks in the pattern that are not satisfied by tiles from the category set must be satisfied by blocks of Flowers or Dragons. Any tile type can be used with any block type. Dragons of the same color or Flowers cannot be used in more than one block.
SINGLES BLOCKS: In addition to Flowers and Dragons being used to fulfill a needed block in a pattern, there are two groups of single tiles that can be used as a block in any pattern. Jokers cannot be used to make either of these blocks.
NEWS KONG: One of each wind tile (North, East, West, South) spelling N-E-W-S
DRAGONS PUNG: One of one of dragon tile (Green, Red, White a.k.a. Soap)
SCORING: Winning hands have a base value of 25 points. Add any applicable bonuses for the final point total. As in American Mah Jongg, each losing player pays the winner the points amount. A player who discarded a drawn tile for Mah Jongg pays double. If a player self-picks, everyone pays double. If the winning player has no Jokers in their hand, the score is doubled again. When doubling for payouts, double the base value and bonuses.
BONUSES: Bonuses are applied whenever applicable to the winning hand. Multiple bonuses can apply to the same winning hand.
| BONUS | DESCRIPTION | POINTS |
| QUINTS | Quint block(s) in winning hand | +5 each |
| PURE | Only number tiles used, no Dragons, Winds, or Flowers. | +5 |
| SUIT | All number tiles of same suit, matching dragon if used, no flowers. | +5 |
| CONCEALED | No exposures by winning player except calling winning tile. | +10 |
EXAMPLE HAND: 
- Category: Consecutive Run
- Set: 5-6-7 plus a dragon
- Pattern: 2 Pungs and 2 Kongs
- Base points for Mahjong: 25 points
- Bonuses: 0 points
- Double hand value: no jokers in hand, double once
- Final Score: 50 points
DRAGON HANDS: Dragon Hands have a set point value and bonuses are not applied, however the rules for opponents paying double do apply to Dragon Hands.
| NAME | DESCRIPTION | VALUE |
| Dragon’s Love | Two different Dragon Kongs, Two Flower Pungs | 50 points |
| Dragon’s Wings | One Kong of each Dragon and a Pair of 1 Bamboo. | 50 points |
| Dragon’s Breath | 1 Pair of each Wind and 1 Pair of each Dragon | 100 points |
HOUSE RULES: Players may agree before starting the first game to add any of these optional rules to increase the difficulty. Adding any or all of these rules increases the difficulty in forming a winning hand, which both increases the overall challenge of the game, and allows time for more interesting and challenging winning hands to be built. The optional house rules include:
- A pattern of seven pairs is allowed as an exception to the rule of using two different block types in a pattern.
- Patterns must contain at least one Pair block unless it is a special Dragon Hand.
- A hand must score at least 1 bonus, use no Jokers, be self-picked, or be a special Dragon hand in order to be a valid winning hand.
- Flowers cannot be used to form Pairs
- Any hand with a Dragon must be a concealed hand.
COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER VERSIONS: The winning hands and scoring method of Card-Free American Mah Jongg should be applicable to any variation of American Mah Jongg, such as Siamese Mah Jongg, Royal Siamese Mah Jongg, or the new variation MAHJ-X.
SIAMESE MAH JONGG & ROYAL SIAMESE MAH JONGG:
Play with the same rules as Siamese Mah Jongg or Royal Siamese Mah Jongg while using the winning hand scoring system of Card-Free American Mah Jongg. Extra bonuses may be applied in the following circumstances based on the two different Mah Jongg hands used in Siamese Mah Jongg:
- Two Different Categories used + 10 points
- Two Different Pattern types used + 10 points
Alternatively, instead of applying bonuses for the above, the players can agree that their hands must meet one of the above situations in order to be a valid winning hand.
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Contact me by email at CardFreeMahj@gmail.com
John Burton Games 