The deal in American mahjong is quick, but it ends with two numbers you will use for as long as you play: East begins with 14 tiles, and the other three players begin with 13. If you have ever wondered how many tiles you start with in mahjong, or why the dealer seems to get one more, this guide walks through the deal step by step, shows the arithmetic, and explains why counting your rack right away is the best habit you can build.
Key takeaways
- East starts with 14 tiles; South, West and North start with 13.
- One common way to deal is four tiles at a time, counterclockwise, until everyone has 12, then one more each and two more for East.
- The deal uses 53 of the 152 tiles, which leaves 99 in the walls.
- A winning hand is 14 tiles, so a player waiting to win is one tile away with 13.
- Count your rack as soon as the deal ends. A wrong tile count can make a hand dead.
How the deal runs
After the walls are built and East has rolled to open the wall (see who deals first and how the dice open the wall), the tiles are dealt from the opening in the wall. Methods differ a little between groups, but one very common way looks like this:
- Starting with East, each player takes four tiles from the wall. Play moves counterclockwise.
- Go around the table again, four tiles each.
- Go around a third time. Everyone now holds 12 tiles.
- Each player takes one more tile, which brings the three non-dealers to 13.
- East takes two tiles in this last step, which brings East to 14.
Dealing in fours is popular because it is fast and because it makes a miscount easy to catch: if a player ends up with the wrong number, the mistake is easy to trace back to a round.
The math behind 13, 14 and 99
The set holds 152 tiles. The tiles in the starting hands are:
| Player | Starting tiles |
|---|---|
| East | 14 |
| South | 13 |
| West | 13 |
| North | 13 |
| Total dealt | 53 |
That is 14 + 13 + 13 + 13 = 53, and 152 - 53 = 99 tiles remain in the walls. Those 99 are the tiles that will be drawn during play, one at a time, from the wall.
The same numbers show up when you build the table: four walls of 38 tiles each add up to the 152 you started with. If you want to see how the walls get built, our guide to building the four walls covers it.
Why East gets the extra tile
A finished American mahjong hand is 14 tiles. A player who is one tile short of a finished hand holds 13 and waits for the tile that completes it. In ordinary play you draw a tile, so you briefly hold 14, and then you discard one so you are back to 13.
East's extra tile is not a prize. It simply puts East into the same position as everyone else on a normal turn: holding 14 and needing to discard. After the Charleston, East makes the first discard of the game. From that moment, every player is at 13 tiles between turns, and the turns are even.
It is worth saying clearly, because new players sometimes feel the dealer has an edge. The extra tile is just the start of East's first turn already in progress.
Counting your rack
As soon as the deal is finished, stand your tiles on your rack with the faces toward you and hidden from the rest of the table. Then count them before you sort or think about the card.
A simple way to count
- Push your tiles together with no gaps.
- Count them in pairs: two, four, six, and so on.
- Expect an odd last tile (13) or an even finish (14 for East).
- Count a second time if the number is not what you expected.
Flowers and jokers count as tiles. They are part of the 13 (or 14) in your hand, so count them in. When you are ready for the next step, sort your rack to get a clear picture of what you were dealt.
A rack and a pusher are not part of the 152 tiles. Many players buy racks as a separate item, and you may want one for each player.
About our sets. A SOLMAY American mahjong set has exactly 152 tiles (36 dots, 36 bams, 36 craks, 16 winds, 12 dragons, 8 flowers and 8 matching jokers), each 35 x 25 x 11 mm, with original artwork UV-printed on glossy pearlescent acrylic. Sets are printed to order in Vietnam. Racks, pushers, mats, bags and the yearly card are not included. See the mahjong sets.
Hand sizes during play
The starting counts are only the beginning. Here is how the numbers move through the first part of a hand:
| Moment | East | Other players |
|---|---|---|
| Right after the deal | 14 | 13 |
| During the Charleston (3 out, 3 in) | 14 | 13 |
| After East's first discard | 13 | 13 |
| On your turn, after you draw | 14 | 14 |
| After you discard | 13 | 13 |
| A finished, winning hand | 14 | 14 |
Exposed sets still count toward your 13 tiles. If you call a discard for a set and lay it on your rack, those tiles remain part of the count.
Worked example: a rack with the wrong count
Imagine a made-up table. After the deal, Sam counts his rack and finds 12 tiles instead of 13. Alicia, sitting across, counts 14, but she is not East.
Together, Sam and Alicia have the right total between them, so a tile was most likely dealt to the wrong person. The best response is to speak up immediately, before anyone sorts or starts the Charleston. Many groups simply agree to move the extra tile from Alicia's rack to Sam's. Because tiles are face down in the walls and the hands are hidden, the fix takes a few seconds when nobody has started playing.
What if nobody notices until later? A wrong count found right after the deal is usually fixed on the spot. If it is noticed later, the hand can be ruled dead, which means that player can no longer win. Whether a dead hand keeps drawing and discarding is a house rule. Either way, a wrong count is a good reason to check early.
Ask yourself one question after every deal: "Is my tile count right?" It takes ten seconds.
Try it at your next game
Before you touch the card, count your tiles aloud in pairs and ask each other for the numbers. If East says 14 and everyone else says 13, you are ready for the first Charleston.
For anything the guides do not cover, the National Mah Jongg League is the group that publishes the yearly card.
Frequently asked questions
How many tiles do you start with in American mahjong?
East starts with 14 tiles and the other three players start with 13. East holds the extra tile because East makes the first discard after the Charleston. After that, every player is at 13 tiles between turns.
How many tiles are left in the wall after the deal?
There are 99 tiles left. The deal uses 14 + 13 + 13 + 13 = 53 tiles, and 152 - 53 = 99. Those tiles are drawn one at a time as play continues.
How many tiles do you hold on your turn?
After you draw, you hold 14 tiles, and then you discard one to return to 13. A hand that wins is also 14 tiles. Exposed sets count toward your tiles, so the numbers stay the same.
Do jokers and flowers count in the 13?
Yes. Jokers and flowers are tiles like any other. They are part of your 13 (or 14 for East), so count them when you check your rack.
What if I have 12 or 14 tiles when I should have 13?
Tell the table right away, before anyone sorts or starts passing. A tile was probably dealt to the wrong rack, and it can usually be moved. A wrong tile count is one of the things that can later make a hand dead.
Why does East get 14 tiles?
The first move of the game is a discard, so East begins with the extra tile. It is not an advantage by itself. East discards once, and from then on every player holds 13 between turns.
Keep reading
- Who deals first? Rolling for East
- A 60-second way to sort your rack
- The first Charleston, step by step
- Your turn: draw one, discard one
- How many tiles are in an American mahjong set?
These guides follow the way American mahjong is commonly played with the National Mah Jongg League card. Groups sometimes add house rules, so agree on yours before the first hand, and always use the current year's official card. SOLMAY is not affiliated with the NMJL.
