American (NMJL) Scoring
How It Works
Completely different from Asian styles. The National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) publishes a new scoring card every year. You must complete one of the specific patterns on the card to win.
Key Differences
| Feature | American | Asian Styles |
|---|---|---|
| Tiles | 152 (includes 8 jokers) | 136-144 |
| Winning patterns | ~50 specific hands on annual card | Flexible yaku/faan/point system |
| Jokers | Wild cards, can substitute | No jokers |
| Charleston | Mandatory tile-passing before play | No passing |
| Exposure rules | Can only call for specific patterns | General open/close meld rules |
Scoring Card Categories (Typical)
Each year’s card organizes hands into categories:
- 2468 — Even-numbered tiles only
- Quints — Five of a kind (using jokers)
- Consecutive Run — Sequential numbers across suits
- 13579 — Odd-numbered tiles only
- Winds/Dragons — Honor-heavy hands
- 369 — Multiples of 3
- Singles and Pairs — Non-standard groupings
Point Values
Each hand on the card has a fixed point value (typically 25-50 points). Harder hands are worth more. Jokerless hands score bonus points.
Annual Card
The NMJL card changes every April. This means:
- Strategy shifts each year
- Memorizing the card is critical
- Online platforms must update annually (Mahjong Time notoriously lags on this)