Mah Jongg via a
Claimed Discarded Tile

General Rules for Claiming A Discarded Tile for Mah Jongg

  • Any player may claim the most recently discarded natural tile to complete their Mah Jongg hand, regardless of whose turn it is, for either an Exposed Hand (X) or Concealed Hand (C) listed on the NMJL Card.
  • For declaring Mah Jongg, the claimed discarded tile can complete any grouping:
    • Single, Pair, Pung, Kong, Quint, Sextet, Two Singles, Three Singles, Four Singles, Pair and Single, Two Pair and Single, or Three Pair
    • A claimed discarded tile must be placed on the top of the player’s rack.

Window of Opportunity

The timeframe to claim the most recently discarded tile is called the “window of opportunity”.

The window opens:

  • When a discarded tile is fully named or touches the playing area, whichever comes first.

The window closes:

  • When the player to the right of the discarder picks a tile and:
    • racks the tile, or
    • immediately discards the tile, or
    • immediately declares Mah Jongg, or
    • immediately initiates a Joker Exchange.

Important:

  • Racking a tile is not required to close the window of opportunity.  A player is not required to rack a tile to discard, declare Mah Jongg, or initiate a Joker Exchange.
  • Tapping or clicking the rack with the tile does not close the window.
  • If the player to the right of the discarder picks a tile but hasn’t yet taken an action to close the window (see above), another player may still claim the discarded tile.
    • In this situation, the picked tile is returned exactly to its original location in the wall even if the player has seen the tile.

Rapid Succession of Discarded Tiles

  • If two identical tiles are discarded quickly in succession, only the second tile can be claimed.
  • The first discarded tile becomes a dead tile.

Verbalizing the Claim

  • Players must clearly and unambiguously state their intent to claim a discarded tile for Mah Jongg loud enough for all to hear.
  • Recommended announcements for Mah Jongg: “Mah Jongg” or “Maj”.

Committing to Claim a Tile for Mah Jongg

  • A player commits to claiming the discarded tile when either:
    • The claimed tile is placed on top of their rack, or
    • Tiles from the player’s hand are exposed on top of the rack.
  • Touching or picking up the tile does not commit the player.
  • Placing the claimed tile in the sloping portion of the rack is discouraged (no official penalty) but commits the player to claiming the discarded tile.

After declaring Mah Jongg, the player should first place the claimed discarded tile on top of their rack, then expose the remaining tiles to form the complete 14-tile Mah Jongg hand.

Steps After Declaring Mah Jongg

  • It is recommended, though not required, that players arrange exposures in the same order as shown on the current NMJL Card to make verification easier for the other players.
  • It is recommended, though not required, that the winner identifies their hand on the NMJL Card to make the verification process easier for other players.
  • Other players should verify the winning hand’s validity before proceeding.

Important: Other players must not expose or discard their tiles until the winning Mah Jongg hand is officially confirmed as valid by all players.

Announcing Winning Hand Value

  • Once the Mah Jongg is confirmed, the winner announces the hand’s total value and the amount owed by each player.
  • Other players should not assist in calculating the winning hand’s value.

Incorrect Winning Hand Value Announcements

  • If the winner announces a total hand value lower than than deserved, and another player corrects the error, the winner receives only the originally announced lower total hand value.
  • If the winner announces a total hand value higher than deserved, any player may correct this error. Once corrected and all players must agree to the corrected value, the winner then restates the corrected total hand value.

Simultaneous Claim for Same Discarded Tile for Mah Jongg

  • If two players claim the same discarded tile simultaneously for Mah Jongg:
    • Preference is given to the player who is next in turn (to the right of the discarder), unless the other claimant has already begun exposing tiles from their hand specifically for that claimed tile, in which case the player who exposed tiles first has preference.
    • If both players have begun exposing tiles from their hand, it is recommended that preference returns to the player next in turn.
      • Note: The NMJL does not have a specific rule stating who has preference when both players have exposed tiles in an attempt to claim the discarded tile.
    • If the player with preference has an invalid Mah Jongg (Mah Jongg in Error), the discarded tile is then awarded to the next player who claimed it for Mah Jongg.

Simultaneous Claim for Same Discarded Tile for Mah Jongg vs Exposure

  • If two players simultaneously claim a discarded tile—one for Mah Jongg and another for an exposure, the Mah Jongg claim takes precedence.
    • A Mah Jongg declaration always takes precedence, even if another player has already begun exposing tiles to claim the discarded tile for an exposure.
    • If the Mah Jongg declaration is invalid (Mah Jongg in Error), the claimed discarded tile remains in the dead hand.
      • If a player exposes tiles to claim a discarded tile for an exposure but loses precedence to another player’s Mah Jongg declaration, their hand is now dead due to exposing tiles without successfully claiming a discarded tile.

Errors and Penalties