# How many tiles do you need to win?

**Quick answer:** You need 14 tiles to win Mahjong Island. All 14 must match one hand on the Island Card, Mahjong Island's own card of hands.

Source: https://mahjongisland.com/blog/how-many-tiles-do-you-need-to-win-mahjong · Mahjong Island · Updated 2026-10-29

You need **14 tiles** to win Mahjong Island. When all 14 match one line on the Island Card exactly, you Win.

## What do the 14 tiles look like?

Each hand on the card is written as groups of identical tiles. A group can be a Single (1 tile), a Pair (2), a Set (3), or a Quad (4). It can also be a Quint (5) or a Sextet (6). Some lines also ask for numbers in a row, like 1-2-3-4-5, as Singles.

Tiles: 7 Dot, 7 Dot, 7 Dot. A Set: three 7 Dot tiles.

Every line on the card adds up to 14 tiles. Your job is to collect the exact groups that one line asks for. You only need to complete one line to Win.

## Can a Joker count as one of the 14?

Yes, a Joker can stand in for one tile in a Set, Quad, Quint, or Sextet. It can never fill a Single or a Pair. To learn more, read [the rules for Mahjong Island Jokers](/guides/mahjong-jokers-and-card-drops).

Tiles: 5 Crak, 5 Crak, Palm Joker. A Set with a Joker: two 5 Crak tiles and a Joker for the third.

## Where does the 14th tile come from?

Each player is dealt 13 tiles. The dealer gets a 14th tile and discards first, once the Charleston (the passing of tiles before play) is done. On your turn, you draw a tile from the Draw Pile, which brings you to 14. Then you discard 1 tile, unless your hand is complete and you Win.

You can Win on a tile you draw yourself, called a Self-Drawn Win. You can also Win with Take Tile, picking up another player's discard when it completes your hand.

[Draw one, discard one](https://mahjongisland.com/learn/draw-discard)

To see the hands you can build, read [Mahjong Island Winning Hands: Every Hand With Examples](/guides/mahjong-winning-hands). For every rule in one place, see [Mahjong Island Rules: How to Win a Hand](/guides/mahjong-rules).

[Play a hand free](https://mahjongisland.com/play?new=1)

## Frequently asked questions

### Can you win Mahjong Island with 13 tiles?

No. You hold 13 tiles between turns, but a win needs all 14 tiles to match one hand on the Island Card.