Learn

Your journey

How to Mahjong, 41 episodes from zero to expert. A short lesson, then a quick quiz, one stop at a time. Episode 1 is free.

0 of 41 episodes

Unit 1

The goal

3 lessons, each with a quiz

  1. How you win What makes 14 tiles a win?
  2. Quiz One question to lock it in
  3. Read a line What does 11 333 5555 777 99 ask for?
  4. Quiz One question to lock it in
  5. Colors are suits Why is half this line green?
  6. Quiz One question to lock it in
  7. Checkpoint: play a handUse what you learned at the table

Unit 2

The tiles, as the card uses them

8 lessons, each with a quiz

  1. Three suits Which tiles are Bams, Dots, and Craks?
  2. Quiz One question to lock it in
  3. Winds and the zero Why does 2027 have a Dragon in it?
  4. Quiz One question to lock it in
  5. D means the matching Dragon Which Dragon goes with which suit?
  6. Quiz One question to lock it in
  7. Flowers and Jokers What are F and the wild tiles?
  8. Quiz One question to lock it in
  9. Pairs to Sextets How big can a group get, and where can Jokers go?
  10. Quiz One question to lock it in
  11. Why a Quint needs a Joker How do you hold five of a tile that has four copies?
  12. Quiz One question to lock it in
  13. Any numbers What does a line that slides mean?
  14. Quiz One question to lock it in
  15. X and C Why does this line pay double?
  16. Quiz One question to lock it in
  17. Checkpoint: today's puzzleUse what you learned on the Daily Puzzle

Unit 3

The deal and the Charleston

6 lessons, each with a quiz

  1. The deal How many tiles do you start with?
  2. Quiz One question to lock it in
  3. Your first look Which two or three lines is this rack closest to?
  4. Quiz One question to lock it in
  5. The first Charleston Where do your tiles go?
  6. Quiz One question to lock it in
  7. What to pass Which tiles are safe to give up?
  8. Quiz One question to lock it in
  9. Second Charleston and courtesy Do you go again, and how many do you trade across?
  10. Quiz One question to lock it in
  11. What the passes told you What did your neighbors just give up?
  12. Quiz One question to lock it in
  13. Checkpoint: play a handUse what you learned at the table

Unit 4

The turn

7 lessons, each with a quiz

  1. Draw and discard What happens on your turn?
  2. Quiz One question to lock it in
  3. Taking a discard When can you take it?
  4. Quiz One question to lock it in
  5. Who gets the tile Whose claim wins?
  6. Quiz One question to lock it in
  7. Exposing shows your hand What does a face-up group tell the table?
  8. Quiz One question to lock it in
  9. Where Jokers go Where can a Joker stand, and where can't it?
  10. Quiz One question to lock it in
  11. The Joker swap How do you take a Joker from someone else?
  12. Quiz One question to lock it in
  13. A discarded Joker is dead Can you take a thrown Joker?
  14. Quiz One question to lock it in
  15. Checkpoint: today's puzzleUse what you learned on the Daily Puzzle

Unit 5

Picking and switching hands

6 lessons, each with a quiz

  1. Count tiles away How far is your rack from each line?
  2. Quiz One question to lock it in
  3. Keep two lines open Which tiles keep both alive?
  4. Quiz One question to lock it in
  5. Count what's left How many of the tile you need are still out there?
  6. Quiz One question to lock it in
  7. When to switch What do you do when your line dies?
  8. Quiz One question to lock it in
  9. Let your Jokers pick Which lines do your Jokers help most?
  10. Quiz One question to lock it in
  11. Concealed or exposed When do you commit to a C line?
  12. Quiz One question to lock it in
  13. Checkpoint: play a handUse what you learned at the table

Unit 6

Read the table

5 lessons, each with a quiz

  1. Read their exposures Which line are they playing?
  2. Quiz One question to lock it in
  3. Don't feed the winner Which tile would win it for them?
  4. Quiz One question to lock it in
  5. Safer discards Which tiles can nobody's line use?
  6. Quiz One question to lock it in
  7. The endgame Do you chase or play safe when the wall runs low?
  8. Quiz One question to lock it in
  9. Swap for the win When does a Joker swap win the game?
  10. Quiz One question to lock it in
  11. Checkpoint: today's puzzleUse what you learned on the Daily Puzzle

Unit 7

Score like an expert

6 lessons, each with a quiz

  1. Chips times Mult How is a win scored?
  2. Quiz One question to lock it in
  3. Growing your Mult What adds to Mult?
  4. Quiz One question to lock it in
  5. Jokers and Jokerless When is skipping Jokers worth ×2?
  6. Quiz One question to lock it in
  7. Bonus Hands What's on this month's card?
  8. Quiz One question to lock it in
  9. Fast win or big win When do you go for the 50-point line?
  10. Quiz One question to lock it in
  11. One game, every decision Can you call each move before it's made?
  12. Quiz One question to lock it in
  13. Checkpoint: play a handUse what you learned at the table

The goal

Episode 1 of 41

How you win

What makes 14 tiles a win?

  1. You win by matching one line on the Island Card, tile for tile.

  2. Reef reads 11 333 5555 777 99. That's fourteen tiles.

  3. Swap one 9 for an 8, and it isn't Reef any more. Close doesn't count.

Drill

How do you win?

Episode 2 of 41

Read a line

What does 11 333 5555 777 99 ask for?

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Episode 3 of 41

Colors are suits

Why is half this line green?

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The tiles, as the card uses them

Episode 4 of 41

Three suits

Which tiles are Bams, Dots, and Craks?

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Episode 5 of 41

Winds and the zero

Why does 2027 have a Dragon in it?

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Episode 6 of 41

D means the matching Dragon

Which Dragon goes with which suit?

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Episode 7 of 41

Flowers and Jokers

What are F and the wild tiles?

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Episode 8 of 41

Pairs to Sextets

How big can a group get, and where can Jokers go?

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Episode 9 of 41

Why a Quint needs a Joker

How do you hold five of a tile that has four copies?

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Episode 10 of 41

Any numbers

What does a line that slides mean?

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Episode 11 of 41

X and C

Why does this line pay double?

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The deal and the Charleston

Episode 12 of 41

The deal

How many tiles do you start with?

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Episode 13 of 41

Your first look

Which two or three lines is this rack closest to?

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Episode 14 of 41

The first Charleston

Where do your tiles go?

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Episode 15 of 41

What to pass

Which tiles are safe to give up?

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Episode 16 of 41

Second Charleston and courtesy

Do you go again, and how many do you trade across?

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Episode 17 of 41

What the passes told you

What did your neighbors just give up?

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The turn

Episode 18 of 41

Draw and discard

What happens on your turn?

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Episode 19 of 41

Taking a discard

When can you take it?

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Episode 20 of 41

Who gets the tile

Whose claim wins?

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Episode 21 of 41

Exposing shows your hand

What does a face-up group tell the table?

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Episode 22 of 41

Where Jokers go

Where can a Joker stand, and where can't it?

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Episode 23 of 41

The Joker swap

How do you take a Joker from someone else?

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Episode 24 of 41

A discarded Joker is dead

Can you take a thrown Joker?

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Picking and switching hands

Episode 25 of 41

Count tiles away

How far is your rack from each line?

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Episode 26 of 41

Keep two lines open

Which tiles keep both alive?

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Episode 27 of 41

Count what's left

How many of the tile you need are still out there?

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Episode 28 of 41

When to switch

What do you do when your line dies?

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Episode 29 of 41

Let your Jokers pick

Which lines do your Jokers help most?

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Episode 30 of 41

Concealed or exposed

When do you commit to a C line?

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Read the table

Episode 31 of 41

Read their exposures

Which line are they playing?

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Episode 32 of 41

Don't feed the winner

Which tile would win it for them?

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Episode 33 of 41

Safer discards

Which tiles can nobody's line use?

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Episode 34 of 41

The endgame

Do you chase or play safe when the wall runs low?

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Episode 35 of 41

Swap for the win

When does a Joker swap win the game?

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Score like an expert

Episode 36 of 41

Chips times Mult

How is a win scored?

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Episode 37 of 41

Growing your Mult

What adds to Mult?

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Episode 38 of 41

Jokers and Jokerless

When is skipping Jokers worth ×2?

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Episode 39 of 41

Bonus Hands

What's on this month's card?

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Episode 40 of 41

Fast win or big win

When do you go for the 50-point line?

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Episode 41 of 41

One game, every decision

Can you call each move before it's made?

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