How to Declare Mahjong
Declaring mahjong ends the hand, so verification should happen before the rack is pushed forward or tiles are mixed. The winning tiles must match one current-card line exactly, not approximately.
Verify the hand before speaking
- Count fourteen tiles, including exposures.
- Match every group to one exact card line.
- Confirm suit and color relationships.
- Check concealed or exposed status.
- Verify all joker placements.
- Confirm the final tile was obtained legally.
How to reveal the win
- Say “mahjong” clearly.
- Place the winning tile with the hand.
- Expose the concealed portion in organized card order.
- Identify the matching section and line.
- Allow the table to verify the hand before tiles are shuffled.
- Apply the agreed scoring or payment rules.
Two ways to receive the winning tile
Self-picked
The player draws the winning tile from the wall during the normal turn. Some scoring systems assign a premium.
Called discard
The player claims the most recent discard because it completes the entire hand. A final pair or single may be completed this way for mahjong.
Do not expose first and verify later
Once the hand is revealed after a false declaration, play usually cannot continue normally. Quietly check the card, group sizes, and joker positions before announcing the win.
Winning questions
Can a concealed hand call the final discard?
Generally yes, because the discard completes the entire hand rather than creating an intermediate exposure.
Can a joker be the final tile?
A joker may complete an eligible pung-or-larger group, but not a single or pair.
What if two players call mahjong?
The governing priority rules determine the winner, usually based on turn order from the discarder when both claims are otherwise valid.