How to Verify an American Mahjong Hand
Hand verification is the short, deliberate check performed after a player declares mahjong and before the table records the result. The goal is not to challenge the winner aggressively. It is to match all fourteen structural positions to one exact line on the current card and catch ordinary mistakes consistently.
A calm verification sequence
Pause the table
Leave the winning tile, exposures, and discard area undisturbed.
Name the card line
Identify the section, printed value, concealed or exposed status, and suit-color assignment.
Separate the groups
Arrange the hand according to the card's printed spacing.
Count fourteen positions
Include all concealed tiles, exposures, flowers, and the final winning tile.
Check every identity
Verify numbers, suits, winds, dragons, flowers, and year digits.
Audit jokers
Confirm that every joker occupies an eligible matching group of three or more.
Confirm exposure status
Make sure a concealed hand has no prohibited intermediate exposure.
Score only after validation
Apply the printed value and agreed table conventions.
Verification mistake versus invalid hand
Presentation issue
The tiles are arranged unclearly, but they can be reorganized into the exact valid line without changing the hand.
Structural mismatch
A tile identity, group size, suit assignment, joker position, exposure, or concealed requirement does not match the line.
Frequent verification errors
- Thirteen or fifteen physical tiles instead of the correct completed structure.
- A joker used in a single or pair.
- Two printed pairs merged and treated as a kong.
- A white dragon confused with a spare blank tile.
- A suit color interpreted inconsistently across the line.
- An exposure that does not correspond to one complete printed group.
- A concealed hand with an earlier ordinary call.
- A flower count or year digit that does not match the card.
Verification questions
Who should verify the hand?
All players may look, while one person calmly leads the comparison to avoid overlapping commentary.
Can tiles be rearranged during verification?
They may be organized to show the printed groups, but no tile may be substituted, retrieved, or exchanged.
What if the hand is invalid?
Apply the standard rule or previously agreed house procedure consistently, especially for false declarations and dead hands.