American Mahjong becomes much easier when you stop seeing one crowded rack and start seeing seven familiar tile families: Dots, Bams, Craks, Winds, Dragons, Flowers, and Jokers. Each family has a specific job, and a few special conventions—especially the White Dragon’s role as “Soap” and zero—make American play different from many other forms of Mahjong.
This visual guide explains the standard 152 tiles used for NMJL-style play, how to recognize each tile, and the beginner rules that matter most at the table. It does not reproduce any hand from an annual card. For the full flow of a game, begin with How to Play American Mahjong.
The Standard 152-Tile American Mahjong Inventory
A standard NMJL-style game uses 152 tiles. The three numbered suits supply most of the set, while Winds, Dragons, Flowers, and Jokers complete the playing inventory.
| Tile family | Breakdown | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Dots | Numbers 1–9, four of each | 36 |
| Bams | Numbers 1–9, four of each | 36 |
| Craks | Numbers 1–9, four of each | 36 |
| Winds | North, East, South, and West; four of each | 16 |
| Dragons | Red, Green, and White; four of each | 12 |
| Flowers | Eight Flower tiles | 8 |
| Jokers | Eight Joker tiles | 8 |
| Total | 108 suits + 16 Winds + 12 Dragons + 8 Flowers + 8 Jokers | 152 |
A common NMJL-style playing inventory uses 152 tiles. A retail set may include 160 because the maker supplies additional Jokers, Flowers, blanks, or replacement tiles. Those eight extras are not configured the same way by every brand.
Moira American Mahjong sets contain 160 tiles. Before building the walls, identify the extras and follow the setup used by your teacher or regular group. The product page should provide the exact inventory; the number printed on the box is not a substitute for that breakdown.
Tile count and tile dimensions answer different buying questions. If you are comparing readability, grip, rack fit, or case compatibility, use our American Mahjong tile size guide.
Dots, Bams and Craks: The Three Numbered Suits
Dots: the circle suit
Dots run from 1 through 9, with four copies of every number. Designer sets may turn the circles into golf balls, flowers or shells, but the printed index still identifies the Dot suit.
Bams: the bamboo suit
Bams run from 1 through 9, four of each. The illustrated 1 Bam is the famous exception to the repeated bamboo motif; it still functions as the 1 Bam.
Craks: the character suit
Craks run from 1 through 9, four of each. A number plus a character-style mark distinguishes a Crak from an unnumbered Red Dragon.
Winds: North, East, South, and West
The 16 Wind tiles consist of four Norths, four Easts, four Souths, and four Wests. American sets usually mark them with the letters N, E, S, and W, sometimes alongside traditional characters or themed artwork.
Winds have no numerical rank and do not belong to Dots, Bams, or Craks. The order printed in a hand on the current card matters, so read the letters rather than trying to treat Winds like a numbered run. Wind tiles can appear as singles, pairs, or larger matching groups depending on the hand.
Dragons: Red, Green, and White
There are 12 Dragons: four Red, four Green, and four White. In NMJL-style American Mahjong, each Dragon has a conventional relationship with a numbered suit:
- Red Dragons match Craks.
- Green Dragons match Bams.
- White Dragons match Dots.
This relationship matters when the annual card specifies matching or opposite Dragons. It does not mean that a Dragon becomes a numbered suit tile. A Green Dragon remains a Dragon; it simply corresponds with Bams when a hand’s instructions require matching Dragons.
Why the White Dragon Is Called Soap
The White Dragon is commonly nicknamed “Soap.” On traditional sets it may look nearly blank, like a small bar of soap, although modern sets often give it a border, letter, or illustration so it is easier to identify. A blank replacement tile is not automatically a White Dragon. Check the manufacturer’s key if two pale tiles look similar.
How Soap Represents Zero
American Mahjong sets do not contain a separate numeral-zero tile. When a hand on the current annual card includes a zero, the White Dragon—Soap—represents that zero. In that context, read the tile as 0. In another section or hand, the same physical tile may be used as the White Dragon. The card tells you which role matters.
This is one reason to keep Soap easy to spot on your rack. It can participate in a Dragon requirement, match Dots when instructed, or stand for zero in a year-style sequence, but it never becomes a free wildcard.
Flowers: Eight Interchangeable Special Tiles
A standard American set contains eight Flowers. Their faces may show blossoms, seasons, people, places, or other decorative themes. They may also be numbered, but under NMJL-style play the eight Flower tiles are interchangeable whenever the current card shows an F. A number printed on a Flower usually helps identify the design; it does not make that Flower part of a numbered suit.
Flowers are not Jokers. You cannot use a Flower as a substitute for an unrelated numbered tile, Wind, or Dragon. You use the exact number of Flowers required by the hand you are playing.
Jokers: Powerful, but Not Universal
The eight Jokers are flexible, but they do not replace every missing tile. Under common NMJL-style rules, a Joker may substitute within an eligible group of three or more identical tiles—a Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet.
A Joker cannot be used for a single or a pair. It also cannot rescue a hand whose annual-card line does not permit Jokers. Singles-and-pairs hands, for example, must be completed with the natural tiles specified on the current card.
- Never pass a Joker during the Charleston.
- Do not include a Joker in a courtesy pass.
- Do not use a Joker as a single tile or one half of a pair.
- A discarded Joker cannot be called and is no longer available for exchange.
- Check the current card before assuming a group may contain a Joker.
How to Exchange for an Exposed Joker
On your turn, first draw from the wall or legally claim a discard to make a new exposure. You may then replace an exposed Joker—yours or another player’s—with the natural tile it represents and move the Joker to the concealed part of your rack. You may not claim a discard solely to make a Joker exchange, and a redeemed Joker may not be added to the exposure you just made. If an exposure contains three 6 Dots and a Joker, only a natural 6 Dot can make that exchange; a 6 Bam cannot.
If Joker exchanges or passing still feel unfamiliar, our step-by-step Charleston guide explains what can and cannot move between players before regular play.
How to Read Designer Tiles Without Getting Lost
A beautiful themed tile may replace traditional bamboo, coin, or character imagery with golf, garden, coastal, or botanical motifs. That changes the appearance, not the tile’s playing identity. Use this order when you meet an unfamiliar design:
- Look for the Arabic number or Wind letter.
- Identify the suit marker: Dot, Bam, or Crak.
- Separate unnumbered Winds, Dragons, Flowers, and Jokers.
- Confirm which tile is the White Dragon or Soap.
- Use the set’s product key or reference card if an illustration is unfamiliar.
A Simple Sorting Routine for Beginners
Group your first 13 tiles in a consistent order: Dots from low to high, then Bams and Craks, followed by Winds, Dragons, Flowers, and Jokers. No left-to-right order is required, but using the same pattern each game reduces search time.
Next, compare your rack with several possible lines on the current card. On most American Mahjong cards, printed colors show relationships among suits; they do not refer to the ink colors on your physical tiles. Learn that notation in How to Read an American Mahjong Card.
During early games, quietly name unfamiliar tiles—“4 Bam,” “West,” “Soap”—before deciding whether to keep or pass them. Recognition becomes automatic faster when you identify both value and family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all eight Flowers interchangeable?
Under NMJL-style play, yes. The eight Flowers can have different pictures or numbers, but each functions as F when the annual card calls for Flowers. Other Mahjong variants may treat bonus tiles differently.
Is Soap a blank tile?
Soap is the White Dragon, not simply an unused blank. Its design may be mostly white, so check the border, symbol, or product guide. Spare blank tiles should be identified and kept separate unless your group’s rules specify a use for them.
Can a Joker replace Soap or a Flower?
A Joker may substitute for an exact tile only inside an eligible group of three or more identical tiles. It cannot act as a single Soap, a single Flower, or one tile in a pair. Always check the hand’s current-card requirements.
Use our American Mahjong set buying guide, or browse all Moira American Mahjong sets to compare how the same tile families appear across different designs.
This beginner guide describes common NMJL-style American Mah Jongg. The current official card determines legal hands, values and current details. House and tournament rules may vary. Moira Mahjong is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Mah Jongg League.