Question 1

Can you use a Joker in a pair or as a single tile in American Mahjong?

Accepted Answer

NO, NEVER. Jokers can never be used to represent single tiles, pairs, or year-date digits on the NMJL card. Exposing a Joker in a pair results in an immediate dead hand.

Question 2

Can you exchange an exposed Joker before drawing from the wall on your turn?

Accepted Answer

NO. You must draw your tile from the wall (or legally call a discard) FIRST before making any Joker swaps. Exchanging before drawing is an illegal action.

Question 3

Can you call a discarded tile to complete an exposed pair?

Accepted Answer

ONLY FOR MAHJONG. You cannot call a discard to expose a pair during mid-game; you can only call a pair tile if it completes your 14th tile for winning Mahjong.

Question 4

If Player A calls Pung and Player B calls Mahjong simultaneously, who gets the tile?

Accepted Answer

Player B gets the tile. A call for Mahjong ALWAYS supersedes any call for an exposed set (Pung, Kong, Quint), regardless of table rotation.

Question 5

Can one single player stop the Charleston from proceeding to the Second Round?

Accepted Answer

YES. Any single player who says STOP prevents the Second Charleston entirely. Unanimous consent of all 4 players is required to continue.

Question 6

Does the White Dragon (Soap) count as zero in Year Hands like 2026?

Accepted Answer

YES. The White Dragon (Soap) represents digit 0 in all Year Hands and is completely suit-neutral in year combinations.