Learn a turn before memorizing a score chart. Choose the rules your group plays, recognize the hand you are building, then practice each action. The English lesson button opens the American mahjong tutorial.
On your turn, draw a tile and discard an unwanted one. Rules for claiming another player’s discard depend on the variation.
Many 13-tile variations use four groups and a pair as the basic hand. Taiwanese and American mahjong require different structures.
Free interactive lessons introduce the chosen rules. Follow them with an AI game to practice without gathering a full table.
Mahjong is a family of games, so ask which rules your group uses. World Odyssey offers Korean, Japanese Riichi, Chinese Official (MCR), Sichuan, Guangdong, American and Taiwanese mahjong. Start with one tutorial rather than combining their scoring systems.
A pung is three identical tiles; a chow is three consecutive numbers in one suit; a pair is two identical tiles. In many 13-tile rules, a kong uses four identical tiles followed by a replacement draw. American kongs do not draw a replacement. Whether you can claim a discard for a group depends on the rules: Korean mahjong, for example, does not allow chow claims.
Four groups and a pair is a useful starting shape for many 13-tile games, alongside special hands such as seven pairs. Taiwanese mahjong starts with 16 tiles and uses five groups plus a pair. American mahjong follows a hand card; this game uses its original Odyssey Card 2026, not the NMJL card.
A finished shape alone may not qualify. Riichi needs a yaku, while MCR requires an eight-point minimum excluding flower points. American hands must match the card and obey joker restrictions. Use the matching tutorial, then try the same rules against AI.
World Odyssey offers four-player table mahjong with drawing, discarding and winning hands. Mahjong solitaire is the separate pair-matching puzzle.
That is a basic shape in many 13-tile rules, with special-hand exceptions. Taiwanese uses five groups plus a pair, and American uses the patterns on a hand card.
The English beginner button opens American mahjong. Follow the rule-specific links for Riichi, MCR, Korean, Sichuan, Guangdong or Taiwanese lessons.
No. Begin with tiles and actions; the game calculates scores. Tutorials explain the winning conditions for your chosen rules.