How to Deal American Mahjong Tiles: Who Gets What, Exactly
The American deal has a rhythm: four at a time, then a flourish at the end. Follow this sequence and every player ends with exactly the right tiles.
The Deal, Step by Step
- East rolls the dice and breaks their own wall at the counted stack.
- Starting at the break, East takes the first 4 tiles (2 stacks).
- The player to East’s right takes the next 4, and so on around the table.
- Repeat three full rounds — every player now holds 12 tiles.
- East takes 2 tiles: the top tile of the next stack, skip one, top tile of the following stack (“East hops two”).
- Each other player, in order, takes 1 tile.
- Result: East 14 tiles, everyone else 13.
Why East Gets 14
East opens the game by discarding, so East needs the extra tile. After East’s first discard, everyone cycles through draw-and-discard with 13-tile hands for the rest of the game.
Dealing Mistakes to Avoid
- Dealing from the wrong end — always deal from the break, not the wall ends.
- Taking 4 tiles per player in one pass — it is 4 at a time, in rounds, so the tiles distribute correctly.
- East forgetting the extra tile, which dead-hands East on the first turn.
- Racking tiles before counting them — count 13 (or 14) before organizing.
After the Deal
Sort your rack, study the card, and head into the Charleston. Continue with the Charleston guide or the full setup walkthrough.