What Does a Complete American Mahjong Set Include?
What Does a Complete American Mahjong Set Include?
A complete breakdown of every tile and component in a 166-piece NMJL set
If you're shopping for your first mahjong set, it's important to know exactly what should be in the box. A complete American Mahjong set isn't just a pile of tiles — it's a carefully organized collection of 166 tiles across multiple suits and categories, all compliant with National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) standards. Here's the full breakdown.
A complete Heritage Ivory set — all 166 tiles
The Three Suits: 108 Tiles
The bulk of any mahjong set consists of three suits, each with 36 tiles (numbers 1 through 9, four of each):
Bams (Bamboos) — 36 tiles
Numbered 1–9, four of each. The 1 Bam features a single bird (often a sparrow or peacock). Bams 2–9 are represented by vertical bamboo sticks. The symbol represents the ancient bamboo currency sticks.
Dots (Circles) — 36 tiles
Numbered 1–9, four of each. Each tile shows circles arranged in patterns (1 dot, 2 dots, etc.). Dots represent ancient coins. On American sets, Arabic numerals are engraved alongside the symbols for easy reading.
Craks (Characters) — 36 tiles
Numbered 1–9, four of each. Each tile displays the Chinese number character (一到九) over the character for "ten thousand" (万). American sets also include Arabic numerals for quick identification.
Winds: 16 Tiles
Four wind directions — North, East, South, West — with four of each. On American sets, the wind directions are clearly labeled in English letters (N, E, S, W) alongside the traditional Chinese characters.
Dragons: 12 Tiles
Three dragon types, four of each:
- Red Dragon — features the character 中 (zhong, "center")
- Green Dragon — features the character 發 (fa, "wealth")
- White Dragon — typically a blank white tile or features a rectangular border
Flowers: 8 Tiles
Eight uniquely numbered Flower tiles (1 through 8). When you draw a Flower, you place it face up in front of you and draw a replacement tile. Flowers are essential for certain NMJL card hands.
All tile types visible on the Coastal Mist set
Jokers: 8 Tiles
Eight Joker tiles — the wild cards of American Mahjong. A Joker can substitute for any tile in a pung, kong, or quint (but never in a pair). Jokers are exclusive to American Mahjong and are one of its most strategic elements.
Extra Tiles: 14 Tiles
A complete 166-tile set also includes:
- 8 Season tiles — numbered 1–4 (two sets), used as optional extras
- 2 spare Jokers — replacements in case tiles are lost
- 4 blank tiles — spares for customization or replacement
The Full Count: 166 Tiles
| Bams (1-9 × 4) | 36 |
| Dots (1-9 × 4) | 36 |
| Craks (1-9 × 4) | 36 |
| Winds (N/E/S/W × 4) | 16 |
| Dragons (Red/Green/White × 4) | 12 |
| Flowers (1-8) | 8 |
| Jokers | 8 |
| Seasons + Spares | 14 |
| TOTAL | 166 |
What's NOT Included (But You May Want)
Most tile-only sets (including ours) do not include racks, pushers, dice, or the NMJL card. To play a complete game, you'll also need:
- 4 racks and pushers — for holding tiles upright
- 2-3 dice — for determining dealer and wall-breaking
- Current year's NMJL card — lists all valid winning hands
- A carrying case — for storage and transport (some sets include this)
All USA Mahjong sets include the full 166-tile complement and are NMJL-compliant. Whether you choose the Heritage Ivory at $69.90 or the Coastal Mist at $189, you're getting a complete, tournament-ready set.
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NMJL-compliant. Tournament-ready. 57+ original designs.
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