Mahjong Around the World: Systems and Deep Dives
Overseas mahjong is same roots, different games: riichi and MCR are close cousins of Chinese mahjong, American mahjong is almost a separate game, and Korea's main tile game is not mahjong at all.
About rule differences
Overseas variants are defined by associations, clubs or the table itself. This page gives the mainstream version to build a frame and read the jargon; in a real game or tournament, the official or table rules win.
Systems and deep dives
American Mahjong152 tiles · annual card · no chow
European MahjongMCR (official) · OMS · competition
Japanese Riichiyaku · furiten · defence · scoring
Vietnamese & SE Asianmạt chược · flowers · 16-tile
Korean Hwatuhwatu, not mahjong
American Mahjong Cardreading · joker rules · memorising
Singapore & Malaysiaflowers + animal tiles · table-defined
Philippine 16-Tile16 tiles · tai/fan · close to Taiwanese
European OMSsimplified scoring · club play
TerminologyCN · EN · JP cheat sheet
Clubs & Tournamentsassociations · clubs · online
Learning Pathsystem → terms → fundamentals
American Mahjong Strategytracking · jokers · Charleston
Online Platformsriichi clients · MCR · American
Quick comparison
| System | Tiles | Win gate | Relation to Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| American NMJL | 152 (flowers + jokers) | Match the annual card | Nearly a separate game |
| European MCR | 144 (8 flowers) | 81 fan, 8-fan minimum | = Chinese official rules |
| European OMS | club-defined | Simplified scoring | Simplified Chinese style |
| Japanese riichi | 136 (no flowers) | Must have a yaku | Close cousin, own system |
| Vietnamese mạt chược | Min-Yue (flowers) | Fan / points | A branch of Cantonese/Hokkien |
| Philippine | 16 tiles | Tai/points | Close to Taiwanese |
| Korean | hwatu cards (not mahjong) | — | A different game |
FAQ
Is mahjong abroad the same as Chinese mahjong?
Not exactly. Japanese riichi and European MCR are close variants (they change the winning requirement and competition rules); American mahjong (NMJL) changes even the tiles and how you win, so it is nearly a separate game.
Which overseas mahjong is closest to Chinese rules?
MCR in European competition is literally the Chinese official rule set. Japanese riichi is a separate but fully developed competitive system.
Why can't you chow in American mahjong?
NMJL rules allow only Pung (three of a kind) and Kong (four), no chows. Each hand must also match a formula printed on that year's card.
Do Koreans play mahjong?
Korea's main tile game is hwatu (Go-Stop/Seotda), played with flower cards, not mahjong tiles. Mahjong (majak) is niche, mostly riichi or Chinese transplants.
Want to level up?
Whatever the variant, the fundamentals transfer: tile efficiency, defence, reading and mindset. Our Chinese-language course runs from beginner to advanced, with a tile-efficiency trainer and a game vs bots.