What is the difference between riichi and American mahjong?

Riichi has yaku, furiten and a declaration of readiness (riichi); American Mah Jongg builds hands directly from the annual NMJL card with no yaku needed.

Which variant should a beginner start with?

American Mah Jongg is the easiest to start (follow the annual card), riichi is the deepest, and Chinese International Standard sits in between.

Do all variants use the same 144 tiles?

Yes, all three main variants share the 144-tile core; American adds jokers, riichi rulesets often add red fives, and flowers are optional in casual play.

Mahjong Variants Compared: Riichi, International and American

How Japanese riichi, Chinese International Standard and American Mah Jongg differ — tiles, rules, scoring, and which one you should try first.

Published 2026-07-16 · Updated 2026-08-08

Mahjong Variants Compared: Riichi, International and American

Tile sets and wall

All three variants use the same 136-tile core, but American Mah Jongg adds jokers and flowers, while riichi rulesets often use red fives and keep score with sticks (or software). The wall is drawn from the same basic 34 tile types.

Riichi and International Standard keep concealed hands and a single discard pile per player; American play exposes 13 tiles and rotates "pungs/kongs" from the card.

Winning and scoring

Riichi adds a declaration of readiness (riichi) and counts fan and fu. International Standard scores a big fan list with minimum-fan requirements. American Mah Jongg scores purely against the annual card: you build one of the printed hands, no yaku needed.

Which to try first

Beginners often find American the easiest to start (follow the card) and riichi the deepest. Classic International Standard sits between. All three are playable on this site with an AI that adapts to each ruleset.

Taiwanese and Sichuan mahjong

Taiwanese mahjong adds flowers and the "pusher" rule: you win with any 16-point hand after one discard. Sichuan mahjong removes honors entirely, plays only the suited tiles, and a player who finishes stops paying, making it the fastest and most aggressive variant.

Hong Kong mahjong (three full rounds, no minimum points) and Singapore mahjong (animal tiles) are other popular Southeast-Asian relatives worth knowing when you travel or play with local friends.

Rules that change everything

The big differences are fewer than you think: whether the wall uses a dead wall, whether honors score (riichi) or not (Sichuan), the minimum hand value required to win, and how the dealer changes. Once you learn one variant, the others take minutes to pick up.

This site implements the three global families faithfully (riichi with furiten and dora, Classic with its fan list, American with the 2026 NMJL card), so switching between them is the fastest way to learn the differences.

FAQ

What is the difference between riichi and American mahjong?: Riichi has yaku, furiten and a declaration of readiness (riichi); American Mah Jongg builds hands directly from the annual NMJL card with no yaku needed.
Which variant should a beginner start with?: American Mah Jongg is the easiest to start (follow the annual card), riichi is the deepest, and Chinese International Standard sits in between.
Do all variants use the same 144 tiles?: Yes, all three main variants share the 144-tile core; American adds jokers, riichi rulesets often add red fives, and flowers are optional in casual play.