Mahjong Variants Compared: Riichi, International and American

Tile sets and wall

All three variants use the same 144-tile core, but American Mah Jongg adds jokers and flowers, while riichi uses red fives and keeps 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.