How many tiles do you deal in mahjong?

13 tiles per player, with the dealer taking 14 and discarding first. Some Chinese rules deal 16 and discard flowers (the "16-4" convention).

What is the dead wall?

In riichi, the last 14 tiles are set aside as the dead wall, used for dora indicators and kong replacement draws — they are never drawn normally.

How to Set Up Mahjong: Tiles, Wall and Deal Explained

Step-by-step setup — tile set, shuffling, building the wall, breaking it, dealing, and the dealer rule, with common beginner mistakes.

What you need

A standard mahjong set is 136 tiles (144 with flowers; 152 with jokers for American play). You also need a flat surface, ideally with a lip so the wall does not slide, and four players — or this site, where the computer deals and draws for you.

On this site the deal, wall and turn order are handled automatically, but the same logic applies: 13 tiles per player, 14 for the dealer.

Shuffling and building the wall

Turn all tiles face-down and mix them thoroughly — this is what "washing" the tiles means. Each player builds a row 17 tiles long and two tiles high (18 in some rules); the four rows form a square wall around the table.

The wall is not the same as the discard pile: live tiles stay in the wall until drawn, and in riichi the last 14 tiles are set aside as the dead wall for bonus indicators.

Breaking the wall and dealing

The dealer rolls two dice to pick where to break the wall, counting around the table. The break point determines who draws first and from where; the deal proceeds counterclockwise, giving each player 13 tiles and the dealer 14.

Some rules deal 16 tiles per player first, then discard four flowers — the "16-4" convention is common in Chinese play. Most casual games skip this and deal 13/14 directly.

The dealer and turn order

The dealer (East) starts by discarding a tile, then play moves counterclockwise — the player to your right acts before you. In many scoring systems the dealer pays and receives double, and keeps the deal after a win (连庄).

On this site the seat winds and dealer are shown on the table, and the turn indicator pulses on the active player so you always know whose move it is.

Common setup mistakes

Wrong tile count (missing flowers or jokers), uneven walls, and dealing from the wrong end are the big three. Counting 13/14 tiles per player after dealing is the fastest sanity check.

If a tile is turned face-up during the shuffle, flip it back down and wash again — no one may see it. The same rule applies online, where every tile stays hidden until drawn.

FAQ

How many tiles do you deal in mahjong?: 13 tiles per player, with the dealer taking 14 and discarding first. Some Chinese rules deal 16 and discard flowers (the "16-4" convention).
How do you build the mahjong wall?: Each player builds a row 17 tiles long and two tiles high (18 in some rules); the four rows form a square wall. The dealer breaks it with a dice roll.
What is the dead wall?: In riichi, the last 14 tiles are set aside as the dead wall, used for dora indicators and kong replacement draws — they are never drawn normally.