RULES FOR PLAYING SIAMESE MAH JONGG ® FOR 2 PLAYERS

      (Rules for playing THE 3 or 4 PLAYER VERSION OF SIAMESE MAH JONGG® called ROYALE SIAMESE MAH JONGG®, are below,  following the Siamese rules.)

1. TWO (2) PLAYERS / TWO (2)RACKS EACH:  (or 2 PLAYERS using 1 Double Siamese Rack each).  Two (2) players face each other; and place 2 racks in front of each player.

2.WALLS: 
A. Build two (2) full walls of tiles, 19 stacks long of 2-tiles high (a total of 38 tiles), placed in front of each rack.  Once the first wall has been pushed out, move that rack behind your other rack.  This will allow your 2nd wall to be pushed out when needed. 

B. When players use a DOUBLE Siamese Rack, build 2 walls, one behind the other – with a Pusher placed between each wall.  The walls can now easily glide out using the Pusher.

3. NO WALLS: We do NOT support playing without building walls.  Walls help to prevent players from “accidentally remembering” just where there might be some Jokers located.  It is an option for social-play ONLY; merely leave the shuffled unpicked tiles on one side of the table, and discard on the other side of the table.
(GG’s NOTE: WALLS ARE REQUIRED FOR TOURNAMENT PLAY.)

4. EAST THROWS A SINGLE DIE TO BREAK/CUT  THE WALL.  Breaking/Cutting the wall, like a deck of cards

A. East throws one (1) die to break their first wall; and counts from the Right side of the wall, the amount of tiles corresponding to the number on the Die thrown.  Then moves the counted-stacks of tiles to the TAIL end of the first wall.  

B. BOTH of East’s walls will come out before using the opponent’s walls.

5. 27 TILES FOR EAST, 27 TILES FOR THE OPPOSITE PLAYER:   Each player deals themselves four (4) tiles from East’s cut-wall, until both players have 27 tiles each. (GG’s NOTE:  Statistics have shown that East, when given an additional tile during the deal…has a distinct statistical advantage over their opponent(s)  to build or change their hands.  This change serves to eliminate or reduce any statistical advantage, no matter how small).).  

6. ARRANGING THE TILES:  Players may arrange their tiles in both their racks…as many as desired; and may exchange tiles back and forth between their own racks. It does not matter how many tiles are on each rack at any one time.

7. CHARLESTON:  There is NO Charleston
(GG’S NOTE: You have access to 50% of the tiles, and a  multitude of tile-combinations over which you have control.)

8. THE GAME BEGINS:  East picks their 28th tile from the wall to begin the game, and discards; then the opposite player picks their first tile from the wall; then discards a tile.  Then the opponent picks a tile from the wall or claims the discarded tile….and the game proceeds. 

9. JOKERS:  You may exchange your own Jokers from your own exposures, or from your opponent’s exposures; but you CANNOT exchange a Joker from any EXPOSED Mah Jongg hand. Jokers may be exchanged from exposures in a “dead” hand, ONLY IF that exposure did NOT cause the hand to be declared “dead.”

10. MAH JONGG:  Once a Mah Jongg is declared and exposed with the required 14 tiles by a player, and that player has discarded a tile to complete their turn, player may continue to keep their remaining tiles on one or both of the slanted portion(s) of their rack(s).

A. STRATEGY NOTE: The disadvantage of NOT EXPOSING your own MJ is that the game might finish before you have declared your own Mah Jongg; and you must have a Mah Jongg exposed in order to be paid. You won’t be paid for a MJ that is still IN your rack, not ON your rack.
B. The longer you delay declaring a Mah Jongg and exposing those tiles, the longer you are able to use your own Jokers interchangeably.
C. Remember, once the Mah Jongg hand has been declared and exposed, the Jokers in the MJ exposures can NOT be exchanged.
D. A DISCARDED TILE IS CLAIMED FOR “MAH JONGG” BY 2 PLAYERS: the discarded tile may be claimed by the player CLOSEST in succession to the discarder….regardless if it is for an exposure or for a  1st or 2nd Mah Jongg. (A 2nd Mah Jongg does NOT take precedence in this case.)
E. MAH JONGG IN ERROR. If a player claims two (2) Mah Jongg’s at the same time, but literally has only one (1) actual Mah Jongg, then that one (1) Mah Jongg will be honored; and the other hand will be considered “dead.”

11. YOU ARE PLAYING BOTH RACKS INTERCHANGEABLY:

A. Even though the TILES ARE INTERCHANGEABLE between the racks, players must be cautious to NOT combine their EXPOSURES on the WRONG Rack. A player’s hand should be declared “dead” if the combined exposures do not match a hand on the NMJL or Siamese MJ cards. Remember, the tiles are interchangeable IN the racks, not ON the racks. However, the player must discard, and may continue playing to try to build a 2nd Mah Jongg on their 2nd rack.

B. If player inadvertently places an incorrect exposure on the 2nd rack that should have been placed on the other rack…then that player may correct the location of the current exposure…BEFORE discarding the 28th tile to complete that turn.  

12. IF A PLAYER IS DECLARED “DEAD” FOR 2 HANDS, THE GAME CEASES:  and the “dead” player gets minus (-) Points equal to 4 times the value of opponent’s existing Mah Jongg, or 4 times the lowest value on the card – whichever is relevant.

13. A PLAYER HAS 1 MAH JONGG AND 1 DEAD HAND:  the game continues by the opponent only – until opponent makes a second Mah Jongg, or all the tiles have been picked.
(ED’S NOTE: In a regular 4-handed NMJL version, the “dead” player has to cease playing, while everyone else continues. But, think of the other player’s 2 racks in the 2-handed version as 2 individual remaining players. If one hand is “dead,” there are still players alive.)

14. GAME CEASES WHEN 1 PLAYER HAS DECLARED 2 MAH JONGGS, -or-

when the tiles from the walls have been used, and the last discard has been made.  If all the tiles have been played, and no player has an exposed Mah Jongg, then it is a “WALL GAME.”  (See SCORING: 17 F, Below.)

15. IF A PLAYER HAS 1 “DEAD” HAND EXPOSED:  that player may continue to exchange the remaining tiles between their two racks, but may NOT USE any of the tiles from the exposures that MADE the EXPOSED HAND “dead” – in order to build another hand. Jokers may be exchanged from exposures in the “dead” hand, but only if that exposure containing the Joker did not cause the hand to be declared “dead.”

16. See NATIONAL MAH JONGG TOURNAMENT RULES and MAH JONGG MASTER POINTS RULES:  for additional information.

17. SCORING AND PAYOUTS: Payment is made at the END of the game(s), 

A. FOR EASY PAYOUTS, KEEP SCORE. At the end of the game(s), the player with the lesser score will pay the winner the difference between the two (2) scores:
B. The 1st Mah Jongg by a player receives the value on the NMJL or SIAMESE MAH JONGG CARD(s), regardless if it is self-picked.  However,  if it is JOKERLESS, the value is doubled (excluding singles and pairs).
Reminder: The Payer is NOT penalized for throwing a tile that is claimed for Mah Jongg.

C. If a player declares and wins the game with their 2nd Mah Jongg, the payout for the 2nd Mah Jongg is doubled, regardless if it is self-picked.
Payout is doubled again if the 2nd Mah Jongg is JOKERLESS (excluding singles and pairs).

D. A player who declares, exposes, and wins with two (2) Mah Jonggs  AT THE SAME TIME receives DOUBLE THE SCORE FOR BOTH HANDS.  It does not matter if that player had any previous exposures.

E. The player who discards a tile that is claimed for their opponent’s 2nd Mah Jongg is penalized minus Twenty Five Points (-25); whether or not there is a first Mah Jongg already exposed on their opponent’s rack.
(Also see Rule 17. E. below)

F. The player who discards a tile that is claimed by their opponent who puts up two (2) Mah Jonggs during the same turn…but the claimed tile is used in the 1st Mah Jongg exposed…. the discarder is still penalized minus Twenty Five Points (-25).

G. WALL GAME each player receives Plus Ten Points (+10).

18. IF THERE ARE TOO MANY OR TOO FEW TILES ON PLAYER’S RACK:  Declare that Player’s hand “dead.”  27 tiles is the correct number of tiles for each player, unless it’s their turn and they’ve claimed or picked a tile from the wall to start their turn; in which case, they should have 28 tiles.

A. If immediately after the deal it is discovered a player has too many tiles on their racks (more than 28 if they are East, or more than 27 if they are not East)….it is a mis-deal. Just re-deal the tiles.  This also holds true, even if there is an incorrect number of tiles on either player’s rack immediately after East picks their 1st tile to start the game (ostensibly, their 28th tile).

B.  Already having 1 legitimate Mah Jongg exposed will usually guaranty that the player receives points for a good MJ (likely since the good MJ was declared when the player had the correct number of tiles in and on their racks).  However, if it is discovered that the player has too many or too few tiles combined on their racks, within one or more full-turns around the table…..BOTH OF THAT PLAYER’S HANDS ARE DEAD.  (Revised 12/2/2024).  Opponent continues to pick tiles from the wall.  

C.  If it is discovered during play that a player has too many tiles (example: 29 tiles after picking to begin a player’s turn, or 28 tiles not during a player’s turn), that player should be declared “dead” for both hands.
Please also see RULE 12. This Rule also applies to too few tiles.

19. MIS-NAMED DISCARDED TILE:

A. If the mis-named discarded tile is claimed for an EXPOSURE, and the discarder has the correct tile in their hand, then the correct tile MUST be discarded in place of the incorrect tile.

B. If the discarder does not have the correct tile in their hand, the game proceeds, following the correct naming of the tile. No penalty to the discarder.

C. The MIS-NAMED discarded tile may be claimed for MAH JONGG, even though it’s the wrong tile. The discarder is penalized the appropriate amount of points on the card; for example = PENALTY: Minus -25

D. If the mis-named tile is claimed for a 2nd Mah Jongg, then the discarder is ALSO penalized an additional   -25 points.

20. PICKING FROM THE WRONG WALL
A. If a player picks and racks a tile from the wrong wall, then that player will have one (1) hand declared dead. If there is already a MJ hand exposed by that player….then the player’s other hand is dead.  The Player DISCARDS.  . Other player continues picking and discarding until they win with 2 MJ’s, or the tiles run out.

B. If the erring player has one hand with exposures, then that hand is dead. 
C. If the player has 2 hands with exposures, then the hand on the rack closest to that erring player is dead. 

21.  CLAIMING A TILE FOR EXPOSURE(S) 

A. IF you claim a discarded tile for an EXPOSURE,  pick Up that tile FIRST, in order to BEGIN YOUR TURN….BEFORE you EXPOSE any tiles from your hand.  (NOTE:  Your turn does NOT legitimately start until that claimed tile is ON your rack.)  

PENALTY: You LOSE that turn, and the hand that was going to use that claimed tile must be declared “dead.”

B. When creating your exposure for use with the claimed tile, you must make any corrections to that exposure, PRIOR to discarding a tile to end your turn:  This includes changing a pung to a kong, or a kong to a quint, (or back again); or making a change to correct an erroneously displayed incorrect tile (such as using a 3 for an 8, a 5 for an S, a 1Bam for a Flower, etc).

C. IF YOU CLAIM A DISCARDED TILE FOR A MAH JONGG….but while creating your exposure with that tile….you realize that you do NOT have a good complete Mah Jongg...it is IMPORTANT that you NOT EXPOSE any other tiles, except those used to complete the meld of tiles for that Pung, Kong, or Quint 

D. STRATEGY NOTE:  Do not feel compelled to PREMATURELY tell another player that theirs is a “good Mah Jongg” or specifically “that’s not a Mah Jongg.”   

(GG’s NOTE: By giving your opponent a chance to change their hand prior to their discarding the tile to end their turn…you may be giving that player important information to correct their hand in a timely manner; thus eliminating your own strategic advantage in this moment.) 7