How a turn works

East goes first

After the Charleston, East has 14 tiles and everyone else has 13. East starts the game by discarding one tile without drawing.

Every turn after that

1. Draw. Take the next tile from the wall and place it on your rack.
2. Decide. Does it help the hand you are building? If your rack is now complete, say "Mahjong."
3. Discard. Choose one tile to give up, set it face-up in the middle of the table, and say its name.

"Five dot."

Then the turn passes to the player on your right. Play runs counter-clockwise, the same direction as the first pass of the Charleston.

Between turns you hold 13

You have 14 tiles only in the moment between drawing and discarding. Tiles you have exposed on top of your rack count toward your total. If you ever find you have too many or too few, tell the table. Your hand is dead for the rest of the round: you stop drawing and discarding, and you still pay the winner.

When a discard is called

Any player who can use a discard to finish a group of three or more, or to win, may claim it, even when it is not their turn. That player takes the tile, lays the finished group face-up, and discards. Play then carries on from the caller's right, so anyone sitting in between misses a turn. There is more on this in calling a tile.

A discard does not wait

A discarded tile can be claimed only until the next player draws and places their new tile on their rack. After that it is dead. Nobody can go back for it later.

How a round ends

Mahjong. A player completes a hand from the card, says so, and lays the whole hand face-up for the others to check.

A wall game. The last tile is drawn and discarded and nobody has won. Nobody pays. Mix the tiles and deal again.