Discard Phase

The second action of each turn: choosing one tile to discard face-up into the center of the table, ending your turn. Other players may then claim the discarded tile.

How the Discard Phase Works

After drawing a tile (and optionally performing Joker exchanges), you must discard one tile to end your turn. The discard phase follows a consistent procedure:

1. Choose a tile, Select one tile from your hand to discard. This can be the tile you just drew or any tile already in your hand.
2. Place it face-up, Set the tile in the center of the table where all players can see it.
3. Announce it, Name the tile clearly (e.g., "6 Dot," "South Wind," "Green Dragon"). This ensures all players know what was discarded, even if they cannot see it clearly.
4. Claiming window, Pause briefly to allow other players to call the tile for an exposure or Mah Jongg.
5. Turn ends, If no one claims the discard, the next player in counterclockwise order draws from the wall and the cycle continues.

The discard phase is the most strategically significant moment of each turn. Your choice of which tile to discard determines both the speed of your own hand development and the risk you pose to opponents.

Choosing Your Discard

Every discard is a strategic decision balancing multiple factors:

• Hand advancement, Discard tiles that do not contribute to your target hand on the NMJL card. Keep tiles that do.
• Safety, Consider whether the tile you are discarding might help an opponent. Prefer cold tiles (safe discards) over hot tiles (dangerous discards).
• Information, Your discard reveals information about your hand. Discarding a Dragon tells opponents you probably are not building a Dragon hand. Discarding a specific suit signals you may have abandoned it.
• Timing, The same tile can be safe to discard early in the game but dangerous later. As the wall shrinks and hands develop, discards carry more risk.
• Etiquette, Announce your discard clearly and give other players time to respond before the next player draws. Rushing discards is poor form and can cause disputes.

The discard phase and the draw phase together form the basic turn cycle. Mastering both, drawing with purpose and discarding with care, is the foundation of strong American Mahjong play.