Tile
The individual playing pieces in Mahjong. NMJL play uses 152 tiles: three suits (Bamboo, Character, Dot), Winds, Dragons, Flowers, and Jokers. A full retail set is often around 166, with spare and blank tiles set aside.
What Are Mahjong Tiles?
Mahjong tiles are the playing pieces used in the game, similar to cards in a card game but made of plastic, bone, or other materials. An American Mahjong set contains 166 tiles organized into several categories:
- Suits (108 tiles): Bamboo (Bam), Character (Crak), and Dot, numbered 1-9 with 4 of each
- Winds (16 tiles): East, South, West, North, 4 of each
- Dragons (12 tiles): Red, Green, White (Soap), 4 of each
- Flowers (8 tiles): Flower tiles used in certain hands
- Jokers (8 tiles): Wild tiles unique to American Mahjong
- Blank tiles (14 tiles): Spare/replacement tiles
That 166 count describes a full retail set. Actual NMJL play uses 152 tiles, the 14 blanks/spares are set aside before building the wall and are not part of the game.
Physical Properties
Traditional tiles are rectangular blocks, usually about 30mm x 23mm x 16mm. Modern American Mahjong tiles are typically made of:
- Acrylic/plastic, Most common, affordable and durable
- Bakelite, Vintage sets, highly collectible
- Bone and bamboo, Traditional materials, found in older or specialty sets
Each tile has a face showing its value/type and a blank back. Tiles are designed to stand upright on a rack so only you can see your hand.