Meet the National Mah Jongg League
The rule-keeper of the American game
- Say what the NMJL is and does
- Understand that your hand must come from the card
The National Mah Jongg League is the organization that keeps American Mah Jongg consistent for everyone. Think of it as the game's rule-keeper.
Its most important job is publishing the official card — the list of every winning hand you're allowed to build. In the American game, you can't invent your own pattern. Your finished hand must match one printed on the current card.
Because everyone plays from the same card, a player in one city can sit down with strangers in another and instantly speak the same language.
An unbroken tradition
The League has published a new card every single year since 1937 — a streak that makes American Mah Jongg unique among tile games.
In the American game, where do legal winning hands come from?
- The NMJL keeps the American game consistent.
- Its official card lists every legal winning hand.
- One shared card lets any players play together.
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