Birds of A Tile

Give your scorecard to East. After each game East will fill it out and give it back to you to confirm your score by signing. Then give it back to East for the next game. West will also receive Easts score sheet to verify their score. If there are errors/discrepancies in the scoring, they MUST be resolved before moving to the next table. After that there are no changes. If necessary, call the director for a ruling. Each player MUST keep a record of their own score on their personal sheet.

• Amount on card – Player who makes Mahjong (ex. a 25 listed on the card equals 25 points).
• PLUS 10 points – Player who PICKS their own Mah Jong.
• PLUS 10 points – A winning hand with NO JOKERS. SINGLES & PAIRS hands do NOT get this bonus.
• PLUS 10 points – Wall Game: ALL players get points, except for a hand that was declared dead or Mah Jong in error.

• MINUS 10 points – Player who THROWS Mah Jong to a hand with Two exposures.
• MINUS 10 points – if you LOOK at a stolen tile during the blind pass, you still play in the game. You cannot go dead during the Charleston!
• MINUS 25 points – Player who THROWS Mah Jong to a hand with THREE or more exposures.
• Time’s up! If the table does not complete the game in the allotted time, each player gets a score of Zero for that game.
• Dead hands – Do not get a minus 10 and do not receive points for a wall game. Player gets a Zero.

East stays and does not move, North moves UP 1 table, South moves DOWN 1 table, West moves UP 2 tables.

• NO PICKING AHEAD. The next tile in play should not be removed from the wall until the previous player has discarded. Once you touch the next tile in play, you can no longer call the previous tile
• Your turn begins when you pick a tile or call a tile for exposure.
• Do not place your hand on the next tile or hover over the wall until the player has made their discard.
• If you pick from the wrong end of the wall and look at the tile, your hand is dead. If you have not looked at the tile, then put it back and continue from the correct side of the wall.
• A player may call the last discarded tile for Mahjong or an exposure until the next player either racks or discards the picked tile.
• Once a tile is racked, the previous tile is “dead”. (It’s no longer available)
• You must discard your tile if: (a) the tile touches the table, or (2) you start to say the name of the tile. It is called intent. Continue the discard.
• Player must pick from wall before initiating a Joker exchange. The pick is the start of a turn.
• Picking and racking – although the last discarded tile is still available until your tile is racked it is discourteous to rack very quickly. Please take a pause before racking your tile; count to 3, there is plenty of time.
• Jokers may be replaced from any exposure before a hand went “dead.” Jokers in an exposure that made the hand dead are not available.
• When declaring Mahjong, the hand should be displayed as it appears on the card as a courtesy to others.

You must verbally call for a discarded tile. PENALTY, if you don’t call the tile, you can’t have it and must be placed back on the table.

• If you call a tile for Mahjong or for an exposure, the called tile MUST be placed ON your rack, not IN the slope of your rack. This verifies that you picked the right tile. If you rack the tile, your hand will be called dead and play continues with the remaining 3 players.
• If you call a tile for an exposure or Mahjong - if you touch a tile, it is your tile and must be used.
• If two players call at the same time for Mahjong the tile goes to the next player in the rotation.

• If the three other players expose their hands, all get 0 points.
• If one player does not expose their hand, that player gets PLUS 10 points while others get 0 points.
• If two players do not expose their hands, game continues with two remaining players.
• If a player calls Mah Jongg in error and the mistake is rectified BEFORE the hand is exposed and BEFORE any other player exposes or disturbs their hand, game continues without penalty.
• If Mahjong is called and the player doesn’t pick up their MJ tile and place it ON the rack the Mahjong is no good.

• Correct the tile name and continue.
• A mis-named discarded tile can be called for Mahjong. The discarder is penalized 25 points and the Mahjong receives the point value on the card.

• Game begins when East discards their 14th tile, if any hands have too few or too many tiles, hands will be thrown in and the game is restarted.
• If you know a hand is “dead,” you can declare it. But, if you declare a hand dead in error, your hand is “dead”. Do not discuss it with others first.
• If a Joker is exchanged and gives a player their Mahjong, it is self-picked. The Joker can come from their own rack or another rack.
• You must play all rounds of the tournament, if there is an emergency contact the director.
• Make sure you always have the correct number of tiles in your rack. Do not use both hands. If you have a tile in each hand, you do not have the proper number of tiles in your rack and you will be called Dead.
• Players are required to supply their own National Mahjong League Card.
• You cannot go dead during the Charleston.
• Have patience for others; we all learn differently, and we were all new once.
• Please do not criticize or judge your opponent’s play.
• RESPECT: Please be gracious and courteous to your fellow players.