TWO-PLAYER MAH JONGG (Article 103)

Commentary: The league allows you to play with two people. Players sit opposite each other and roll the dice to determine the first East/dealer. The tiles are mixed, the walls are built, and the wall is broken. The tiles are dealt for one hand each, and the missing players are skipped. The Charleston is omitted, so East/dealer starts the game by discarding, and players alternate turns. After the game, East/dealer alternates.

Gladys Grad created two-player rules and branded Siamese Mah Jongg in the summer of 2015. There are variations for three or four players with two to four hands, each called Royale Siamese Mah Jongg and Imperial Siamese Mah Jongg. The league considers this version a house rule, so it’s not sanctioned.  To learn the logistics and rules of these games, visit https://siamesemahjongg.com. For ongoing support, consider joining the Siamese Mah Jongg Guild on Facebook

Question from a player: Only two players showed up for mah jongg today. How can we play?

Answer from the NMJL: Two players sit opposite each other and build their own walls and also the wall to the right. East position alternates. The tiles are drawn from the wall in the usual manner except the blank walls do not draw hands. The Charleston is omitted, and East starts the game by discarding a tile.

Source: Mah Jongg Made Easy (2024 page 26)