JOKER PROTOCOLS (ARTICLE 221)

Jokers add complexity and flexibility to the game, making it essential to understand the protocols governing their use. This article offers a comprehensive overview of joker usage, including key scenarios, limitations, and important considerations to ensure fair play and consistency.

Not in Mah Jongg Made Easy—But Still Part of the Game
After a joker exchange, the joker does not have to be exposed; place it on the sloped part of the rack with the player’s tiles, and you can use it later like any other tile. This differs from claiming a discard, where a player must complete an exposure immediately. A joker exchange is a substitution, not a claim, so you don’t have to expose the joker. If the exchanged joker completes the hand, the player may declare mah jongg; otherwise, they continue their turn and discard as usual.

The Charleston (pre-game)

• Jokers cannot be passed during the Charleston. If it is passed by mistake or due to misunderstanding, the joker must be returned to the player who passed it so they can replace it with a symbol tile (MJME 2024, page 23 #8).

The Play (pick-and-discard)

• If a player sees an opportunity for a joker exchange and attempts to do it for an exposure or mah jongg before starting their turn, another player can declare their hand dead (MJME 2024, page 23 #2).
• If you have a joker in an exposure on your rack, you may exchange it for the natural tile on your turn. While it’s not required, announcing the exchange to inform other players about the change is considered good form. (NMJL Bulletin 2023).
• Any player may exchange jokers in exposures during their turn, provided they have the required natural tile. The player holding the exposure must surrender the joker because no rule permits refusal (MJME 2024, p. 23).
• If a player has an exposure with a joker, any player with the symbol tile can request an exchange after starting their turn by picking from the wall or calling a discard to complete an exposure. A valid request cannot be declined; although not expressly stated, this is inferred from the League’s joker-exchange rules (MJME 2024, p. 22, #2, #3).
• If a player attempts a joker exchange before starting their turn correctly, they risk being disqualified by another player (MJME 2024 page 23 #4).
• If a player fully names a tile as a discard or if a tile touches the table, it is considered a discard, and it’s too late to do a joker exchange. Also, a discarded tile that could have been used for a joker exchange cannot be called and used for the exchange. In other words, you can only call and use discards in a new exposure or to declare mah jongg. (MJME 2024 page 23 #3).
• If a player declares mah jongg with a hand without a joker, the hand’s value is doubled, even if exposures had jokers at one point during the game. (MJME 2024 page 23 #4).
• Jokers cannot be used to exchange a symbol tile during an exposure (MJME 2024, page 23, #5).
• If a player’s last move before declaring Mah Jongg is to redeem a Joker from their [any] rack, it is considered self-picked, and everyone pays the player double. This is called a “finesse” move.  Ruth Unger, former league president, named the tactic finesse after similar moves in bridge and whist (MJME 2024, page 23, #7).
• Jokers cannot be used as a single tile, as part of a pair, or in a block with single tiles (i.e., 10, 234, 567789, 369, YYYY, NEWS; MJME 2024, page 24 #9).
• When a player discards a joker, they can name it “joker,” “same,” or the name of the previous discard. Regardless of what the discarded Joker is called, it may not be taken/called for any reason whatsoever. (MJME 2024 page 24 # 10 and #11; MJME 2020 omission).
• Any number of jokers can be used in a block of three or more identical tiles (e.g., pung, kong). If you have multiple exposures, placing the joker between natural tiles is a best practice to avoid errors in a joker exchange (MJME 2024, page 23 #1, page 24 #12).
• Players should not touch another player’s tiles. When a player wants to exchange, they should verbalize it and do a hand-to-hand exchange. If they do not verbalize the exchange and the tile touches the table, it is considered a discard, and the Joker may not be redeemed (MJME 2024, page 24 #13).
• If a player makes a joker exchange that results in an incorrect exposure that goes unnoticed, the player with the wrong exposure should be disqualified. However, the error can be corrected without penalty if it is noticed before the player discards. SUPERCEDED: A player called the NMJL and was told that “Once that exchange was made and that incorrect tile was placed with the exposure and the joker exchanged, it is too late to undo it, and the player with the incorrect exposure now has a dead hand and the player that gave the incorrect tile still plays (03/20/2024).” (MJME 2024, page 24, #14).
• Players can exchange any number of jokers during a turn, and best practice is to do this hand-to-hand rather than self-serve (MJME 2024, page 24, #15).
• If a player picks a tile from the wall and asks for a joker exchange without racking the tile, the window of opportunity closes on the previously discarded tile (MJME 2024 page 17 #8; page 24 #16).
• If a player requests a joker exchange from an exposure on the rack of an active player, and another player notices during that exchange that the exposure is invalid or the hand is impossible to complete, the exchange may still be completed before the hand can be disqualified (MJTI admin phone call with the league on 06/20/2026).
• If a player has been disqualified from the game, return the newly exposed tiles to the sloped part of the rack. Pre-existing invalid exposures with jokers (i.e., concealed hand, no such exposure on the card) are not eligible for exchange, and you should return the tiles to the sloped part of the rack with the other tiles. Pre-existing valid exposures with jokers are eligible for exchange (MJME 2024, page 22 #4 [b]; page 24 #18, #17).
• If a player has the wrong number of tiles and another player says they are disqualified, they must concede. Jokers in valid exposures are available for exchange MJME 2024, page 22 #4 [b]; page 24 #18, #17).
• If a player claims a discard for an exposure and then does a joker exchange, they cannot use it to change the exposure in the same turn (NMJL Bulletin 2025).
• No player may claim a discarded joker (MJME 2024, page 24, #10).
• When a player has chosen a concealed hand, they may do a joker exchange like everyone else (National Mah Jongg League Bulletin 2020).

Source: Mah Jongg Made Easy (2024, page 22 #4(b); page 23-24 #1–18)