RULES

Jokers

A joker can replace a tile only in a group of three or more matching tiles.

• A pung, kong or quint can use jokers. A single tile or pair cannot.
• Runs, NEWS and the separate digits in a year are not identical groups. Their tiles cannot be replaced by jokers. A year hand's pungs and kongs can still use them.
• You may use a joker in an exposure even when you hold the natural tile it replaces.
• Nobody can take a discarded joker, even for mahjong.

Exchanging for a joker

Use a matching natural tile from your hand, on your turn, after drawing or calling and before discarding.

• Replace a joker in your own exposure or another player's exposure with its matching natural tile. You receive the joker.
• You cannot call a discard just to exchange it for an exposed joker.
• You may make several exchanges in one turn.
• Jokers in a declared Siamese hand or the exposure that made a hand dead cannot be exchanged. Earlier valid exposures on a dead rack remain available.

Pung of 6 DotsPung of 6 Dots using a jokerKong of 2 BamsKong of 2 Bams using a joker

Year 2026Year 2026: natural tiles for all four digits, with soap for each zero.

Taught in Where jokers can go, Joker exchange, Wall games and dead hands.

Teaches on the Learner card · reviewed 2026-09-14