A joker is a wild tile used in American mahjong. Each American set has eight of them. It can stand in for any tile in a set of three or more, but not in a pair or as a single tile. Art varies a lot. Many jokers simply say “Joker,” and some show a picture. Hong Kong and Riichi sets do not include jokers, and those games do not use them.
- Joker American: Joker
Hong Kong: not used
Riichi: not used
Telling a joker apart
Jokers can look like almost anything, and some designs are quite playful. A set usually has an obvious design that repeats on all eight, with the word Joker or a matching picture. If your tiles have eight identical pictures that fit no other group, those are probably your jokers.
Older sets
Many sets made before jokers became standard in American play do not have enough of them, or any. People who inherit such sets sometimes add jokers using stickers. Our guide to inherited sets can help you work out what you have. Handle old tiles with care, since some may be delicate or valuable.
Rules in brief
- They fill sets of three or more.
- They never fill pairs or single tiles.
- They cannot be passed in the Charleston.
- A discarded joker is out of play.
- You can swap for one in an exposure, on your turn.
The full lesson has examples.