An American Mah Jongg tournament is the same game you play at home, played faster, scored in points and repeated over many rounds. Here is how it works and where to find one.
Who runs them
Tournaments in the United States are run by independent organizers, not by the National Mah Jongg League, and they play the League's current card. Organizers with events listed in 2026 include:
- Mah Jongg Fever, of Setauket, New York, with 2026 events in New Jersey, South Carolina and Connecticut, and a tournament cruise.
- Destination Mah Jongg, which runs events around the country and the Mah Jongg World Championship, held 16 to 18 October 2026 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.
- Mah Jongg Masters (formerly Mah Jongg Madness), which has run tournaments and cruise tournaments since 1985.
- Mah Jongg Master Points, a ranking system that sanctions tournaments run by other hosts and publishes their rules.
Dates, places and prices change every season; check each organizer's own site.
How a tournament runs
- A round is four games, and a round takes about an hour. Some events allow 50 to 55 minutes.
- After each round, players move to new tables, so you play many opponents. Movement rules differ; at Mah Jongg Fever, East stays at the same table all event.
- A one-day event might run four to six rounds; multi-day events run twelve to fourteen.
- The highest total score wins.
- You play from the card on the table: players are required to have the League card in view.
- A table of three plays without a Charleston, as in the League's own three-player rule.
A tournament hand is played exactly as at home; only the clock and the scoring change.
How tournament scoring differs from home play
At home, the card's value is paid in money or chips, with doubles. In a tournament, every result is a number of points, and each organizer sets its own bonuses and penalties. Two examples from 2026 rule sheets:
| Mah Jongg Master Points | Mah Jongg Fever | |
|---|---|---|
| Win | the card's value | the card's value |
| Win on a tile you drew | +10 | +10 |
| Win with no jokers | +20 (not in Singles and Pairs) | +10 |
| Wall game | +10 to each player | +10 |
| Throwing the winning tile | -10 to -25, more the more the winner had exposed | none to -25, likewise |
So in a tournament, throwing the winning tile costs you directly, and a wall game is worth something to everyone. Both push play toward caution late in a game.
What it costs to enter
Entry fees vary widely. Mah Jongg Fever's September 2026 New Jersey event listed tickets from $95 to $495, depending on the package; cruise tournaments charge a tournament fee on top of the cruise fare.
How to find one
- Organizer websites and mailing lists: Mah Jongg Fever, Destination Mah Jongg, Mah Jongg Masters.
- Directories: Mah Jongg Master Points lists sanctioned tournaments near you, and Bam Good Time keeps a tournament directory.
- Your local players: clubs and Facebook groups share the events their members go to.
Getting ready
What wins tournaments is the same as what wins at home, done faster: reading the card for your tiles quickly, passing well, calling only when it brings you close, and not throwing the winning tile. The strategy article covers each habit. At the school's table, the report card after every hand shows which decisions cost you, and the drills build the speed: ninety scored decisions in five minutes.
Questions
How do mah jongg tournaments work?
Players play rounds of four games, about an hour each, against changing opponents, and score points for each game; the highest total over all the rounds wins. Bonuses and penalties are set by each organizer.
How do I find a mah jongg tournament near me?
Check the event pages of organizers such as Mah Jongg Fever, Destination Mah Jongg and Mah Jongg Masters, and directories such as Mah Jongg Master Points and Bam Good Time.
Is there a penalty for throwing the winning tile in a tournament?
Usually, yes. Most tournaments deduct points from the player who throws the winning tile, more when the winner had more exposures. In home play under the League's rules, the thrower simply pays double.
Sources
Organizers, on their own sites: Mah Jongg Fever, Destination Mah Jongg and its World Championship, Mah Jongg Madness / Masters, Mah Jongg Master Points. Rules and scoring: Master Points sanctioned tournament rules, Mah Jongg Fever rules, Sloperama, Mah-Jongg FAQ 21. Directory: Bam Good Time.