How Many Tiles Are in a Mahjong Set?
Sep 24, 2026 · 4 min read
A standard mahjong set (used by Riichi and most other rulesets) has 136 tiles. Some other rulesets (like many American variants and some Chinese house rules) add flower/season tiles, bringing the total to 144.
| Tile Type | Breakdown | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Characters | 1-9, 4 copies each | 36 |
| Circles | 1-9, 4 copies each | 36 |
| Bamboo | 1-9, 4 copies each | 36 |
| Winds | East/South/West/North, 4 copies each | 16 |
| Dragons | Red/Green/White, 4 copies each | 12 |
| Standard Total | - | 136 |
| Flowers (optional) | 4 types, 1 copy each | 4 |
| Seasons (optional) | 4 types, 1 copy each | 4 |
| Total With Flowers/Seasons | - | 144 |
How Many Are Actually Used During Play
Of the 136 tiles, at the start of the game 13 tiles are dealt to 3 players and 14 to the dealer (13+1 since the dealer draws first immediately), for a total of 52 tiles in players' hands. The rest form the wall to be drawn from in turn, MINUS 14 tiles set aside as the dead wall for dora indicators and Kan replacement draws. So the total number of tiles that can actually be drawn throughout one hand is 136 - 52 - 14 = 70 tiles.
Flower and Season Tiles (Optional)
8 extra tiles (4 Flowers, 4 Seasons) are sometimes included as bonus tiles -- if you draw one, you set it aside immediately as bonus points and draw a replacement from the dead wall. Standard Riichi Mahjong and Chinese Official don't use these tiles at all, while American Mahjong almost always does.
Learn more about how tiles are dealt at the start of a game.
Read the Beginner's Guide →