Free printable, no sign-up Mahjong Score Sheet

How to keep score at the mahjong table

The sheet has a column for each player and a row for each game. Instead of keeping a running total in your head, you write down what changed hands after every game and add it all up at the end.

1. 1Write each player's name at the top of a column, in the same order as the seats, so everyone can find their column at a glance.
2. 2After every game, write what each player won or paid. Use a plus for money or points coming in and a minus for going out.
3. 3Check the row before the next deal. The pluses and minuses in each row add up to zero.
4. 4Note the winning hand in the last column, for example the section and line from your card. It settles questions later and shows which hands your table plays most.
5. 5At the end, add up each column. Players with a plus collect, and players with a minus pay.

Many tables play for small change, a few dollars in nickels and quarters, and others play for points only. The sheet works the same way for both.

American mahjong payouts at a glance

In American mah jongg, every hand on the card has a value, usually between 25 and 50. Who pays, and how much, depends on how the hand was won. These are the standard payouts, the same ones printed in the guide on the sheet:

• Win on a discard: the player who discarded the winning tile pays double the hand's value, and the other two players pay the value.
• Self-picked win: when you draw the winning tile from the wall yourself, all three players pay double.
• Jokerless hand: a hand made without any jokers is worth double. Double the value first, then pay as usual. Singles and Pairs hands can't use jokers at all, so they aren't doubled.
• Wall game: if the wall runs out and nobody has won, nobody pays. Wash the tiles and start the next game.

Some groups add their own extras, such as everyone putting a coin in a kitty after a wall game, or a penalty for calling mah jongg in error. Agree on house rules before the first game, and write them on the back of the sheet so nobody has to remember.

Score sheets for 3, 4 or 5 players

American mahjong is made for four, but plenty of tables play with three or five, so the sheet comes in all three sizes.

With three players, the payouts work the same way, with two players paying instead of three. With five, one player sits out each game, usually taking turns, and the player sitting out is the bettor. Before the game starts, the bettor picks a player at the table and wins or pays along with them. Tables agree on the amounts in different ways, so settle that first. The fifth column keeps the bettor's score too, and every row still adds up to zero.

Using the sheet for other kinds of mahjong

The score columns work for any style of mahjong. Hong Kong, Chinese Official and Japanese Riichi mahjong each count points their own way, so turn the payout guide off and write the points each player gains or loses after every hand. You'll get extra rows in place of the guide.

If your game starts everyone with a set number of points, write that number in the first row and keep going from there.

Tips for hosting a mahjong afternoon or night

• Print one sheet per table, plus a spare for anyone who joins late.
• Put a cup of pens on each table. A phone calculator is enough for the totals.
• Agree on the stakes before anyone sits down, for example a cent a point, and keep a bowl of change at each table.
• Make sure everyone has a current card. The hands change every year, and players who are new to the game will want a copy of their own.
• Want something lighter between games? Our free printables include trivia cards and bingo for the whole group.

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