Want to mahj, but only have 3 people? It's easier than you may think to play American Mah Jongg with only 3 players! Your game setup, dealing, and Charleston will change a bit, but the gameplay for 3 players is the same as that for 4. This post will show you how to get started playing with only 3 mahjers.
If you only have 3 players, you can still play mahjong like you’re used to playing!
One seat will be treated as a ghost player. Some people call the ghost “Bob,” some call it “Sally,” some just call it “the ghost.”
Here's a quickie how to on playing with a ghost, just in time for spooky season!
- Set up all four walls as usual (see this post for help!)
- Deal tiles to just the 3 real players, the ghost doesn’t get dealt in.
- Ahead of the Charleston, pull out the tiles from the Ghost/Sally’s/Bob’s wall.
- We like to line them up three in a row for all passes of Charleston: R.O.L.L.O.R (6 rows of 3 tiles)
- Charleston as you normally would, R.O.L.L.O.R.
- When it is your turn to pass to Sally/Bob/the ghost, place the three passed tiles into the ghost wall.
- When it is your turn to receive tiles from Sally/Bob/the ghost, take from the lines you set out earlier.
- House Rules Option: Many groups decide that if the ghost ”passes” a Joker or Blank that they will put it back in the wall and take a different tile.
- The thinking here is that Sally/Bob would never knowingly pass a Joker or Blank.
- Other groups choose to keep Jokers and Blanks from the ghost as just a bit of luck. It’s up to your group what you choose!
- Do your Courtesy Pass as you normally would. The player across from the ghost seat will grab the number of tiles they want to exchange from the ghost’s wall and replace them with the tiles she wants to trade.
- After the Courtesy Pass, you’ll play Mahjong as usual, without any interaction with Sally/Bob/the Ghost.
- Each player takes turns moving to the right around the table, skipping the ghost seat altogether.