If you’ve ever sat down at a Mahjong table and felt completely lost—you’re not alone. The most common beginner mistakes in Mahjong isn’t about complicated strategies or rare winning hands—it’s about something as basic as direction, turns and draws.
In Mahjong, players sit in four seats named East, South, West, and North—but these directions don’t match the actual compass directions. And to make it even trickier, turn-taking and tile-drawing go in opposite directions. Confused already? Don’t worry—we’re going to break it all down.
Mahjong Directions ≠ Real Compass Directions
- In Mahjong, the seat called “East” doesn’t refer to the actual geographic east. It’s a game position, not a compass direction.
- In everyday life, when you look at a map or use a compass, East is usually on the right, North is up, West is on the left, and South is down.
- But in Mahjong, the directions are different. If we imagine East is on the right, South is at the top, West is on the left, and North is at the bottom.
🔄 This rotation reflects the order of play in the game, which moves counterclockwise around the table—not according to real-world directions.
- The “East” player is simply the starting dealer, chosen by dice roll or other methods.
- The rest of the players are seated counterclockwise as South, West, and North.
- These names rotate every round—so in the second round, the person to the right of the original East becomes the new East, and so on.
🔄 This rotation system is part of the game’s rhythm and strategy. It also affects scoring and who gets priority when multiple players want to claim a discarded tile.
Turns Go Counterclockwise, But Drawing Tiles Goes Clockwise
This is the number one beginner confusion, especially for players used to Western board games.
- Player Turns (Taking Action): Always move counterclockwise—from East to South to West to North, then back to East.
- Drawing Tiles (Picking New Tiles): Always happens in a clockwise direction—when dealing or picking tiles, the wall is broken and tiles are drawn clockwise.
💡 Tip: Just remember—“Play counter, draw clockwise.” This simple phrase can save you a lot of awkward moments at the table.
Every seasoned player has made these mistakes before. Mahjong is a game of tradition, timing, and flow. The rules may feel strange at first, especially with directional quirks, but once you get into the rhythm, everything starts to click.
If you can remember that players move counterclockwise, tiles are drawn clockwise, and East doesn’t mean “east”—you’re already ahead of the average beginner.