Definition
East is the dealer position, which starts with fourteen tiles, discards first, and passes to the right after every hand, whether or not East won.
Some other styles of mahjong keep a winning East in the seat, but League rules move the deal on even after East wins.
At the table
East gets one extra tile and the first discard, which is worth more attention than beginners give it. What East does not get is a payment bonus. Under League rules the doubling comes from how a hand was won, not from where the winner was sitting, so East pays and collects like anyone else. The mistake is treating the extra tile as a bonus rather than a decision. East discards before anyone else has acted, which means East gives the table its first piece of information with the least information in return.
Read the full guide: How to Set Up an American Mahjong Game: Wall, Deal, and Seats.
See it on real tiles. The AI coach reads a dealt hand, free, and names the direction it goes for, what to keep and what to pass, at the free read.
Want the coach on call? The Club adds the coach for your own tiles and for each morning’s hand, all 10 lessons, and every new NMJL card taught the week it lands, for $14.99 a month, cancel anytime. See what the Club includes.
Related: Wall, Rack, Wall game, Soap. All 52 terms.