Home › Learn › Blanks

Playing with blanks

A favorite house rule: a few blank tiles that let you reach back into the discard pile.

Updated November 9, 2026

The short answer Blanks are extra tiles that some tables add as a house rule. They aren't part of standard League play. In Mahjong Alley's House Rules, the set gains 6 blanks and 2 more jokers, 160 tiles in all. On your turn, after you draw, you can trade a blank for any tile in the discard pile except a joker. The blank takes that tile's place in the pile.

What blanks are

A blank is a tile with nothing on it. Standard American Mahjong under the League's rules has none, but many home games add a few, the way some card games add wild cards. Tables that use them don't all play them the same way, so agree on the rules before you start.

How a blank is played in Mahjong Alley

On your turn, draw as usual.
Before you discard, select a blank on your rack and tap the tile you want in the discard pile.
That tile joins your hand, and the blank goes into the pile in its place. Then discard as normal.

You can take any tile in the pile except a joker or another blank. It's a second chance at a tile you needed that went by earlier, so keep an eye on what's been thrown.

What a blank can't do

It can't be passed in the Charleston.
It can't be discarded or called.
It can't be part of an exposure or of a winning hand.

So a blank on your rack is something to spend, not something to keep. Some home tables let you pass or discard blanks; Mahjong Alley doesn't.

Turning on House Rules

Your default: Settings → Game rules → Scoring, then choose House Rules.
A solo game: pick House Rules when you set up the game.
A table with friends: the host picks the rules when they create the table. Everyone at the table plays the same rules.

House Rules games use the same scoring as Standard games. They keep their own House Rules score and don't count toward your friends Standings.