Can you call yourself dead?
By Jerry Chen. Checked and updated November 1, 2026
Short answer: you can, but don't
You can, but you should not. Under a 2020 League ruling, if you announce your hand is dead, it is dead. It is smarter to keep quiet and play defensively until someone else calls it.
The detail
You are not required to announce that your hand cannot win. Staying in lets you keep discarding safe tiles so you do not feed anyone else's hand.
The League's 2020 newsletter says a player who calls herself dead is dead. Tom Sloper notes that it is rarely a smart move.
Sources
These follow standard National Mah Jongg League rules. House rules vary; agree on them before you play.
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