Can you discard a joker?
By Jerry Chen. Checked and updated November 1, 2026
Short answer: yes
Yes, at any time. Once it is down, a discarded joker is dead: nobody can call it.
The detail
Players sometimes discard a joker late in a hand when every other tile they could throw might give someone Mah Jongg.
Because nobody can call a discarded joker, it is the safest discard there is, as long as you name it correctly, for example "joker" or "same". Misnaming any discard, a joker included, can cost you if someone wanted the named tile to win.
Sources
These follow standard National Mah Jongg League rules. House rules vary; agree on them before you play.
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See more questions in Jokers, the complete rules, or all 52 rule questions.