Is your hand jokerless if someone redeemed your joker?
By Jerry Chen. Checked and updated November 1, 2026
Short answer: yes
Yes. A hand is jokerless if it has no jokers at the moment you declare Mah Jongg.
The detail
If another player swapped a real tile for the joker in your exposure, your hand no longer contains it. If you then win with no jokers, you get the jokerless bonus.
This is a strategic point: redeeming a joker from someone close to winning can make their hand worth more if they do win.
Sources
These follow standard National Mah Jongg League rules. House rules vary; agree on them before you play.
Related questions
- Who pays double when someone wins?
- Does the jokerless bonus apply to singles and pairs?
- When can you exchange a joker?
- Can you use a joker in a pair?
- Can you discard a joker?
- Can you call a discarded joker?
- Can you exchange a joker from a dead hand?
- Can a pung or kong be all jokers?
See more questions in Winning and paying, the complete rules, or all 52 rule questions.