The Black Dragon mahjong tile
Updated: 1 day ago
Who? When? How? What is going on with the Black Dragon mahjong tile???
There is a major change happening in American mahjong. Players are adding a new twist to the game: the Black Dragon mahjong tile.
UPDATE: Scroll down beneath this original article to see my personal feelings about the Black Dragon and an update to the reception of the tile.
My mahjong mentor, Gladys Grad, has a bee in her bonnet. When she speaks, I listen. And right now, I’m all ears about this Black Dragon.
Gladys Grad is so much more than a mahjong player. She is a trained legal expert, entrepreneur and former professor. As many of us tile enthusiasts know, she created Siamese Mah Jongg, complete with official cards, racks and an in-depth rule book. Basically, she is a very smart woman.
Currently, Gladys is leading the charge on adding this Black Dragon to every game of American mahjong.
Let’s dive into her reasoning for the new mahjong tile...
What is the Black Dragon?
The Black Dragon is the official dragon for the dots.
I thought Soap or the White Dragon was the official dragon for the dots?
Not anymore. The Soap or White Dragon will now only be used as a neutral and represent 0 or a “O” on a mahjong card.
Why would we add the Black Dragon to American mahjong?
The Soap is working too hard. Until 2111, the “year” section of an American mahjong card will need a 0. As alternative cards to the NMJL card are becoming increasingly popular, we need more vowels for spelling hands. The “O” needs to become statistically easier to play.
What will happen to the Soap?
The Soap is just getting a new job description. The Soap will now be considered a neutral tile and be used only as a 0 or O.
How will we add the Black Dragons to the current sets?
Gladys Grad offered stickers for your existing blank tiles (yes- for FREE). After receiving over 10,000 requests in the first few days, she had to stop. Now, black dragon stickers are available on Etsy... or you can use a black Sharpie to draw on your blank tiles.
Tile manufacturers will eventually need to start selling Black Dragons. New mahjong sets will eventually change to include the Black Dragon tiles. Tile companies that will need to adjust to changes are worried. Players with too many "investment sets" are in a full on panic.
Remember when you completed the whole library of your favorite VHS tapes... and then VCRs were obsolete? Sigh. It reminds me when the NMJL required 24 flowers to play American mahjong in the 1950s. Change happens.
But what about our walls?
It’s not that hard. Just like adding extra jokers or blanks, the walls will need some adjusting. If I’m East, I’ll add 4 more tiles to my wall and distribute the extras during the deal. If we are just starting the game and need to establish East, have two players add the two extra tiles.
Play messy mahjong and skip the wall. I don’t care how the sausage is made, just figure it out. It’s a tile game, for goodness sakes!
We can’t just change the game, Missy Mahjong.
Yes, we can. It’s a game. The NMJL used 8 flowers to play American mahjong in 1937. A decade later, the NMJL called for every tile set to include 16 flowers to play American mahjong. The flowers could be used as wild tiles once upon a time. Fast forward to 1971, the NMJL updated the game to use 8 flowers and 8 jokers like we play today. Change is always happening with this game.
We changed our grandmother’s recipes and replaced the lard. We added WiFi in our homes. Our mahjong game can change too.
So here we are, adjusting the game of American mahjong.
I can imagine many of you are shaking your heads in disbelief. “Does American mahjong need another new rule? Sheesh.” But yes, this game is constantly evolving and players need to adapt. Jokers weren’t even added until the 1960s. The Black Dragon is an improvement to American mahjong.
All American mahjong players can agree that the Soap has been working too hard. Give it a break and make it a neutral. The next year we will not need a zero on an American mahjong card is 2111. I’ll be dead.
The idea has been planted. Advanced players are adding the Black Dragons. Change is coming.
I have a feeling you will have a bee in your bonnet too...
** Gladys is drowning in requests for her Black Dragon stickers. If you sent a request, give her a few weeks. She is working on it!
September 10, 2026
An update on the proposed Black Dragon mahjong tile
The reception:
Everyone is talking about the Black Dragon mahjong tile. American mahjong players feel passionately about this tile.
Personally, I think it is a good idea. I play with modern American mahjong cards and the NMJL card. I will be playing for many years that need a zero. I often play with cards using the letter O. As a former American mahjong instructor, I think the Soap has too many job responsibilites.
Tens of thousands of players are adding the Black Dragon. Facebook groups dedicated to only playing by the NMJL rules are stressed. Tile manufacturers are worried if it will affect their tile sales and releasing videos against any change.
Consider the opposition:
I do not make any personal profit from any of this. Essentially, I am a neutral game journalist. I have seen a lot of the commentary on Facebook claiming that I am profiting from this change. It is inaccurate information.
I think tile companies might be advocating against change because it would make profits more challenging.
I am not financially impacted in any way by this change. I am a player looking out for the integrity of American mahjong.
I do not work for a tile line, run a Facebook group, own a card company or work for the NMJL.
Consider that I am the only one not getting paid when you read opinions on this proposed change.
My observations:
I have been shocked that so many players didn't realize that American mahjong is simply a game of matching 14 tiles to a playing card.
The NMJL is an American mahjong brand of card. Just as the Iphone is the most well known brand of cellphones, there are other cell phone manufacturers. The NMJL makes a yearly card with simple sequences. Advanced players change cards and use cards from other American mahjong brands like Marvelous Mah Jongg, Siamese Mah Jongg and Queen of the Tiles. I was shocked that so many American mahjong players were unaware of branding.
Just like adding the modern tiles in recent years, the card is also getting modernized. With the modern cards, the "Soap" tile and concept is confusing. The Soap is working too hard in 2026. It is human nature to reject change... at first. But many modern players are excited about this change.
Dare I say my most personal observation? The smartest players with an interest in history, statistics, and business want this additional tile.
What should come out of the Black Dragon mahjong tile controversy?
All players need to play with more card brands.
I personally think the dragon added should be ultimately called the White Dragon (but the outline is still probably black). The Soap should remain and become the neutral zero for all suits and the letter O on modern American mahjong cards.
By adding the dots' own dragon, we are actually simplifying the game back to what it was in 1937, and modernizing the game to accommodate the modern American mahjong cards and embrace the next several decades needing a zero.
In 2111, the Soap will get a break. I believe the modern American card style will be more popular than the current easy hands listed on the NMJL. The next generation of mahjong players can evaluate what the game looks like then. I'll be dead.
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