A joker may not be retrieved before the initial meld. A joker can be retrieved from a set by replacing it with a tile of the same numerical value and color it represents. The tile used to replace the joker can come from the player's rack or from the table. In the case of a group of 3, the joker can be replaced by the tile of either of the missing colors.
A joker that has been replaced must be used in the player's same turn as part of new set. A set containing a joker can have tiles added to it, be split apart or have tiles removed from it. The joker has a penalty value of 30 points if it remains on a player's rack at the end of the game.