Game Play

Mahjong is a Ancient Chinese game of luck and skill. It usually involves four players. There are many variants of Mahjong played around the world, this page will focus on the Hong Kong Style of play.

Gameplay is similar to gin rummy, if you have ever played that game. The objective of mahjong is to build 4 sets and sequences of 3 tiles each, and finish with a pair of tiles. Different hands will have different point value, depending on complexity.
The game consists of a number of different types of tiles, for a thorough explanation check this page:

https://www.hksmahjong.net/mahjong-hands/

Building a wall

In Hong Kong Style Mahjong, building the wall is an important part of the game. The wall is the structure made up of all the tiles that are shuffled and stacked to begin the game. Here are the steps to build the wall:

Start with all 144 tiles: The first step is to make sure you have all 144 tiles, which includes the suits, honor tiles, and any flower tiles.
Shuffle the tiles: Mix all the tiles thoroughly to ensure that they are completely randomized. There are different ways to shuffle the tiles, such as spreading them out on the table and moving them around with your hands or using an automatic shuffler.
Form a square: Once the tiles are shuffled, form a square with them by placing them in four rows of tiles, each row containing 18 tiles. The rows should be perpendicular to each other.
Stack the tiles: After forming the square, start stacking the tiles in two rows of tiles, each row containing 36 tiles. The rows should be parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first four rows.
Repeat: Once the first two rows are stacked, repeat the process to form two more rows of tiles. Again, each row should contain 36 tiles, and the rows should be parallel to the first two rows.
Finish the wall: Finally, finish the wall by placing the last two tiles on top of the stack in an inverted V-shape. This is called the “roof” of the wall and signifies the end of the building process.

It is important to ensure that the wall is built correctly and that all tiles are well-shuffled to maintain the fairness and integrity of the game.

Determining the seating

In Hong Kong Style Mahjong, seating is determined by a process known as “bidding for seats.” Here are the steps to determine the seating:

Shuffle the tiles: Before the game starts, the dealer should shuffle the tiles thoroughly.
Determine the wind: After shuffling, the dealer should draw a tile from the stack to determine the prevailing wind. The prevailing wind is either East, South, West, or North, and it rotates clockwise with each round.
Bid for seats: Starting with the dealer, each player should bid for a seat by stating which direction they want to sit in (East, South, West, or North). The highest bidder gets the first choice of seats, followed by the second-highest bidder, and so on.
Assign seats: Once all players have bid, the dealer assigns the seats according to the bids. The player who bid the highest gets their preferred seat, followed by the second-highest bidder, and so on.
Determine the dealer: Finally, the dealer is determined based on the seat assignments. The player sitting to the right of the player who bid for East becomes the dealer for the first round. For subsequent rounds, the dealer rotates clockwise around the table.

It is important to note that bidding for seats is not a mandatory rule and can be skipped if the players agree to do so. Additionally, some groups may have their own specific rules for determining seating.

Breaking the wall

In Hong Kong Style Mahjong, breaking the wall refers to the process of drawing the tiles from the wall to start the game. Here are the steps to break the wall:

Determine the dealer: The dealer for the first round is the player to the right of the player who bid for East.
Roll the dice: The dealer rolls two or three dice to determine which row of tiles to start breaking. The sum of the dice determines the count from the right-hand edge of the wall. For example, if the dice add up to 8, count eight tiles from the right-hand edge of the wall.
Break the wall: Starting at the designated tile, the dealer should break the wall by separating the stack of tiles into two sections and placing them face-down on the table. This creates a “loose” section of tiles and a “tight” section of tiles. The dealer should also place a marker on top of the loose section of tiles to indicate where the game will start.
Repeat for each player: Once the dealer has broken the wall, each player in turn should take four tiles from the loose section of tiles, starting with the dealer and moving counterclockwise around the table. This continues until each player has 12 tiles, and the loose section of tiles has been exhausted.
Draw the last tile: After each player has taken their tiles, the dealer should draw the last tile from the tight section of tiles to complete their own hand.
Discard and start the game: The dealer should then discard a tile face-up on the table, and the game officially begins. The other players then take turns drawing a tile from the wall or the previous player’s discard pile, and discarding a tile until one player has a winning hand.

It is important to follow the rules for breaking the wall to ensure that the game is fair and unbiased.

In Hong Kong Style Mahjong, the objective of the game is to create a winning hand of tiles using various combinations of sets and pairs. Here are the basic rules of gameplay:

Turn order: The player who is sitting to the right of the dealer goes first, and play proceeds counterclockwise around the table.
Draw and discard: On their turn, a player must either draw a tile from the wall or the previous player’s discard pile and then discard one tile from their hand face-up on the table.
Creating sets: Players can create sets of tiles by combining three of a kind (called a “pung”) or four of a kind (called a “kong”). A set can be made up of any suit or honor tile.
Creating runs (Chows): Players can also create runs of tiles of the same suit, which are sequences of three consecutive tiles. A run can only be made up of tiles from one suit, and honor tiles cannot be used to create runs.
Pair: To win the game, a player must create a winning hand of tiles that includes one pair (two identical tiles) and four sets or runs of tiles.
Scoring: Points are awarded to the winner based on the specific combination of tiles in their winning hand. The points are calculated based on the number of fan (specific winning combinations) in the winning hand.
- For a list of hands refer to https://www.hksmahjong.net/mahjong-hands/
End of the round: The round ends when one player has a winning hand, or when all tiles have been drawn from the wall and no player has a winning hand. At the end of the round, the players’ scores are calculated, and a new round begins with the player to the right of the previous dealer becoming the new dealer.

It is important to note that there are many specific rules and variations of gameplay in Hong Kong Style Mahjong, and it is recommended to consult a rulebook or learn from an experienced player to fully understand the game.

Some important concepts

Chow – Chow is a set of 3 tiles of the same suit in sequence. A player must say “Chow” when he gets another player’s discarded tile to form the combination. A chow can only be performed if the tile was discarded by the player from the claimer’s left.
Pong – Pong is a set of 3 identical tiles. A player must say “Pong” when he gets another player’s discarded tile to form the combination. The player then must show the created set and then discard a tile. The next player (counterclockwise) will then have the next turn.
Kong – Kong is a set of 4 identical tiles. When a Kong is formed with a discarded tile, the player must then expose the set. In addition, the Kong cannot be split once exposed. However, if a Kong is made from the existing hand, the player can conceal it from the others. The advantage of concealing a Kong is that the player can split the 4 tiles and use one tile to form a Chow if necessary. If a player has a pong on the table and draws the 4th from the wall, the player can place the 4th tile with the pong to make a Kong.

Pair — An Eye, or a Pair, are two identical tiles. It cannot be created with discarded tiles unless to declare a win / mahjong, and only one set is allowed in a hand.

Waiting to Win(Calling)
A player with one tile short of winning the game is considered to have a “ready hand”. This is called “Calling” because that player is basically calling for certain tiles to complete his hand.

Winning(Sic Wu)
When a player creates a set of hand or “mahjong”, he wins the game. A winning hand consists of four sets of chow, pung, or kong, and a pair. In Hong Kong Mahjong If East (the Dealer) wins the game he stays as East. Also, in case of a Drawn Game, the wind / seating position stays in place. Otherwise, the player to the right becomes the new dealer (East) as the wind / seating position rotate counter clockwise. The winning player must call “Sic Wu” to declare a win.