How to play
If you’re new to Mahjong, start simple and build your understanding step by step. Once you’re comfortable with the basics, you can gradually explore more advanced strategies and rules. Like any great game, Mahjong evolves with every group—making each experience unique and engaging.
1. Objective
The goal in Mahjong is to be the first player to complete a winning hand—usually made of 4 sets (like sequences or triplets) and 1 pair.
2. Components
The game uses 144 tiles, including:
-
Suits (Dots, Bamboo, Characters)
-
Honor tiles (Winds & Dragons)
-
Bonus tiles (Flowers & Seasons, optional)
3. Setup
-
4 players sit around a table.
-
Tiles are shuffled and stacked into walls.
-
Each player draws 13 tiles (dealer gets 14).
-
The dealer starts the game.
4. Basics
-
Players take turns drawing and discarding tiles.
-
The aim is to form valid sets:
-
Pong (3 identical tiles)
-
Chow (3 consecutive tiles in same suit)
-
Kong (4 identical tiles)
-
-
First to complete a valid hand declares “Mahjong!”
5. Strategy
-
Focus on building flexible combinations.
-
Watch opponents’ discards to guess their hands.
-
Avoid discarding tiles that help others.
-
Balance speed (quick win) vs high-value hands.
6. Scoring
-
Points are awarded based on the hand’s difficulty and patterns.
-
Special combinations score higher.
-
Scoring rules vary depending on the Mahjong version being played.
7. Mahjong Hands
-
A standard winning hand includes:
-
4 sets (Pong/Chow/Kong)
-
1 pair
Special hands (like all triplets or pure suit) earn bonus points.
8. Glossary
-
Pong: 3 identical tiles
-
Chow: Sequence of 3 tiles
-
Kong: 4 identical tiles
-
Pair: 2 identical tiles
-
Discard: Tile you throw away