Chow· 順子
Three consecutive tiles from the same suit. Honors and Bonus Tiles cannot form a Chow.Three consecutive tiles from the same suit.
Mahjong, made clear
Eén spel
Veel tradities
Mahjong leeft voort dankzij de mensen die het spelen. Het gekletter van de tegels, de geroepen termen, de vloeiende gesprekken en de debatten over huisregels maken allemaal deel uit van de traditie. Jiada brengt deze gedeelde kennis samen, zodat meer mensen het zelf kunnen ervaren.
Mahjong Rules
01 · The complete tile set01 · The Sichuan tile set
Suits.
Honors.
Bonus Tiles.Three suits.
108 tiles.
Mahjong tiles are divided into three main groups. Every Suit and Honor Tile has four identical copies, while each Bonus Tile appears only once.Sichuan Mahjong uses only Characters, Dots and Bamboo: four copies of every numbered tile. Honors and Bonus Tiles are not used.
Numbered tiles
Suits
- Suits
- Three Characters · Dots · Bamboo
- Numbers per suit
- Nine numbered 1 through 9
- Copies of each
- Four identical tiles
01
Characters
萬
02
Dots
餅
03
Bamboo
條
Winds and Dragons
Honors
- Honor tiles
- Seven 4 Winds · 3 Dragons
- Copies of each
- Four identical tiles
04
Winds
風
05
Dragons
箭
Flowers and Seasons
Bonus Tiles
- Bonus Tiles
- Eight 4 Flowers · 4 Seasons
- Copies of each
- One every design is unique
06
Flowers
花
07
Seasons
季節
02 · The Objective
Complete a
winning hand.
The goal is to complete one winning hand. Arrange your tiles into four melds and one pair; together, those five groups form the hand.The goal is to complete one winning hand. In Sichuan Mahjong, it can contain four melds and one pair or seven matching pairs.
Winning hand structure
4 melds + 1 pair
Each of the four groups counts as one meld. The final two matching tiles form the pair.
- Meld 1
- Meld 2
- Meld 3
- Meld 4
- Pair
Example:
This 14-tile example uses three Chows, one Pung and one pair. Every group belongs to the same complete winning hand.
Winning hand components
These are the four ways tiles are grouped inside the structure above.These are the melds and pair used in the four-meld structure. Seven Pairs uses seven matching pairs instead.
Pung· 刻子
Three identical Suit or Honor Tiles.Three identical suited tiles.
KongGang· 槓
Four identical tiles.
Pair (Eyes)· 將
Two identical tiles. A normal winning hand requires exactly one pair.Two identical tiles form the pair in a four-meld hand. Seven Pairs uses seven pairs instead.
Alternative winning structure
Seven Pairs · 七对
Seven separate pairs form the entire 14-tile winning hand. This structure replaces four melds and one pair; every pair contains two identical tiles.
Pair 1- Pair 2
- Pair 3
- Pair 4
- Pair 5
- Pair 6
- Pair 7
Complete example
All fourteen tiles belong to one Seven Pairs hand. In the Sichuan scoring used here, Seven Pairs is worth 2 Faan.
03 · Hong Kong Setup
Preparing
the game.
Choose the starting seats once. Then repeat the five setup steps before every new hand.
Before the first hand · once per game
Decide East and the starting Seat Winds
Each player rolls two dice. The highest total becomes East and the first dealer; second-highest becomes South, third-highest West and the remaining player North. Re-roll ties. Everyone keeps the same chair for the game.
Before every new hand
Repeat steps 1–5 to build the wall and prepare the next hand.
Shuffle
Place all 144 tiles face down on the table and shuffle them thoroughly.
Build the walls
Each player builds one wall of 18 stacks, with two tiles in each stack. Push the four walls together to form a square in the centre of the table.
Break the wall
East rolls the dice. Starting with East’s wall, count counter-clockwise by the total to choose the wall. From East’s view, count the same number of stacks from the left and make the break after the last counted stack. The right side is the start of the wall; the left side is the end.
Deal the first 12 tiles
Starting at the break, take tiles clockwise along the wall and deal counter-clockwise around the table, beginning with East. Give each player four tiles at a time and repeat three times, so everyone has 12.
Complete the starting hands
East takes the first and fifth tiles from the next five—the dealer’s jump. Each non-dealer takes one more tile. East starts with 14 tiles; everyone else starts with 13.
Starting with East and continuing counter-clockwise, set every Flower or Season face up and draw one replacement from the end of the wall. Replace any new Bonus Tile in the same way. East then discards one tile to begin play.
Beginner suggestion. Leave all eight Flowers and Seasons out before shuffling. Use 136 tiles and build each wall with 17 two-tile stacks.
How the game advances
Table Winds & Seat Winds
A complete game has four rounds: East, South, West and North. Each round normally has four hands, so every player serves as East, the dealer, once.
Table Wind · 圈風
One Wind for the round
The Wind shared by the whole table for the current round. A standard game begins with the East round, followed by South, West and North.
Seat Wind · 門風
Your position for the hand
Each player’s current position is East, South, West or North. East is the dealer. When a new player becomes dealer, all four Seat Winds rotate counter-clockwise while everyone stays in the same chair.
After every hand
Who is the dealer next?
After each hand, either the next player counter-clockwise becomes East and deals, or the current East deals again.
When the round ends
After the dealer has changed four times, every player has served as East once. The round ends and the Table Wind advances. A complete game has at least 16 hands. Whenever the same East deals again, one extra hand is added.
- East Round
- South Round
- West Round
- North Round
Why the Winds matter. A Pung or Kong of your Seat Wind scores 1 Faan; a Pung or Kong of the Table Wind scores 1 Faan. If both Winds are the same, the meld scores both bonuses for 2 Faan. See Chapter 05: Flower, Wind & Dragon Faan.
Worked exampleWind Rotation Example
Swipe left or right to see the full table
| Round | Hand | Table Wind | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | East | East (Dealer) | South | West | North | |
| 2 | North | East (Dealer) | South | West | |||
| 3 | West | North | East (Dealer) | South | |||
| 4 | South | West | North | East (Dealer) | |||
| 2 | 5 | South | East (Dealer) | South | West | North | |
| 6 | North | East (Dealer) | South | West | |||
| 7 | West | North | East (Dealer) | South | No one wins | ||
| Extra hand | West | North | East (Dealer) | South | Repeat Seat Winds | ||
| 8 | South | West | North | East (Dealer) | |||
| 3 | 9 | West | East (Dealer) | South | West | North | |
| 10 | North | East (Dealer) | South | West | |||
| 11 | West | North | East (Dealer) | South | |||
| 12 | South | West | North | East (Dealer) | |||
| 4 | 13 | North | East (Dealer) | South | West | North | |
| 14 | North | East (Dealer) | South | West | East wins | ||
| Extra hand | North | East (Dealer) | South | West | Repeat Seat Winds | ||
| 15 | West | North | East (Dealer) | South | |||
| 16 | South | West | North | East (Dealer) |
How to read the example. At Hand 7, the wall runs out without a winner, so Player 3 stays East and deals an extra hand. After Hand 14, Player 2 wins while East, so Player 2 also deals an extra hand. The numbered sequence resumes only after a player other than East wins and the next player becomes dealer. In total, 18 hands are played.
03 · Sichuan Setup
Build, break
and deal.
Sichuan Mahjong uses 108 suited tiles. Build the four shorter walls, determine the first dealer, mark the break and deal the starting hands.
Before the first hand · once per game
Determine the first dealer
Each player rolls two dice. The highest total becomes the first dealer; tied players roll again.
Before every new hand
Repeat steps 1–4 to prepare the wall and starting hands.
Shuffle & build
Shuffle all 108 tiles face down. Make two walls of 14 stacks and two walls of 13 stacks, with two tiles in every stack.
Choose the wall
The dealer rolls two dice again. Starting from the dealer’s wall, count counter-clockwise by their total to choose the wall to break.
Break the wall
On the chosen wall, use the lower die to count stacks from the right. Lift the final counted stack and place it on top of the wall’s right end to mark the break.
Deal the hands
Starting at the break, give each player four tiles at a time until everyone has 12. The dealer takes two more tiles and every other player takes one. The dealer begins with 14 tiles; everyone else begins with 13.
ClassicMahjongCarriedAcross Borders
Passed down through generations, Hong Kong Mahjong is lively, familiar and deeply social. It has travelled with Chinese communities around the world, becoming one of the most widely played forms of Mahjong.
- 144
- tiles including Bonus Tiles
- 7 Honors
- four Winds and three Dragons, with different Wind and Dragon Faan Types
- Faan scoring
- ordinary hands combine applicable Faan Types; Limited Hands use their highest value
04 · Calls & gameplay
Follow the turn.
Make the call.
Most turns follow one draw–check–discard rhythm. A declaration can interrupt that rhythm, and what you may declare depends on where the tile came from and what it completes.
Your tile count during a normal turn
Draw, check, discard
Start with 13 tiles, draw one to hold 14 and check for a win. If the hand is not complete, discard one tile and return to 13.
- 13TilesBefore drawing01Draw one tile
Take the next tile from the wall.
- 14TilesAfter drawing02Check your hand
See whether all 14 tiles form a legal winning hand.
- 13TilesAfter discarding03End the turn
If you have not won, discard one tile face up.
Calls & declarations
Interrupting the normal turn
A declaration can claim a discard, reveal a Kong or announce a win. What you say depends on where the tile came from and what it completes.
Soeng
Previous player only- Use it when
- The player immediately before you discards the tile that completes a sequence in one suit.
- Then
- Say “Soeng”, expose the completed Chow and discard one tile.
Pung
Any player’s discard- Use it when
- Any player’s latest discard matches a pair already in your hand.
- Then
- Say “Pung”, expose the three identical tiles and discard one tile.
Kong
Your turn or any discard- Use it when
- You have four identical tiles, add a fourth tile to an exposed Pung, or claim a matching discard while holding three.
- Then
- Declare the Kong, draw a replacement from the end of the wall and continue your turn.
Winning
Sik Wu · Zi Mo食糊· Sik Wu
Win on a discard
- Use it when
- Another player discards the tile that completes your legal hand and you meet the agreed minimum Faan.
- Then
- Say “Sik Wu” and reveal the complete hand. This claim has priority over Pung, Kong and Soeng.
自摸· Zi Mo
Win by self-draw
- Use it when
- The tile you draw from the wall completes your legal hand and you meet the agreed minimum Faan.
- Then
- Say “Zi Mo” and reveal the complete hand. No discard is being claimed.
Claim priority for one discard
- 1Sik WuA legal win on the discard comes first
- 2Pung or exposed KongMay claim any player’s latest discard
- 3SoengMay only claim the previous player’s discard
05 · Faan types & limited hands
Value grows
with the hand.
Add every applicable Faan to an ordinary hand. For a Limited Hand, use only its highest Limited Hand value, then add any permitted winning-condition Faan.
Faan Types + Flower, Wind and Dragon Faan + winning-condition Faan.
Take only the highest Limited Hand value, then add permitted winning-condition Faan.
Cumulative
Faan Types 番種
Every applicable type is added to an ordinary winning hand. The examples below are complete 14-tile hands.
01
Chicken Hand
雞胡Mixed Chows and Pungs or Kongs from multiple suits. No other Faan applies.
0Faan
02
Common Hand
平糊Every meld is a Chow.
1Faan
03
All Triplets
對對糊Every meld is a Pung or Kong.
3Faan
04
Mixed One Suit
混一色Only Honors and tiles from one numbered suit.
3Faan
05
Pure Suit
清一色All tiles come from one numbered suit; no Honors.
7Faan
06
Mixed Orphans
花幺九Pungs or Kongs of ones, nines or Honors only. Add All Triplets for 4 Faan total.
1Faan
07
Small Dragons
小三元Melds of two Dragons and a pair of the third. Add 2 Dragon Faan for 5 total.
3Faan
08
Great Dragons
大三元Melds of all three Dragons. Add 3 Dragon Faan for 8 total.
5Faan
09
Small Winds
小四喜Melds of three Winds and a pair of the fourth. A suited final meld can also add Mixed One Suit, making at least 9 Faan.
6Faan
10
Seven Pairs
七對子Seven pairs. It may stack with Mixed One Suit or Pure Suit when applicable.
4Faan
Highest value only
Limited Hands 例牌
Bloody Battle
Until the End.
Rooted in Sichuan’s teahouses and everyday life, Sichuan Mahjong is the most-played variant in mainland China. People love it for its fast pace, lively atmosphere and the feeling that everyone remains part of the game.
- 108 tiles
- only Characters, Dots and Bamboo
- No Chi · 吃
- you cannot claim the previous player’s discard to complete a Chow
- Up to 3 winners
- play continues until three players have won or the wall runs out
04 · Sichuan Essentials
Exchange. Choose.
Keep playing.
These three ideas give Sichuan Mahjong its fast, social rhythm: exchange three tiles, commit to a Forbidden Suit and keep the battle going after the first Hu.
Optional opening
Three-Tile Exchange换三张
⇄
After each starting hand is dealt and before the first discard, every player selects three tiles from the same suit. The dealer rolls one die, and everyone exchanges the three tiles simultaneously.
1–2 Clockwise3–4 Counter-clockwise5–6 Across
Required choice
Forbidden Suit定缺
Characters
Dots
Bamboo
After the exchange, choose one Forbidden Suit. If the exchange is skipped, make this choice immediately after the starting tiles are dealt. Place one tile from that suit face down as your first discard. The choice cannot change. Discard every tile from that suit before the others. It cannot be part of your winning hand.
If your starting hand contains only two suits, the missing suit automatically becomes your Forbidden Suit.
Bloody Battle
Continue after Hu血战到底
1Hu→2Active3Active4Active
Declaring Hu ends that player’s turns, not the whole hand. The remaining active players continue drawing, discarding and declaring until three players have Hu or the wall is exhausted.
A single discard may complete more than one winning hand. Every eligible player may declare Hu, and the discarder pays each winner.
05 · Calls & Gang Points
Make the call.
Settle the Gang.
Most turns follow a draw–check–discard rhythm. Pung, Gang or Hu can interrupt it. A declared Gang also triggers an immediate payment before play continues.
Your tile count during a normal turn
Draw, check, discard
Start with 13 tiles, draw one to hold 14 and check for a win. If the hand is not complete, discard one tile and return to 13.
- 13TilesBefore drawing01Draw one tile
Take the next tile from the wall.
- 14TilesAfter drawing02Check your hand
See whether all 14 tiles form a legal winning hand.
- 13TilesAfter discarding03End the turn
If you have not won, discard one tile face up.
Calls & declarations
Interrupting the normal turn
A declaration can use a discard to complete identical tiles or a winning hand. Sichuan Mahjong allows Pung, Gang and Hu declarations; it does not allow Chi.
Pung
Any active player’s discard- Use it when
- An active player’s latest discard matches a pair already in your hand.
- Then
- Say “Pung”, expose the three identical tiles and discard one tile.
Gang
Your turn or an active player’s discard- Use it when
- You have four identical tiles, add a fourth tile to an exposed Pung, or claim a matching discard while holding three.
- Then
- Declare the Gang, draw a replacement from the end of the wall and continue your turn.
Hu
Self-draw or an active player’s discard- Use it when
- A tile you draw or an active player discards completes a legal winning hand.
- Then
- Say “Hu” and reveal the complete hand. Stop drawing and discarding while the other active players continue.
Pause and settle immediately
Immediate Gang Points杠分
A Gang briefly interrupts the turn. Declare the four matching tiles, settle its Gang Points immediately, draw a replacement from the end of the wall and continue. These points stay separate from the final winning-hand score.
Concealed Gang Points暗杠分
Four matching tiles are already in your concealed hand.
2 base pointsfrom each player who has not yet declared Hu
Exposed Gang Points明杠分
You hold three matching tiles and claim the fourth from another player’s discard.
+
2 base pointsfrom the player who discarded the tile
Added Gang Points补杠分
You add the fourth matching tile to a Pung that you exposed earlier.
+
1 base pointfrom each player who has not yet declared Hu
Gang penalty. If the hand ends and the player is not Waiting (one tile away from Hu), return the Gang Points received.
06 · Faan types & Scoring
Build the value.
Settle the result.
Add every Faan Type and Additional Faan that applies, then double the chosen base once for each Faan. Chapter 05 explains the separate payment made when a Gang is declared.
Add all that apply
Faan Types 番种
Faan Types may combine when the same winning hand meets more than one pattern. Open a hand to see one complete example.
01
Standard Win
标准胡Four complete melds and one pair, without another Faan Type.
0Faan
02
All Triplets
对对胡Every meld is a Pung or Gang.
1Faan
03
Pure Suit
清一色Every tile in the winning hand comes from one numbered suit.
2Faan
04
Golden Hook
金钩钓The winning tile must be claimed from another player’s discard and must complete the pair.
2Faan
05
Seven Pairs
七对A special winning hand made from seven pairs.
2Faan
Add when applicable
Additional Faan 附加番
These Faan describe extra features of the hand or the way the winning tile arrived. Add each one that applies.
General additions
Root
Add 1 Faan for every set of four identical tiles in the hand.
Self-Drawn
Draw the winning tile from the wall.
Last Minute Save
Win from the final wall tile, whether it is self-drawn or discarded.
Gang-related additions
Robbing the Gang
Win with the tile another player adds to an exposed Pung to declare an Added Gang.
Discard after a Gang
Win on a tile another player discards immediately after declaring a Gang.
Gang Bloom · Discard-Claimed Gang
Claim a discard to make a Gang, then win on the replacement draw.
Gang Bloom · Concealed or Added Gang
Declare a concealed or added Gang, then win on its replacement draw.
Add, then double
Calculate the score
Add Faan Types and Additional Faan. Starting from the chosen base point, double the multiplier once for every Faan.
Faan TypesPure Suit + All Triplets2 + 1 = 3 Faan
+
Additional FaanSelf-Drawn + 1 Root1 + 1 = 2 Faan
=
Total5 Faan5 base × 2⁵ = 160
Settle the hand
Who pays?
Apply the calculated hand score after the win, or settle Waiting payments if the wall is exhausted.
Each player who has not yet declared Hu pays the winner separately.
The player who discarded the winning tile pays the calculated amount.
Each non-waiting player pays each waiting player using that hand’s highest possible Faan.
See it at the table
Rules make sense when the tiles move.
Join a workshop for guided setup, live correction and your first complete game.