How to Play Chinese Mahjong

What do you need to play Chinese mahjong?

You need 4 players, a 144-tile set and 2 or 3 dice. A Chinese set has no jokers, the wild tiles used in American play.

The 144 tiles come in these groups:

• 108 suit tiles. The 3 suits are dots, bams (bamboo) and craks (characters). Each suit runs from 1 to 9, with 4 of each tile.
• 16 winds. East, South, West and North, 4 of each.
• 12 dragons. Red, green and white, 4 of each.
• 8 bonus tiles. 4 flowers and 4 seasons.

How do you set up Chinese mahjong?

You build a square wall of face-down tiles. Then you roll dice to find where to start.

1. Pick the dealer. Everyone rolls the dice. The highest roll is East, the dealer. Some groups draw wind tiles face down instead.
2. Build the wall. Mix the tiles face down. Each player builds a row of 18 stacks. A stack is 2 tiles, one on top of the other. Push the 4 rows into a square.
3. Roll to pick a wall. The dealer throws the dice and adds them up. Start with the dealer as 1 and count that many players to the right.
4. Break the wall. The player you land on counts that many stacks from the right end of their wall. Split the wall there.
5. Deal. Take tiles from the break until each player has 13. The dealer takes one more, for 14.

For more help, see how to set up mahjong.

How do you win at Chinese mahjong?

You win with 14 tiles that make 4 sets and 1 pair. A pair is 2 matching tiles. Each set is one of these:

• Pung: 3 matching tiles, like three 5 dots.
• Kong: 4 matching tiles.
• Chow: 3 tiles in a row in one suit, like 6, 7 and 8 craks.

The picture also shows a quint, which is 5 matching tiles. Quints are only for American play, since Chinese sets have no jokers.

The picture below shows this winning hand:

• 1, 2 and 3 bams (a chow)
• three 5 dots (a pung)
• three East winds (a pung)
• 6, 7 and 8 craks (a chow)
• a pair of red dragons

What are the basic Chinese mahjong rules?

The main rule is simple: take a tile, then throw one away. A tile you throw away is called a discard.

1. East starts. The dealer has 14 tiles, so East goes first by discarding one tile face up.
2. Take a tile. On your turn, draw a tile from the wall. Or claim the tile that was just discarded.
3. Throw one away. Discard one tile face up. Then the player on your right goes.

Who can you claim a discard from?

• For a chow: only the player on your left, who goes just before you.
• For a pung or a kong: any player.
• To win: any player.

When you claim a tile, place the set face up in front of you.

Kongs and bonus tiles

A kong has 4 tiles but counts as one set. So when you make a kong, take a new tile from the end of the wall.

Flowers and seasons are bonus tiles. When you draw one, set it aside and draw a new tile. Each one has a number from 1 to 4 that matches a seat: 1 East, 2 South, 3 West, 4 North.

How does Chinese mahjong scoring work?

Scoring depends on which Chinese rules your group plays. Agree on it before you start.

Hong Kong rules

Hong Kong scoring counts faan. Each faan is a point that about doubles the payout. Most games need at least 3 faan to win. Learn more in our guide to Hong Kong mahjong rules.

Chinese Official rules (MCR)

China put out its official rules in 1998. They are also called the Mahjong Competition Rules, or MCR. Some people call them the international rules.

• A win must be worth at least 8 points, not counting flowers.
• There are 81 ways to score points.
• The World Mahjong Organization is the world group for these rules. It was founded in Beijing in 2006.