To play Hong Kong mahjong, four players build a wall from 144 tiles, then take 13 tiles each, with 14 for East. On your turn, draw one tile and discard one. You can also claim a discard to complete a set. When you hold four sets and a pair that meet your table’s minimum faan, you declare a win. Flowers and seasons are set aside when drawn and replaced.
Set up
- Mix the tiles. Turn them face down and stir them.
- Build the wall. Each player builds a row 18 tiles long and 2 tiles high, for 36 tiles. Push the four rows together into a square.
- Pick the seats. Players often use dice or wind tiles to choose seats. East is the dealer.
- Break the wall. East rolls dice to find the spot.
- Deal. Going counterclockwise, players take tiles until East has 14 and everyone else has 13.
Flowers and seasons
If you hold a flower or season, place it face up beside you and draw a replacement from the end of the wall. Do this at the start, and any time you draw one during play. Learn how these tiles score.
Take a turn
East begins by discarding one tile. After that, each turn is the same:
- Draw a tile from the wall.
- Discard one tile, face up, in the middle of the table.
Play moves counterclockwise. You always return to 13 tiles.
Claim a discard
You can take any player’s latest discard in these cases:
| You want to make | From whom? | Word to say |
|---|---|---|
| Pung (three of a kind) | Any player | Pung |
| Kong (four of a kind) | Any player | Kong |
| Chow (a run of three) | Only the player on your left | Chow |
| A win | Any player | Your group’s word for a win |
When you claim a tile, put the finished set face up in front of you, then discard. If two players want one tile, a win comes first, then a pung or kong, then a chow. Play continues from the player who claimed it.
After you make a kong, draw one extra tile from the end of the wall, since a kong uses four tiles but counts as one set.
How to win
You win with four sets and a pair.
You can win by drawing the last tile yourself, or by claiming a discard. Then you count your faan. If your table requires 3 faan and you have fewer, you cannot declare the win. Most Hong Kong games use 3 as the minimum.
If nobody wins before the wall runs out, the hand is a draw.
Who deals next
If East wins, East usually stays as the dealer. If someone else wins, the deal passes to the next player. A full game usually runs through four rounds, called East, South, West, and North. Groups often choose a shorter game.
Common beginner mistakes
- Claiming a chow from the wrong player. Only the player on your left can give you a chow.
- Forgetting the replacement tile. After a flower, season, or kong, draw from the end of the wall.
- Winning short of the minimum. Build value early. A hand of random sets may not score enough.
- Opening your hand too quickly. Each called set shows others what you need, and reduces your choices.
Try the next step
Once you have the rhythm, learn the shapes and how scoring works. The Tile Trainer can help you learn the names.