Mahjong Master

What is Hong Kong Mahjong?

Hong Kong Mahjong (廣東麻將) is the most widely played variant worldwide. It is a 4-player tile-based game of skill, strategy, and calculation — where every decision, every discard, and every draw shapes your path to a winning hand.

Players

Always 4 players. Each player represents a cardinal direction: East, South, West, North. East goes first and is the "dealer" (莊家).

Tiles

144 tiles total. Three numbered suits (1–9), four wind types, three dragon types, and 8 bonus tiles (flowers + seasons).

Objective

Build a 14-tile hand made of 4 sets (melds) + 1 pair. Declare "Hú!" (和) to win and score points based on your hand value.

Scoring

Points are calculated in "faan" (番). Higher faan = higher payout. The dealer pays/receives double. Minimum is typically 3 faan to win.

Setup overview

1

Step 1 — Seat assignment & wind direction

Players draw tiles to determine seat positions. East is the initial dealer. Seats rotate after each round. A full game (一圈) is 16 rounds — 4 rounds per wind direction.

2

Step 2 — Build the wall

All 144 tiles are shuffled face-down and stacked into 4 walls of 36 tiles each (18 stacks of 2), arranged in a square on the table.

3

Step 3 — Deal 13 tiles each

East takes 4 tiles first, followed by South, West, North — repeated three times (12 tiles each). Then each player draws one more tile, and East draws a 14th tile to begin.

4

Step 4 — Reveal bonus tiles

Any flower or season tiles drawn are placed face-up, and replacement tiles are drawn from the "dead wall" (槓尾) at the end of the wall.

5

Step 5 — East discards to start

East examines their 14 tiles, places any unwanted tile face-up in the centre (discarding), and play proceeds clockwise.

The 144 Tiles

Click any tile to learn more about it. Hover over tiles to see their names and values.

Click a tile to see its details here.

Note on bonus tiles: Flower and season tiles are not part of your playable hand. When drawn, reveal them immediately, draw a replacement tile from the "dead wall" (槓尾) at the end of the wall, and score 1 faan each at the end. They cannot be claimed by other players.

Terminal tiles (么九牌)

The 1 and 9 of each suit. Called "terminals." They score extra points in melds and cannot be used in sequential runs that cross the 1–9 boundary (no 9–1–2 wrap-around).

Simple tiles (中張牌)

Numbers 2–8 of each suit. The most flexible tiles — used to form runs, triplets, or pairs. Generally score fewer bonus points unless part of special combinations.

How to Play — Turn by Turn

Each turn follows a strict order. Practice discarding below — click a tile in your hand to discard it.

YOUR HAND (13 TILES + DRAWN TILE)

Click a tile in your hand to discard it.

Turn sequence

A

Step A — Draw from the wall

On your turn, draw the next tile from the live wall. If it is a bonus tile, reveal it and draw again. If the wall is empty, the round is a draw (流局).

B

Step B — Claim a discard (priority order)

Before drawing, you may claim the previous player's discard for: Hú (win — any player, highest priority), Gong/Kong (quadruplet — any player), Pung (triplet — any player), Chi/Chow (sequence — left player only). Only one claim succeeds; Hú beats all.

C

Step C — Declare melds

If you claimed a discard, reveal the completed meld face-up in front of you. This is called an "open meld" and restricts what winning hands you can achieve.

D

Step D — Discard one tile

You must always reduce back to 13 tiles (or declare win). Discard one tile face-up to the centre. The next player — or any player for Hú — may claim it.

E

Step E — Kong (槓) special rule

If you have 4 identical tiles, declare Kong. Place them face-up, draw a bonus tile from the dead wall, then discard. Kong tiles score extra points. Concealed kong (暗槓) scores more than an open kong (明槓).

Meld types — the building blocks

Winning Hands

A basic winning hand is 4 melds + 1 pair. Hong Kong Mahjong also has special hands worth bonus faan. Toggle below to explore standard and special winning patterns.

Self-draw vs. discard win

Zimo / Tsumo (自摸)

You draw the winning tile yourself from the wall. All three other players pay you. This earns an extra faan bonus (+1), and is more prestigious than winning off a discard.

Discard win (胡)

You win on another player's discard. Only the player who discarded pays you (unless it is a dealer win, which some rules extend to all players paying).

Waiting patterns — know when you are close

Scoring — Count Your Faan

Hong Kong Mahjong uses a 'faan' (番) system. The total faan of your winning hand determines payment. Use the calculator below to build a hand and see its score.

Faan value table

Scoring element	Faan	Condition

Interactive score calculator

Toggle the elements present in your winning hand:

Total faan 0 faan

Payment (non-dealer wins)

Not enough faan to win (need 3+)

Minimum faan rule: Most Hong Kong games require at least 3 faan to declare a win. Below this threshold your hand is not valid. The minimum can vary by house rules — always agree before starting.

Faan to payment conversion

Faan	Non-dealer payment	Dealer payment
3	$2 each (×3 players)	$4 each (×3 players)
4	$4 each	$8 each
5	$8 each	$16 each
6	$16 each	$32 each
7	$32 each	$64 each
8+ (Limit)	$64 each (capped)	$128 each

Test Your Knowledge

Ten questions covering tiles, gameplay, winning hands, and scoring. See how well you know Hong Kong Mahjong.

Question 1 of 10 — Score: 0/0