What is the rule for mahjong tiles?

The basic rules of Mahjong

A set is three or four identical tiles or three consecutive tiles (also known as 'melds'), and a pair is two of the same tiles (often called 'eyes'). To win mahjong a player must form four sets and one pair. When you know you have a winning hand, you can shout 'mahjong!

What are the starting rules for mahjong?

The Deal. Starting after the break (i.e. continuing in a clockwise direction around the wall), four tiles are dealt to each player in turn starting with East and working anti-clockwise until each player has 12 tiles.

What is the direction for picking tiles from wall and playing in Mah Jongg?

Play continues in a counter-clockwise direction, with each player picking a tile from the wall and discarding a tile until someone calls Mah Jongg or there are no more tiles to pick (this is called a “wall game”).

How many pieces do you start with in mahjong?

In most variations, each player begins by receiving 13 tiles. In turn, players draw and discard tiles until they complete a legal hand using the 14th drawn tile to form four melds (or sets) and a pair (eye). A player can also win with a small class of special hands.

When can you take a tile in mahjong?

To pick up a tile, it must complete a pung (3 identical tiles), kong (4 identical tiles) or quint (5 identical tiles, with use of a joker) for an exposed hand. Remember to never pick up for a concealed hand, unless it is the final tile needed to declare Mahjong.

Learn how to play mahjong in 2.5 minutes

Can you take a joker from a dead hand in Mah Jongg?

Can you redeem a Joker from a “dead” hand? A. Yes. You may exchange Jokers from any exposures that were made before the hand was declared “dead.” Once a hand is declared “dead,” any Jokers that were exposed at the same time as that declaration cannot be redeemed as that is when the error was made.

What is the best tile to discard in mahjong?

Honors tiles (Winds and Dragons) are the best choice for discarding because they are hardest to work with; you cannot make sequences out of them, only Pungs or Kongs ("sets").

How long is a full game of mahjong?

This depends on the level of experience of the players (newbies tend to need more time to think). With experienced players, a game typically takes around 10 minutes. When playing online against computer bots, games can be significantly faster and will typically take around 6 minutes on average.

What is the secret to winning mahjong?

Have a clear plan of attack – Think about the direction you want to take your hand and stick with it, while also remaining flexible. Picking up tiles for the sake of it won't work, and patience will always win out in the end. If your strategy isn't working, change tactics and look for other winning possibilities.

What does mahjong mean in English?

or mah-jongg (ˌmɑːˈdʒɒŋ ) noun. a game of Chinese origin, usually played by four people, in which tiles bearing various designs are drawn and discarded until one player has an entire hand of winning combinations. Word origin. from Chinese, literally: sparrows.

What do you say when you win in mahjong?

It is traditional when you win a game of mahjong to say: "Sik wu." In Western circles sometimes winners will instead announce "mahjong."

What does Kong mean in Mahjong?

There are three main types of melds: a Pong (three identical tiles), a Kong (four identical tiles), and a Chow (three suited tiles of the same suit in numerical sequence).

What is the 4 of a kind rule in Mahjong?

This is a kong - four of a kind. All four of a single tile = "kong." It counts as a special sort of pung. - When you have four identical tiles concealed within the hand, you have the option of melding them, declaring the four to be a kong that counts as concealed, so you can take a replacement tile.

What's the difference between American and Chinese mahjong?

What is the difference between American and Chinese mahjong? Traditional Chinese mahjong sets have 144 tiles, while American version is played with eight additional joker tiles and different score cards.

Is mahjong skill or luck based?

Mahjong game is dependent on skills , not luck. Although sometimes , getting a wrong card can also result to winning a game. There are instances where a player have very poor basic cards but good skills, thus they utilized rigorous card control to prevent other players from winning.

How hard is it to learn mahjong?

Mahjong is a tile-based game that's been played in Asia for over 300 years and is gaining global popularity. Although the game is hard to master, it's fairly easy to learn the basics.

Can you play mahjong alone?

Mahjong solitaire can be played either solo or with a partner, in which case the aim is to accumulate the most pairs, to be the last one to match a pair, or to score the most points.

Does mahjong train your brain?

1. It helps to develop pattern recognition skills. Mahjong players have to be able to recognize and distinguish the symbols on each tile, even if they are not familiar with them. This triggers the development and improvement of mental pattern recognition skills.

What does the red tile mean in mahjong?

the red dragon (chun), symbolizing the middle or animal order (including humans), the green dragon (fa), symbolizing the lower or plant order of life, the white dragon (pai pan – white tile), symbolizing the higher or spirutual order of beings.

What do the middle tiles mean in mahjong?

One tile features a red 中 (zhōng, center). The Chinese character represents 紅中 (hóng zhōng), which connotes passing the imperial exam, a hit in archery, and the Confucian virtue of benevolence. Another tile features a green 發 (fā, wealth). This character is a part of the saying, 發財 (fā cái).

What are lucky tiles in mahjong?

What are Lucky Tiles? Lucky Tiles will provide you with more strategic choices and additional goals while playing! Each game will have a randomized number of Lucky Tiles for you to match! When a Lucky Tile is matched then up to two sets of other tiles will automatically match.