How to Play Mahjong 🀄
Singapore & Hong Kong rules — from zero to your first win
What is Mahjong?
Mahjong is a four-player tile game that’s equal parts pattern recognition, risk management, and table reading. The goal is simple: be the first to complete a winning hand — typically 4 melds + 1 pair (14 tiles total).
This app supports two popular variants: Singapore Mahjong and Hong Kong Mahjong. Same core mechanics, different scoring and special rules. Below we cover what’s shared, then what’s unique to each.
Core Rules (Both Variants)
Know Your Tiles
- 🀇 Suits (108 tiles): Three suits numbered 1–9, four copies each — Wan (萬 Characters), Tong (筒 Dots), Tiao (條 Bamboo).
- 🀀 Winds (16 tiles): East, South, West, North — four copies each.
- 🀄 Dragons (12 tiles): Red (中), Green (發), White (白) — four copies each.
- 🌸 Flowers & Seasons (8 tiles): Unique bonus tiles. Set them aside when drawn and take a replacement tile.
Your Goal: 4 Melds + 1 Pair = Win
A winning hand has exactly 4 melds (sets of 3 or 4 tiles) and 1 pair (two identical tiles). You build it by drawing tiles from the wall or claiming other players’ discards.
The Three Melds
- Chi (吃) — Sequence: Three consecutive tiles of the same suit (e.g., 4-5-6 Tong). You can only Chi from the player to your left.
- Pong (碰) — Triplet: Three identical tiles. You can Pong from any player’s discard.
- Kong (槓) — Quad: Four identical tiles. You get a replacement draw from the back of the wall. (Three types — see below.)
Your Turn, Step by Step
- 1. Draw a tile from the wall (or claim a discard).
- 2. Bonus tile? If you drew a Flower or Season, set it aside face-up and draw a replacement.
- 3. Win? If your hand is complete, declare Hu (胡) and collect your payout!
- 4. No win? Either declare a concealed Kong (if you have 4 copies) or discard one tile face-up.
- 5. Claim window: After your discard, other players may jump in to claim it for Win, Pong, Kong, or Chi.
Claim Priority
When multiple players want the same discard:
Win (Hu) > Pong / Kong > Chi
A win always takes priority. If two players declare Hu on the same discard, the one closest in turn order wins.
Three Types of Kong
- Exposed Kong (明槓): You hold 3 of a tile, someone discards the 4th → claim it, reveal all 4, draw a replacement.
- Add Kong (加槓): You Pong’d a tile earlier, then self-draw the 4th copy → add it to the existing Pong, draw a replacement.
- Concealed Kong (暗槓): You hold all 4 copies from self-draws → declare face-down, draw a replacement. Keeps your hand hidden.
Robbing the Kong
When someone declares an Add Kong, you can intercept (“rob”) that tile if it completes your winning hand. This counts as a win off a discard. It does not apply to Concealed Kongs.
Watch Out For…
- ⛔ Sacred Discard: You can’t win on a tile you previously discarded yourself. Always check your discard pile!
- 🚫 No pair claims: You can’t Chi/Pong/Kong just to complete your pair — claims must form melds (unless the claim wins the hand).
- 🤷 Draw game: Wall runs out with no winner? The hand is a draw. Dealer usually keeps their seat.
Singapore Rules 🇸🇬
Extra Tiles: Animals!
SG Mahjong uses 148 tiles — the standard 144 plus 4 Animal tiles: Cat (猫), Mouse (鼠), Chicken (鸡), Centipede (蜈蚣). They’re handled like Flowers (set aside, draw replacement).
Animals form predator pairs: Cat ↔ Mouse and Chicken ↔ Centipede. When both tiles of a pair are in play, an instant bonus payout is triggered.
Scoring: Tai (台) — Exponential Doubling
Each Tai doubles the base payout. More Tai = much bigger wins. You need a minimum of 1 Tai to declare Hu.
| Hand / Condition | Tai |
|---|---|
| Ping Hu (All Sequences, no bonus tiles) | 1 |
| Men Qing Zi Mo (Concealed Self-Draw) | 1 |
| Dragon Pong (Pong of any Dragon) | 1 |
| Seat / Prevailing Wind Pong | 1 |
| All Pongs (碰碰胡) | 2 |
| Half Flush (混一色) | 2 |
| Full Flush (清一色) | 4 |
| Limit Hand (e.g., Thirteen Orphans) | 5 (max) |
Instant Payouts (Mid-Game Cash)
SG Mahjong pays out during play for:
- Drawing a Flower/Season matching your seat wind
- Collecting all 4 Flowers or all 4 Seasons
- Completing an Animal pair
- Declaring any type of Kong
These are separate from end-of-hand scoring. Think of them as mini-jackpots.
Bao (包) — The Endgame Penalty
In the last ~15 tiles of the wall, discarding a freshly drawn tile (not one already in your hand) is dangerous. If someone wins off that discard, the discarder pays for all three losing players. This penalty (called Bao) forces cautious play in the endgame — sometimes it’s better to keep a bad tile than risk a triple payout.
Dead Wall
The last 15 tiles are reserved for replacement draws only (Kongs and bonus tiles). Never drawn from during normal turns.
Hong Kong Rules 🇭🇰
Tile Set
Standard 144 tiles (no Animals).
Scoring: Faan (番) — Add It Up
Unlike SG’s exponential Tai, HK uses Faan — an additive system. Add up all applicable Faan from your hand, then look up the total on a fixed payout table. Common schemes: Half Spicy (半辣) and Full Spicy (全辣).
You typically need a minimum of 3 Faan to declare a win.
| Hand / Condition | Faan |
|---|---|
| All Chows (平胡) | 1 |
| Self-Draw (自摸) | 1 |
| Concealed Hand (門前清) | 1 |
| No Flowers (無花) | 1 |
| Dragon Pong | 1 |
| Seat / Prevailing Wind Pong | 1 |
| Voided Suit (缺一門) | 2 |
| Half Flush (混一色) | 3 |
| All Pongs (碰碰胡) | 3 |
| Seven Pairs (七對子, house rule) | 4 |
| Full Flush (清一色) | 6 |
| Limit Hand | 10 (max) |
Seven Pairs (HK Only)
HK commonly allows Seven Pairs (七對子) — seven distinct pairs, no melds needed. This is not a thing in SG Mahjong.
Dealer Bonus
Being the dealer (庄) is high-risk, high-reward: dealer wins = everyone pays double. Dealer loses = dealer pays double to the winner.
Shooter Pays All
If you win off someone’s discard, the discarder pays the full amount for all three losers. Self-drawn wins are split equally among the three opponents. This creates strong pressure to discard safely in the late game.
Dead Wall
Last 14 tiles reserved for replacement draws.
No Instant Payouts
Unlike SG, there are no mid-game payouts for Kongs or bonus tiles. All scoring happens at the end of the hand.
Limit Hands — The Jackpots
These are the rarest, most valuable hands in Mahjong. They pay out at the maximum score in both SG and HK. Most are once-in-a-lifetime. You’ll know when you have one.
| Hand | What It Looks Like |
|---|---|
| Thirteen Orphans (十三幺) | One of every terminal (1 and 9 of each suit) + all 7 honor tiles + one duplicate. 14 unique tiles. |
| Nine Gates (九蓮寶燈) | Concealed 1-1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-9-9 in one suit + any tile of that suit. |
| Big Three Dragons (大三元) | Pongs of all 3 Dragons (Red, Green, White). |
| Big Four Winds (大四喜) | Pongs of all 4 Winds. |
| Small Four Winds (小四喜) | Pongs of 3 Winds + pair of the 4th. |
| All Honors (字一色) | Hand made entirely of Winds and Dragons. |
| All Terminals (清老頭) | Hand made entirely of 1s and 9s. |
| Four Concealed Pongs (四暗刻) | Four Pongs, all self-drawn (none claimed). |
| Four Kongs (四槓子) | Four Kongs in one hand. |
| Heavenly Hand (天胡) | Dealer wins with their dealt hand — no draws needed. |
| Earthly Hand (地胡) | Non-dealer wins on their very first draw. |
| Pure Green (綠一色) | Only green tiles — 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 of Bamboo + Green Dragon. |