Mahjong for Beginners: A Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide
Introduction to Mahjong
Mahjong is a captivating tile-based strategy game that blends luck and skill, popularly played both around home tables and online. The main objective is to assemble a complete hand—specifically, four sets and one pair—before your opponents do. Sets can include sequences or groups of identical tiles, while a pair consists of two matching tiles. This guide walks you through the fundamentals, rules, tiles, and all variations, making it easy for newcomers to start playing with confidence.
- Mahjong Essentials: Understanding the Rules
- Detailed Breakdown of Mahjong Tiles
- Mahjong Gameplay Explained: Step-by-Step Instructions
- What It Takes to Win in Mahjong
- Adapting Mahjong for Two Players
- Mahjong for Three: How to Play with Fewer Participants
Mahjong Essentials: Understanding the Rules
Mahjong is traditionally played by four participants and revolves around completing specific combinations of tiles. Here are the pillars of the game’s structure:
- The game uses 144 tiles, which are divided into several types: 36 bamboos, 36 circles (or dots), 36 characters, 16 wind tiles, and 12 dragons.
- Players determine the dealer and seating order using either wind tiles or dice.
- The ultimate aim is to form a complete hand comprising four sets (Pung, Chow, or Kong) and one pair, similar in concept to a winning hand in poker.
- A pair is simply two identical tiles.
- Sets include:
- Pung: Three of the same tile.
- Chow: Three sequential tiles of the same suit.
- Kong: Four identical tiles.
- No tile can be used in more than one set at a time.
Detailed Breakdown of Mahjong Tiles
Traditional mahjong incorporates 144 tiles, which may include eight optional bonus tiles—four representing flowers and four for the seasons—though many modern games use only 136 tiles without these extras. Each tile has a specific function and appearance:
- Circle (Dot) Tiles: Contains 36 tiles, divided into four identical series of numbers 1 through 9, depicted as circles. In Mandarin: 筒子 (tǒngzi).
- Bamboo Tiles: Also 36 in total, these feature four sets of the numbers 1 to 9. The “one bamboo” is often marked with a bird, while the remaining bamboos are straight sticks. Known as 竹 (zhú).
- Character Tiles: Comprises 36 tiles across four sets, each showing the numbers 1 to 9 accompanied by the character 万 (wàn) for “ten thousand.”
- Wind Tiles: With 16 tiles (four each of East, South, West, and North), wind tiles are crucial for special hands and scoring. These are known as 风牌 (Fēngpái).
- Dragon Tiles: 12 in total, made up of four red, green, and white dragons (三元牌 Sān yuán pái). The white dragon tiles can be plain or ornately decorated.
- Flower and Season Tiles: Four of each, these bonus tiles are not always used but can influence scoring in games like Chinese mahjong.
Mahjong Gameplay Explained: Step-by-Step Instructions
Once you are familiar with the various tiles and game objectives, you’re ready to set up and play—whether online or around the table. Here’s how a typical game unfolds:
Preparation and Dealing
- The dealer or a randomizer (dice or wind tiles) determines seating and who acts as the dealer.
- All tiles are thoroughly mixed, and each player creates a “wall” of tiles in front of them—specifically 34 tiles per wall, stacked two tiles high and running 17 tiles long.
- The dealer rolls dice to decide where the wall will be “broken” for dealing out the tiles. This adds an extra layer of randomness to the beginning of each round.
- Starting from the break, the dealer gives each player 13 tiles (the dealer themselves takes 14).
- Players arrange their tiles so only they can see their own hand.
Drawing and Discarding Tiles
- The dealer begins by discarding one tile, signaling the start of play, which passes to the person on the dealer’s right.
- Next, each player takes turns in clockwise order. On their turn, a player draws one tile from the wall and then discards a tile from their hand—the aim being to build valid melds or sets.
- Discarded tiles can be picked up by any player if it helps form a complete meld (Pung, Kong, or Chow).
- If not claimed, play continues with the next player drawing from the wall.
- This process continues until a player has formed four sets and one pair and can announce “Mahjong” to win.
What It Takes to Win in Mahjong
Victory in mahjong is achieved by being the first to assemble a hand made up of four sets (any combination of Pung, Kong, or Chow) alongside a pair. Here’s how to build those components:
- Pung: Three matching tiles (e.g., three identical bamboo 7 tiles).
- Kong: Four identical tiles (e.g., four circles numbered 2).
- Chow: Three sequential tiles from the same suit (e.g., 4-5-6 of characters).
If forming a pair and four sets remains out of reach, points become the path to victory. Players earn points with specific tile combinations and bonuses:
- Pung: 2 points if revealed, 4 points if concealed.
- Pung of 1s, 9s, dragons, or winds: 4 points if revealed, 8 if concealed.
- Kong: 8 points when revealed, 16 if kept hidden.
- Kong of 1s, 9s, dragons, or winds: 16 points revealed, 32 concealed.
- Each flower or season tile: 4 points.
- Pair of dragons or winds: 2 points.
- Chows: Do not add points but are essential for a complete hand.
Adapting Mahjong for Two Players
Mahjong is traditionally designed for four, but you can easily adapt it for two participants. The main adjustment is that each person takes control of two sets—or “hands”—acting as two players at once. This means both players build and maintain two walls of tiles, aiming to complete both sets for a win.
Some two-player versions forego building the walls, letting players draw from a shuffled pool at the center. The dealer will manage 28 tiles and the other player 27, with other gameplay aspects remaining unchanged from standard mahjong.
Mahjong for Three: How to Play with Fewer Participants
Three-player mahjong closely mirrors the four-player version, except that only three hands are dealt. Four walls are still built, but one is left unused. Game flow is sequential, starting from the east. Tile sets, combinations, and basic rules remain the same, so the traditional strategy and excitement are preserved even with fewer participants.
Conclusion
With its rich variety of tiles and unique playing style, mahjong is a rewarding game for those seeking strategy, chance, and social interaction. Whether playing the classic four-player version or adapting it for smaller groups, understanding the tiles and the methodical sequence of play will have you enjoying mahjong with confidence in no time.
