How to Play Chinese Mahjong
Chinese Mahjong is a four-player draw-and-discard game. On each normal turn, draw one tile, decide what your hand needs, and discard one tile. The standard beginner goal is a 14-tile hand with four melds and one pair. Eligible discards may be called for Chi, Pong, Kong, or Hu.
Improve your hand one discard at a time.
You do not need to memorize every score before playing. First learn the tile families, the turn rhythm, and the shapes that make a complete hand.
Three suits and seven honors
Dots, Bamboo, and Characters run from 1 to 9. East, South, West, North, Red, Green, and White are honor tiles.
See every tile faceSequences, triplets, and a pair
A Chow/Chi is three consecutive tiles in one suit. A Pong is three identical tiles. Most standard hands need four groups plus one pair.
Read the shared rulesDraw one, discard one
A normal turn temporarily gives you 14 tiles. Keep the tile that helps, release one that helps less, and continue until someone wins or the wall ends.
What happens on a normal turn?
Draw one tile
Take the next tile from the wall unless you just claimed a legal discard. Your concealed hand normally moves from 13 to 14 tiles.
Check your hand
Ask whether the new tile completes a win, improves a useful group, or leaves you with a weaker duplicate or isolated honor.
Discard one tile
Return to the normal hand size. Other players may receive a short opportunity to claim that discard before the next draw.
What do Chi, Pong, Kong, and Hu mean?
Calls interrupt the normal drawing order. The exact priority rules vary by ruleset; immahjong presents only the actions currently legal at the table.
| Call | Meaning | Typical source | What happens next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chi / Chow | Complete a three-tile sequence in one numbered suit. | Normally only the player immediately before you. | Expose the sequence, then discard. |
| Pong / Pung | Complete three identical tiles. | Any opponent’s eligible discard. | Expose the triplet, then discard. |
| Kong | Declare four identical tiles. | A discard or tiles already held, depending on the Kong. | Expose or mark the Kong, take a replacement tile, then continue. |
| Hu | Declare a legal winning hand. | Your own draw or an eligible opponent discard. | The hand ends and the current rules calculate the result. |
| Pass | Decline the available claim. | Any claim window. | Play continues to the next eligible action. |
Five decisions are enough to begin.
- Sort the three numbered suits, then place Winds and Dragons where you can see them.
- Look for existing pairs, adjacent numbers, and triplets before planning a complicated hand.
- Keep connected tiles such as 3–4 or 6–7 more often than isolated middle tiles.
- Watch which tiles other players discard; a tile seen three times cannot appear in three more places.
- When in doubt, use the contextual tip, make one legal discard, and learn from the resulting hand.
Choose one ruleset before keeping score.
Chinese Mahjong includes many regional and household versions. Hong Kong, Sichuan, Taiwanese, Chinese Official MCR, and local family tables can differ in tile count, Flowers, winning requirements, dealer behavior, and scoring.
immahjong’s default beginner mode focuses on the common turn structure and transparent training points. Chinese Official MCR is a separately labeled practice mode with a supported fan set and the eight-fan minimum. American Mahjong is taught separately because its Charleston, Jokers, and annual-card structure form a different game family.
Compare the available practice modesWhere to verify the rules behind this guide
Product behavior is checked against the current immahjong Beta. Independent references below support the broader game and rules context.
Independent historical context for the four-player draw-and-discard game, its tiles, and meld-building structure.
European Mahjong AssociationMahjong Competition Rules (MCR)A competition-rules reference for readers moving beyond the shared beginner flow into named MCR scoring.
Chinese Mahjong beginner questions
What is the basic goal of Chinese Mahjong?
In the standard beginner structure, complete a 14-tile hand made of four melds and one pair. A meld is usually a three-tile sequence or triplet; a Kong is a four-of-a-kind handled with a replacement draw.
How many tiles does each player start with?
A non-dealer normally begins with 13 tiles. The dealer begins the first turn with 14 and discards. On a normal turn, a player draws to 14, decides what to keep, then discards back to 13.
What is the difference between Chi and Pong?
Chi claims a discard to complete a sequence in one numbered suit and is normally available only from the player immediately before you. Pong claims a discard to complete three identical tiles and can be called from any opponent, subject to claim priority.
When do I say Hu?
Declare Hu when the drawn or claimed tile completes a legal winning hand under the current rules. immahjong checks the hand before accepting the declaration.
Do all Chinese Mahjong tables score the same way?
No. Regional, household, and tournament rules use different winning requirements and scoring systems. This guide teaches the shared turn rhythm and immahjong's labeled 136-tile beginner scope, not one universal score table.
Turn the guide into a real hand.
The interactive course checks each idea, then carries the same hand into guided table play.