Mahjong 144-Tile Rules

Players

• Mahjong can be played with up to four players. Players face each other and are identified by the cardinal directions. The first player is identified as the East player. The turn order continues South, West, North. This is not a team game and every player should be playing individually. The dealer traditionally is seated in the East position. If playing a second game with the same players, everyone rotates one position counterclockwise, therefore the South player will now become the East player.

Game Setup

• Each Mahjong set comes with 144 tiles. The tiles are arranged in a square pattern with double walls of two tiles by 18 tiles forming each side. From this wall, each player draws 13 tiles, except for the East seat player, who draws 14. The game is started by the player in the East seat.

Turn Progression

• After each player has drawn their tiles from the wall, the game begins with the East position player. This player needs to discard one of his tiles. Turns continue in a counterclockwise order. The player can either claim the previously discarded tile or draw from the wall. After a tile is chosen, the player must discard a tile immediately. After a tile is discarded, the game continues to the next player.

Scoring and Game End

• Three different sets can be scored with. These are called claiming for Pong, Kong and Chow. Claiming for pong requires you to have three identical tiles; kong requires four. Claiming for chow is slightly different because you can only claim a tile from the previous player. To end the game, you may claim a tile discarded by any player if it completes your mahjong hand. Traditionally this player calls, 'Hu', game-play stops and the player must show his hand. If no one calls Hu, the game continues until the last tile has been drawn from the wall. This is known as a washout or dead hand and there is no winner and no points are scored.