Mahjong experts here?

[ShadowDancer]

Always fancied trying this..its about time i tried something abit different.

The off putting thing for me is the same as whats happened tonight..look into playing mahjong on the net/flash game, and i'm presented with 10 different versions, seemingly different. I don't know where to start!

So..if anyone would like to give out any pointers please..

[BaudAttitude]

I tried to start this several times and realized that, while I'm able to win fairly often at console mahjong games, I'm also completely unable to put what I know into words, and to make matters worse, the rules for console mahjong games are usually a bit different from the rules for proper four-player mahjong.

The gist of it is, you have 14 tiles in your hand. You're trying to get four sets of three (which can be runs in sequence, eg 1, 2, 3 of a suit, or three-of-a-kind) and a pair.

There are also about a zillion special case hands, like having seven pairs is a winning hand and gets you a bunch of points.

Every turn, each player draws a tile and then decides if they want to keep it (if they do, they discard one tile they already have) or if they don't need it they can just discard it immediately. Other players can pick up discarded tiles if they need them to make a set of three or to win the game.

Drawback to this is that making sets of three with other peoples discards gets you less points in a hand, unless you're picking up their FINAL discard of the game and using it to make a win, which is a big points multiplier.

Also, finishing a game with four "runs" and no three-of-a-kind gets you almost no points, and some console mahjong games won't let you declare a win if your points for the hand would be really low.

When you're down to one tile left that you need to win, you can call a "richi", which involves you spending a certain number of points. If you lose the hand, you lose the points, if you win the hand you get more points than you would have if you didn't call richi.


Boy, that all makes bugger all sense and yet I swear it's mostly true. Pick up a cheap copy of Suchie-Pai mahjong if you have a Saturn or Playstation 1, it's really good at hand-holding you (it will point out if you can use another player's discards, and it will tell you when you can richi and when you can win).

[Max P.]

Always fancied trying this..its about time i tried something abit different.

The off putting thing for me is the same as whats happened tonight..look into playing mahjong on the net/flash game, and i'm presented with 10 different versions, seemingly different. I don't know where to start!

So..if anyone would like to give out any pointers please..

Hmmm - bought a strip mahjong game by any chance??!

[Castor Krieg]

I play it from time to time, mostly HK version or Taiwanese. Even with many different variations, there are still some rules present in all, just learn them for starters.

Also, I would advice against playing it over the net, etc. Mahjong is a very social game, best played with real people, preferably Chinese. Nothing beats all the cursing, and swear words flying at Mahjong table, the reaction of the players, etc.

Also the above rules can use a bit of revision: for example, whether or not you can pick a discarded tile depends on you making a set of 3 same tiles, or 3 consecutive tiles (in the former you can, in the latter you can only pick tiles discarded by the person before you).

[BaudAttitude]

Also the above rules can use a bit of revision: for example, whether or not you can pick a discarded tile depends on you making a set of 3 same tiles, or 3 consecutive tiles (in the former you can, in the latter you can only pick tiles discarded by the person before you).

This is a fabulous example of the difference between console mahjong games, which are normally 2-player affairs, and proper four-player mahjong.

I've never tried to get into a proper game as I'd probably look the fool doing it.

[ShadowDancer]

I tried to start this several times and realized that, while I'm able to win fairly often at console mahjong games, I'm also completely unable to put what I know into words, and to make matters worse, the rules for console mahjong games are usually a bit different from the rules for proper four-player mahjong.

The gist of it is, you have 14 tiles in your hand. You're trying to get four sets of three (which can be runs in sequence, eg 1, 2, 3 of a suit, or three-of-a-kind) and a pair.

There are also about a zillion special case hands, like having seven pairs is a winning hand and gets you a bunch of points.

Every turn, each player draws a tile and then decides if they want to keep it (if they do, they discard one tile they already have) or if they don't need it they can just discard it immediately. Other players can pick up discarded tiles if they need them to make a set of three or to win the game.

Drawback to this is that making sets of three with other peoples discards gets you less points in a hand, unless you're picking up their FINAL discard of the game and using it to make a win, which is a big points multiplier.

Also, finishing a game with four "runs" and no three-of-a-kind gets you almost no points, and some console mahjong games won't let you declare a win if your points for the hand would be really low.

When you're down to one tile left that you need to win, you can call a "richi", which involves you spending a certain number of points. If you lose the hand, you lose the points, if you win the hand you get more points than you would have if you didn't call richi.


Boy, that all makes bugger all sense and yet I swear it's mostly true. Pick up a cheap copy of Suchie-Pai mahjong if you have a Saturn or Playstation 1, it's really good at hand-holding you (it will point out if you can use another player's discards, and it will tell you when you can richi and when you can win).

Would i be on the right track in thinking is has some similiarities to Gin Rummy? Thanks too. (and to others)

[BaudAttitude]

Would i be on the right track in thinking is has some similiarities to Gin Rummy? Thanks too. (and to others)

Not knowing how to play Gin Rummy, I can't directly respond to that, but that's what I always hear it compared to, so go with that.

Some other bits...

three of a kind is called a "pon" (using Japanese pronunciations because that's all I've ever played, Chinese differs)

three in a row is a "chi"

if you have a concealed "pon" in your hand and someone discards a tile of the same kind as your pon, you can pick up their discard for a four-of-a-kind. This is a "kan" and counts as a three of a kind for hand winning purposes, but I think it gives you a few more points when you win.

On the other hand, if you pick up someone's piece and make an exposed pon with it, they can safely discard the fourth tile because you can't make a kan with it.

The pair you need to finish the hand is the "Pillow", I assume it has a name in Japanese or Chinese but I've never learned it.

Winning is either a "tsumo" or a "ron". I think a "tsumo" is when you draw to a win and a "ron" is when you use a discard to make a win, but I am really unsure about this and someone who knows more should correct me.

In addition to the four numbered suits, there are several not-numbered suits. Depending on which version of mahjong you're playing, you may or may not have the seasons, but you'll have the four winds suits and the four dragon suits. You can't make chis with these suits, only pons, kans, and pillows.

Having a winning hand made up of only the winds and dragons is a freaking mountain of points, but that's pretty uncommon to see Most computer opponents will discard winds and dragons as soon as they draw them, since they're very inflexible.

[ShadowDancer]

Need to read that a few times to sink in. Thank you for detailed help