Your first sheung

Last class you grabbed three of the same tile. Today you build a different kind of set. Three tiles in a row, all in the same suit. Two 3-circles and a 4-circle? That's nothing. But a 3, a 4, and a 5, all circles? That's a sheung. Let me show you.

A sheung is three tiles in a row, one suit. 3-4-5 bamboo. 7-8-9 cracks. 1-2-3 circles. The numbers have to go in order, no gaps, and all three have to be the same suit. You can't mix suits. You can't skip a number. And you can't use winds or dragons. Honour tiles don't form sheungs at all. Only the three number suits.

Okay, here's the rule that catches everyone the first time. Pongs, you can claim from any seat. Sheungs? Only from the player on your left. Your left neighbour throws a tile you could build a sheung with, you can grab it. Any other seat throws the exact same tile, you can't. Only the left.

Look at your hand. You've got a 4-circle and a 5-circle sitting next to each other. In a moment, seat east is going to discard something circle-related. If it's a 3 or a 6, you can complete your sheung. Watch for it, and tap to claim when it drops.

Look at your hand again. I've given you more circles. You've got a 2, a 3, a 4, and a 5 of circles sitting there now. In a moment, seat east is going to discard a 1-circle. You can claim it. But here's the question. Do you build 1-2-3 and keep the 4-5 for later, or do you let this one go and wait for something that fits your 4-5 instead? Both are valid. This is your first real choice in this game. Pick whichever one feels right.

That's class four. You can claim pongs from anyone. You can claim sheungs only from your left. And you've made your first strategic choice. Next class, we put it all together. You build a complete hand and declare mahjong for the first time.