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Planet Mahjong Library

Taiwanese Mahjong Rule Book

Printed beginner edition

A premium book for someone who has never heard of Mahjong. Tiles first, rules second, scoring only when the table already makes sense.

Printed book brief

Teach the whole game from zero

The book should feel like a premium object, but the teaching must stay simple. A new reader learns what Mahjong is, sees each tile family, builds sets with pictures, follows a turn, understands claiming, completes a hand, then learns how tai scoring works.

Chapters
10

Beginner to scoring.

Tile families
6

All shown visually.

Scoring rows
27

Explained in plain words.

Table rules
11

Claims, rounds, payments.

Contents

The book journey

Each chapter starts with a picture, then the rule, then a small table example.

  1. 01

    What Mahjong Is

    The object of the game, the four seats, the wall, and why a hand is built from sets.

  2. 02

    Meet the Tiles

    Bamboo, characters, circles, winds, dragons, flowers, and seasons.

  3. 03

    Build Sets

    Sequences, pongs, gongs, pairs, and the 5 sets plus 1 pair winning shape.

  4. 04

    A Turn

    Draw, replace flowers, choose a discard, and read the table.

  5. 05

    Claiming

    When to call sequence, pong, gong, or Mahjong from a discard.

  6. 06

    Winning

    How a 16-tile hand becomes a 17-tile winning hand.

  7. 07

    Scoring

    Count the base point, add bonuses, then compare the active Wind Round minimum.

  8. 08

    Special Hands

    Flowers, dragons, winds, all-pong, pure suit, orphans, and other named patterns.

  9. 09

    False Mahjong

    What happens when a declared hand is not valid or not high enough.

  10. 10

    Practice Pages

    Hands to score, tile drills, and table-decision exercises.

Opening spread

What is Mahjong?

Mahjong is a four-player tile game. Each player builds a hand from groups of tiles. On your turn, draw one tile, improve your hand, and discard one tile. The hand ends when someone completes a valid winning hand and has enough tai.

East South Wall North West
Ms. Flower

Ms. Flower says

Do not start with scoring.

First learn the tiles. Then learn sets. Then learn a turn. Scoring becomes much easier after the hand shape is obvious.

Chapter 2

Meet the tiles

The printed book uses real tile faces at every learning step, so a beginner is never asked to memorize a rule before seeing the pieces.

1 to 9

Bamboo

A numbered suit. Three consecutive bamboo tiles can make a sequence.

1 to 9

Characters

A numbered suit. It works like bamboo and circles.

1 to 9

Circles

A numbered suit. New players often spot circle patterns fastest.

East, South, West, North

Winds

Winds are honour tiles. They do not make sequences.

Red, green, white

Dragons

Dragons are honour tiles. A dragon pong is one of the first scoring patterns to learn.

8 bonus tiles

Flowers and seasons

Flowers are revealed, set aside, and replaced from the Flower Wall.

Chapter 3

Build sets

Most winning hands are built from five sets and one pair. The book introduces each building block by showing the tiles first.

sheung

Sequence

Three consecutive numbers in the same suit.

pong

Pong

Three identical tiles.

gong

Gong

Four identical tiles. You set it aside and draw a replacement.

eyes

Pair

Two identical tiles. A normal winning hand needs one pair.

Chapter 4

A turn

  1. Draw Take one tile from the wall. If it is a flower, reveal it and draw a replacement.
  2. Improve Look for sequences, pongs, a pair, or a stronger scoring direction.
  3. Discard Return to 16 tiles by discarding one tile face up.
  4. React Other players may claim the discard. Mahjong has the highest priority.

Chapter 5

Claims need examples, not memory work

A beginner has to know what can be called from the table and which call wins when two players want the same discard. The printed book shows the discard, the completed set, and the priority in one glance.

sheung

Sequence claim

Use a discard to complete three consecutive numbers in one suit. This claim is only available from the player before you. Swap Calling: on that turn you cannot discard the claimed tile kind or the far-end tile of the run.

pong

Pong claim

Use a discard to complete three identical tiles. Pong beats a sequence claim.

gong

Gong claim

Use or reveal four identical tiles, set them aside, then draw a replacement tile.

win

Mahjong claim

If the discard completes a valid hand, Mahjong beats every other claim. More than one player can win on the same discard.

Chapter 6

A first complete hand

Five sets plus one pair. The winning tile makes 17 tiles.

Set 1

sequence

Set 2

sequence

Set 3

sequence

Set 4

sequence

Set 5

sequence

Pair

eyes

Winning minimum

A hand must be valid and high enough

First check the shape. Then count tai. Finally compare the total to the active Wind Round. If the hand is structurally wrong or below the minimum, it is false Mahjong.

East round 20 tai
South round 22 tai
West round 24 tai
North round 26 tai

Chapter 7

Complete scoring chart

Every scoring rule gets a plain-language trigger and the tai it pays. The printed version would pair these rows with worked hands and tile diagrams.

Flowers

Flower tiles are set aside, replaced, and counted at scoring time.

Scoring

No flowers

1 tai
Win without any flower or season tiles. Complete 17-tile hand shown with no flower or season tiles beside it.

Scoring

Each flower plus seat flower bonus

1 tai rows Every flower or season tile scores. A flower matching your seat wind scores an extra tai. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Each flower
1 tai each

Every flower or season revealed beside the hand scores 1 tai.

revealed flowers
Seat flower match
+1 tai each

Seat numbers are East 1, South 2, West 3, North 4. A matching flower or season scores one extra tai.

South seat
matching number 2

Scoring

No flowers and no winds or dragons

5 tai
Win with no flowers and no wind or dragon tiles. This replaces the two smaller no-flower and no-honour bonuses. Complete suited-only hand: no winds, no dragons, and no flowers beside it.

Scoring

Seven or eight flowers instant self-draw win

20 to 40 tai Seven flowers or eight flowers can end the hand immediately as a self-draw win. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Seven flowers
20 tai

Seven revealed flower or season tiles can win immediately.

seven revealed
Eight flowers
40 tai

All eight flower and season tiles make the larger instant self-draw win.

all eight

Winds and dragons

Honour tiles create many of the first scoring patterns a new player notices.

Scoring

Wind pong, seat wind, and round wind bonuses

1 tai rows A wind pong scores. It scores more when the wind is also your seat wind or the prevailing wind. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Wind pong
1 tai per pong

Any wind pong scores 1 tai unless a larger named wind family replaces it.

East pong
Seat wind pong
+1 tai

If the wind pong matches your own seat, add this bonus.

South seat
South pong
Round wind pong
+1 tai

If the wind pong matches the prevailing Wind Round, add this bonus.

East round
East pong

Scoring

Little and big three/four winds

15 to 60 tai Large wind families score when your hand gathers several wind pongs, sometimes with a pair completing the smaller version. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Little three winds
15 tai

Two wind pongs plus a pair of another wind.

East pong
South pong
West pair
Big three winds
30 tai

Three different wind pongs.

East pong
South pong
West pong
Little four winds
50 tai

Three wind pongs plus a pair of the fourth wind.

East pong
South pong
West pong
North pair
Big four winds
60 tai

All four winds are pongs.

East pong
South pong
West pong
North pong

Scoring

Dragon pong, little dragons, and big dragons

2 to 40 tai Dragon pongs score more than wind pongs. Dragon family hands score when two or three dragon groups appear together. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Dragon pong
2 tai per pong

Any dragon pong scores 2 tai unless Little or Big Dragons replaces it.

Red dragon pong
Little dragons
20 tai

Two dragon pongs plus a pair of the third dragon.

Red pong
Green pong
White pair
Big dragons
40 tai

All three dragons are pongs.

Red pong
Green pong
White pong

Sequences and pongs

These rows reward repeated runs, repeated triplets, and terminal shapes.

Scoring

Mixed and pure dragon sequences

5 to 20 tai Build 1-2-3, 4-5-6, and 7-8-9. The mixed version uses all three suits. The pure version keeps the ladder in one suit. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Mixed dragon exposed or partially concealed
5 tai

A 1-2-3, a 4-5-6, and a 7-8-9 use all three suits. If any part was claimed, use this row. A hand that also holds a Pure Dragon scores both — the Mixed and the Pure — even when they share a run.

1-2-3 bamboo
4-5-6 characters
7-8-9 circles
Mixed dragon concealed
10 tai

The same mixed 1-9 ladder scores more when all three sheungs stayed concealed. A hand that also holds a Pure Dragon scores both the Mixed and the Pure, even when they share a run.

1-2-3 bamboo
4-5-6 characters
7-8-9 circles
Pure dragon exposed or partially concealed
10 tai

The 1-9 ladder stays in one suit. If any part was claimed, use this row.

1-2-3 bamboo
4-5-6 bamboo
7-8-9 bamboo
Pure dragon concealed
20 tai

The same one-suit 1-9 ladder scores more when all three sheungs stayed concealed.

1-2-3 bamboo
4-5-6 bamboo
7-8-9 bamboo

Scoring

Neighbours or uncle pongs

5 to 60 tai Make pongs of consecutive numbers in one suit. More consecutive pongs means more tai. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Two sets
5 tai

Two consecutive pongs in the same suit.

2-circle pong
3-circle pong
Three sets
15 tai

Three consecutive pongs in the same suit.

2-circle pong
3-circle pong
4-circle pong
Four sets
30 tai

Four consecutive pongs in the same suit.

2-circle pong
3-circle pong
4-circle pong
5-circle pong
Five sets
60 tai

All five pongs are consecutive in one suit.

2-circle pong
3-circle pong
4-circle pong
5-circle pong
6-circle pong

Scoring

Brother sheungs

5 to 30 tai Repeat the exact same sequence in the same suit. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Two brother sheungs
5 tai

Two identical sheungs in the same suit.

3-4-5 bamboo
3-4-5 bamboo again
Three brother sheungs
15 tai

Three identical sheungs in the same suit.

first 3-4-5 bamboo
second 3-4-5 bamboo
third 3-4-5 bamboo
Four brother sheungs
30 tai

Four identical sheungs in the same suit. Each of the three tiles then has all four copies spread across the four sheungs, so Four in Ways also scores three times on top.

first 3-4-5 bamboo
second 3-4-5 bamboo
third 3-4-5 bamboo
fourth 3-4-5 bamboo

Scoring

Sister sheungs

3 to 10 tai Make the same numbered sequence in two or three different suits. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Two sister sheungs
3 tai

The same numbered sheung appears in two different suits.

2-3-4 bamboo
2-3-4 characters
Three sister sheungs
10 tai

The same numbered sheung appears in all three suits.

2-3-4 bamboo
2-3-4 characters
2-3-4 circles

Scoring

Sister pongs

3 to 10 tai Make pongs of the same number in two or three different suits. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Two sister pongs
3 tai

Pongs of the same number appear in two different suits.

7 bamboo pong
7 character pong
Three sister pongs
10 tai

Pongs of the same number appear in all three suits.

7 bamboo pong
7 character pong
7 circle pong

Scoring

Concealed pongs

5 to 80 tai Complete pongs without claiming a discard. More concealed pongs score more. Every gong, open or concealed, counts as one concealed pong here. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Two concealed pongs
5 tai

Two pongs were completed without claiming a discard. Every declared gong — open or concealed — also counts as one concealed pong on this ladder.

concealed 8 characters
concealed green dragons
Three concealed pongs
10 tai

Three pongs were completed without claiming a discard.

concealed 8 characters
concealed green dragons
concealed 2 bamboo
Four concealed pongs
15 tai

Four pongs were completed without claiming a discard.

concealed 8 characters
concealed green dragons
concealed 2 bamboo
concealed 6 circles
Five concealed pongs
80 tai

All five pongs were completed without claiming a discard.

concealed 8 characters
concealed green dragons
concealed 2 bamboo
concealed 6 circles
concealed red dragons

Scoring

Terminal pongs and terminal sheungs

3 to 20 tai A terminal is a suited 1 or 9. These rows score either a hand with no 1s, 9s, winds, or dragons, or matched terminal groups in the same suit. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
No terminals
5 tai

The whole winning hand has no 1s, no 9s, and no winds or dragons.

complete no-terminal hand
One terminal pong set
3 tai

One set means 111 and 999 in the same suit. A single pong of 1s alone is not enough.

111 bamboo
999 bamboo
Two terminal pong sets
15 tai

Two suits each have their own 111 plus 999 terminal pong set.

bamboo 111
bamboo 999
circle 111
circle 999
One terminal sheung set
3 tai

One set means 123 and 789 in the same suit.

123 bamboo
789 bamboo
Two mixed terminal sheung sets
15 tai

Two different suits each have a 123 plus 789 terminal sheung set.

bamboo 123
bamboo 789
character 123
character 789
Two pure terminal sheung sets
20 tai

All four sheungs stay in one suit: two copies of 123 and two copies of 789.

bamboo 123
bamboo 123 again
bamboo 789
bamboo 789 again

Scoring

Step-up sheungs and four-in-ways

5 to 20 tai Score repeated number structures across sequences and suits. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Three step-up sheungs
5 tai

Three sheungs step upward one number at a time and use all three suits.

2-3-4 bamboo
3-4-5 characters
4-5-6 circles
Four in two ways
5 tai

All four copies of one exact tile appear across two groups.

2-3-4 bamboo
4-4-4 bamboo
Four in three ways
10 tai

All four copies of one exact tile appear across three groups.

1-2-3 circles
2-3-4 circles
3-circle pair
Four in four ways
20 tai

All four copies of one exact tile appear across four sheungs.

4-5-6 characters
5-6-7 characters
6-7-8 characters
4-5-6 characters again
Pure Step Up
10 tai

Three sheungs in ONE suit, each starting one number higher. It stacks with the three-suit step-up row when the hand has both; an All Step-Up hand already includes them. On by default on Taiwanese.

1-2-3 bamboo
2-3-4 bamboo
3-4-5 bamboo

Whole-hand patterns

These rows look at the entire hand rather than one set.

Scoring

Concealed and fully exposed hand bonuses

5 to 15 tai Score for keeping the hand hidden, or for completing a fully exposed hand. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Concealed hand by discard
5 tai

No claimed sheung or pong is exposed; the winning tile came from another player.

kept hidden
Concealed hand by self-pick
10 tai

No claimed sheung or pong is exposed; you draw the winning tile yourself.

self-drawn tile
hidden pair completed
Fully exposed by discard
15 tai

All five sets are exposed on the table, only the pair is concealed, and the win is by discard.

exposed set
exposed set
concealed pair only
Fully exposed by self-draw
10 tai

All five sets are exposed on the table, only the pair is concealed, and you self-draw the final tile.

exposed set
exposed set
self-drawn pair tile

Scoring

Semi-pure, pure suit, and two-suit hands

5 to 90 tai Score by limiting the hand to two suits, one suit plus honours, or one suit only. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Semi-pure
30 tai

The hand uses exactly one numbered suit plus winds or dragons.

characters only
honour set
Pure suit
90 tai

The hand uses exactly one numbered suit and no winds or dragons.

bamboo only
Two-suit hand
5 tai

The hand uses exactly two numbered suits and no winds or dragons.

bamboo set
character set

Scoring

All five suits, all pong, and all sheung

5 to 25 tai Score hands made entirely of pongs, entirely of sequences, or spread across all five tile families. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
All five suits
10 tai

Bamboo, characters, circles, winds, and dragons all appear in the winning hand.

bamboo
characters
circles
wind
dragon pair
All pong
25 tai

Every set is a pong or gong. No sheungs are used. An All Pong hand takes no Calling by Pairs and no False Single Wait. Only a True Single Wait, the last concealed tile waiting for its pair, adds 2.

2 bamboo pong
4 character pong
6 circle pong
All sheung with flowers or honours
5 tai

All five sets are sheungs, and the hand also has a flower, wind, or dragon.

sheung set
sheung set
honour pair
All sheung with no flowers or honours
15 tai

All five sets are sheungs, with no flowers, winds, or dragons.

sheung set
sheung set
suited pair

Scoring

Neighbours hand, pure honour hand, and terminal families

20 to 140 tai Score the large structural hands, including honour-only and terminal-family patterns. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Neighbours hand
80 tai

All five sets are consecutive pongs in one suit. Retired by default on Taiwanese: the hand then scores the Five sets neighbours row (60) instead.

1 bamboo pong
2 bamboo pong
3 bamboo pong
4 bamboo pong
5 bamboo pong
Pure honour hand
140 tai

Every tile is a wind or dragon. No numbered suit tile appears. The older count: Taiwanese now scores this hand as the Honours hand, 90.

winds
dragons
Terminals plus honours
20 tai

Every set is a terminal sheung, terminal pong, or honour pong, and at least one honour appears.

terminal sheung
terminal pong
honour pong
Terminals only no honours
40 tai

Every set is a terminal sheung or terminal pong, the pair is 1 or 9, and no honours appear.

terminal sheung
terminal sheung
terminal pong
terminal pair
Honours hand
90 tai

Every tile is a wind or dragon. The other rows that apply still add (concealed pongs, the wind and dragon families, seat and round wind), but not All Pong. Like All Pong, it takes no Calling by Pairs and no False Single Wait; only a True Single Wait adds 2. On by default on Taiwanese.

wind pongs
dragon pongs
north pair

The winning moment

These rows depend on the pair, the wait, or the tile that completed the hand.

Scoring

Good eyes and wait bonuses

2 to 5 tai Score the pair or the exact waiting shape that completed the hand. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Good eyes 2/5/8
2 tai

The pair is 2s, 5s, or 8s.

5-circle eyes
Calling by pairs
2 tai

The waiting hand has two pairs; either matching tile would turn one pair into a pong. Not on an All Pong or Honours hand, where the two-pair wait is built into the shape.

red pair plus winning red
green pair remains eyes
True single wait
2 tai

Only one kind of tile can complete the hand, even if the hand can be read more than one way (1-2-3-3 waits only for a 3).

winning tile
becomes the only pair
False single wait
2 tai

You are waiting for 1 tile to Mahjong, but that final tile can be a multiple of choices (2 or more sets of tiles). Lay out the finished hand for each winning tile: if they finish it differently, it is a false single wait. If both choices only grow the same two tiles into a run and the rest of the hand stays the same (3-4 winning 2 or 5, also 2-2-3-4 or 1-2-3-4-5), it is an open wait and scores nothing. Three or more winning tiles always score.

possible winning tiles
single wait shape
Calling hand
5 tai

You declared Close Hand on your own discard turn, one tile from Mahjong, and then won. Close Hand is offered only in the West and North Wind Rounds, and a hand one tile from Nico Nico or the Orphans may Close too.

winning tile after closing

Scoring

Winning tile bonuses

1 to 30 tai Score where the winning tile came from, including self-draw, Flower Wall self-draw, and robbing a gong. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
East player mahjongs
1 tai

The winner is sitting in the East seat and the dealer-streak die is not active.

East winner marker
winning tile
East gives mahjong tile
1 tai

A non-East player wins by claiming a tile discarded by East.

East discard
claimed winning tile
Self-draw from wall
1 tai

You draw the winning tile from the live wall.

self-drawn tile
Self-draw from Flower Wall
5 tai

A flower or gong replacement draw completes the hand.

replacement trigger
replacement winning tile
Self-draw concealed hand
10 tai

You self-draw and have no exposed claimed sheung or pong. Gongs are allowed. Special hands that must be concealed (Nico Nico, the Orphans) never add this row — it is already in their price.

self-drawn tile
hidden set example
Robbing the gong
10 tai

Another player tries to add the fourth tile to a pong; that added tile completes your Mahjong.

opponent pong
robbed fourth tile
Self-drawn double gong
30 tai

You declare a gong, its replacement tile makes a second gong, and the replacement for that second gong completes your hand. The Flower Wall self-draw row still adds its 5. On by default on Taiwanese.

first gong
second gong from its replacement
winning replacement tile

Scoring

Human hand, within-seven/ten, seabed, earthly, heavenly

10 to 100 tai Score rare timing wins, such as very early wins and last-tile wins. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Human hand within four tiles
80 tai

The win happens within the first four tile events on the table.

first four events
Win within seven tiles
20 tai

The win happens after more than four but within seven tile events.

first seven events
Win within ten tiles
10 tai

The win happens after more than seven but within ten tile events.

events 1 to 10
Seabed hand
10 tai

You self-draw the last tile from the live wall. A last discard is not this row.

last wall tile
Earthly hand
90 tai

A non-East player wins on East's first discard.

East first discard
claimed by non-East
Heavenly hand
100 tai

East starts with a complete hand before anyone discards.

East starting marker
already complete

Scoring

Base point added at the end

5 tai
Every valid winning hand receives this base amount before the final total is checked. Every complete valid winning hand starts with this base amount before bonuses.

Special hands

Rare hands with their own shapes and payouts.

Scoring

Nico Nico

10 to 40 tai A named special hand. Undeclared four-of-a-kinds held as two pairs can increase its value; declaring a gong disqualifies the hand. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Nico Nico base
40 tai

Seven pairs plus one pong. No gong may be declared.

sample pairs
one pong
Nico Nico with one gong
+10 tai

One undeclared four-of-a-kind held as two pairs adds this bonus.

one four-of-a-kind
Nico Nico with two gongs
+25 tai

Two undeclared four-of-a-kinds held as four pairs add the larger bonus.

first four-of-a-kind
second four-of-a-kind

Scoring

13 Orphans and 16 Orphans

50 to 90 tai Fully concealed special hands built from terminals, honours, and specific gapped suit tiles. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
13 Orphans
90 tai

All 13 terminal and honour tile types appear, one of them pairs, and the extra three tiles form a legal set.

terminals
honours
pair plus extra set
16 Orphans
50 tai

One gapped orphan group in each numbered suit, all winds and dragons, plus one pair.

gapped suited groups
all honours
pair example

Scoring

Chicken hand and all step-up hand

20 to 90 tai Chicken hand is a scorer fallback when the pre-base hand has only a single low-value trigger; it pays the round minimum (20 / 22 / 24 / 26), base included, with a dealer point or streak added after. All Step Up rewards a complete five-sheung step-up structure. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Chicken hand (round minimum, base included)
20 tai, 22 tai, 24 tai, 26 tai

Chicken is a scorer fallback. If the pre-base hand only has a single low-value trigger, the trigger is replaced by a Chicken row that pays exactly the round minimum with the base inside it: 20 tai in East, 22 in South, 24 in West, 26 in North, so a Chicken always wins. A dealer point or dealer streak is added after.

tested chicken shape
All step-up hand
20 tai

All five sheungs step upward one number at a time, using all three suits.

2-3-4 bamboo
3-4-5 characters
4-5-6 circles
5-6-7 bamboo
6-7-8 characters
All step-up hand in one suit
90 tai

All five sheungs step upward one number at a time in ONE suit. Pure Suit 90 also adds when the eyes are that suit. On by default on Taiwanese.

2-3-4 bamboo
3-4-5 bamboo
4-5-6 bamboo
5-6-7 bamboo
6-7-8 bamboo

Scoring

Jewel hands

20 to 30 tai Named jewel hands use specific suit and dragon pairings. Semi Pure can score separately when it also applies. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Named jewel hand
20 tai

The hand uses one named suit plus a pong or kong of its matching dragon — a pair is not enough: Jade, Ruby, Diamond, or Sapphire.

Jade
Ruby
Diamond
Sapphire
Semi Pure also applies
+30 tai

Because a jewel hand is one numbered suit plus dragons, Semi Pure scores separately when the hand qualifies.

Jade hand
one suit plus honour

Table rules

Claims, rounds, and table payments

A complete printed book must explain more than score rows. It also needs claim priority, false Mahjong, draw handling, and side payments.

Table payments

Mixed bouquet and full bouquet immediate settlements

5 to 10 tai A bouquet uses flower and season numbers 1 to 4. Mixed bouquet covers all four numbers with both colours present. Full bouquet is all four plants or all four seasons. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Mixed bouquet
5 tai from each opponent

The revealed flowers cover numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4, with at least one plant and one season.

mixed 1 to 4
Full bouquet
10 tai from each opponent

All four plants or all four seasons make the higher immediate bouquet settlement.

all four plants

Table payments

Open gong, concealed gong, and immediate concealed gong payout

1 to 5 tai Open and concealed gongs add hand value. A concealed gong also creates an immediate table payment. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Open gong in hand score
1 tai

Four matching tiles declared from a claim or exposed upgrade count as one gong set. Upgrading your own exposed pong must be declared on the tile as you pick it up — keep the fourth tile in hand and the upgrade is gone. A concealed gong is different: four matching tiles hidden in your hand may be declared on any of your turns, however long you have held them.

open West gong
Concealed gong in hand score
2 tai

Four matching tiles declared from your own concealed hand score more in the final hand.

concealed 9-circle gong
Concealed gong immediate payout
5 tai from each opponent

A concealed gong also creates immediate table money when it is declared.

declared concealed gong

Table payments

Unshown concealed gong penalty

10 tai
A concealed gong that was not shown can create a penalty if its owner does not win. The concealed four-of-a-kind must be declared and shown correctly at the table.

Round flow

Random dealer selection

Round flow
The table chooses the first East seat randomly before play begins. East is the dealer marker; the first East seat is chosen before the wall is opened.

Claiming

Claim priority and multiple mahjongs on one discard

Claiming
Mahjong claims outrank gong, pong, and sequence claims. More than one player can win on the same discard. If the discard completes this 17-tile hand, Mahjong beats pong, gong, and sequence.

Claiming

Missed discard cannot be claimed again for same tile in same turn cycle

Claiming
If you pass on a tile, you cannot claim that same tile again in the same turn cycle. Passing on 6 circles blocks claiming that same tile again until the turn cycle resets.

Table payments

Chasing tiles and West-wind exception

5 to 10 tai Chasing pays when every copy of a tile is discarded, with a special consecutive-West exception. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
All four honour copies discarded
5 tai

When all four copies of the same honour tile appear in the discard flow, chasing pays.

four East winds discarded
All four suit copies discarded
10 tai

When all four copies of the same numbered tile appear in the discard flow, chasing pays more.

four 6 circles discarded
Fourth consecutive West wind discarded
5 tai

Four West winds discarded consecutively trigger the special West-wind exception once.

West, West, West, West

Round flow

Dealer streak bonus die (no threshold change)

3 to 7 tai Dealer streak dice add tai for repeated East wins or East-discarded winning tiles. They do not reduce the winning minimum. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
First consecutive East win or East discard
3 tai

On the first dealer-streak step, East winning or East discarding the winning tile adds 3 tai.

East marker
winning tile
Second consecutive East win or East discard
5 tai

On the second dealer-streak step, the same East-paying event adds 5 tai.

two-step marker
winning tile
Third consecutive East win or East discard
7 tai

On the third dealer-streak step, the same East-paying event adds 7 tai. Later steps continue 2n plus 1.

three-step marker
winning tile

Table payments

Triple dice side settlement

5 to 10 tai Triple dice create an immediate table payment. Read each illustrated row separately. Match the exact pattern before awarding the tai.
Triple 1 to 5
5 tai from each opponent

East opens the deal by rolling three dice; three that match, one through five, pay an instant table settlement before a tile is drawn.

Triple 6
10 tai from each opponent

Three sixes is the top roll — it pays double the ordinary matching triple, still settled the moment it lands.

Round flow

False mahjong penalty and replay

25 tai
Declaring Mahjong with an invalid structure or too few tai is false Mahjong. The hand is replayed under the same dealer. This broken run is not a sequence. A declaration must have a legal shape and enough tai.

Round flow

Draw round dealer pass and self-draw kitty

5 tai
A drawn hand moves the dealer flow forward and may pay the self-draw kitty. A draw has no winning hand; the wall is exhausted and table flow moves forward.

Chapter 10

Practice pages make the rules stick

The last section turns the book into a workbook: tile recognition, set building, claim decisions, score receipts, and false-Mahjong checks. Every answer key shows the exact tiles that make the ruling true.

  1. 01 Identify every tile in a mixed row.
  2. 02 Split 17 tiles into five sets plus one pair.
  3. 03 Decide whether a discard can be claimed.
  4. 04 Score a hand one row at a time.
  5. 05 Spot false Mahjong before the table pays.