Taiwanese · Rules
Taiwanese mahjong rules
Everything you need to check a rule at the table: how to play, how claims and wins work, the table law, and how every hand is scored. Then 49 worked hands, each scored line by line, from the 1-point No Flowers to the 90-point Honours Hand.
Downloads and notes
- PDF · 3.6 MB The Planet Mahjong rule book Every score in Taiwanese Mahjong, in order, with the reasoning beside each rule. Updated 18 October 2026 Download
- Coming soon How Planet Mahjong scores, and why The rules that may be new to you, each with the reason behind it.
- Coming soon Quick reference Every score in the book on a few pages, for the table.
Notes
- Taiwanese scoring follows the Scoring Companion
Planet Mahjong now scores Taiwanese Mahjong the way the Scoring Companion does. A Chicken hand pays the round minimum (20, 22, 24 or 26), with the dealer point added after. Calling is allowed on Nico Nico and the Orphans in the West and North rounds, and Swap Calling applies after a sheung claim. Honours Hand 90 includes All Pong, and five concealed pongs 80 includes All Pong too. A same-suit All Step-Up scores 90 and a Pure Step-Up scores 10. Jewel hands accept the dragon pair, and the Orphans add All Five Suits. When the West Wind is chased, the player who discarded the first West Wind pays the chase. All Pong takes a wait bonus only when you wait on a single lone tile.
How to play and score
- 1 The table The 144 tiles, the four kinds of group, the wall, the deal and an ordinary turn.
- 2 Claiming and winning Who may claim a discard, which claim wins, the missed discard rule, declaring Mahjong and Closing.
- 3 Table law Chasing, the West wind exception, dice triples, the dealer streak, drawn hands and false Mahjong.
- 4 Scoring Read a score in order, every scoring row with its value, waits, and which rows replace others.
- 5 Special hands Nico Nico, 13 and 16 Orphans, Chicken, All Step-Up and the four Jewel hands.
Worked hands
Flowers
Honours
- No Honours 1 pts No wind or dragon tiles anywhere in the hand. Worth 1 point.
- No Flowers and No Honours 5 pts No flowers, winds or dragons. This 5-point row replaces the separate No Flowers and No Honours points.
- All Sheung, No Flowers or Honours 15 pts Five sheungs and a pair, with no flowers, winds or dragons. Worth 15 points.
Wind Tiles
- Wind Pong 1 pt per pong 1 point per pong of any wind tile.
- Little 3 Winds 15 pts Two wind pongs plus a pair of a third wind. Worth 15 points.
- Big 3 Winds 30 pts Three wind pongs, with a pair that is not a wind. Worth 30 points.
- Little 4 Winds 50 pts Three wind pongs plus a pair of the fourth wind. Worth 50 points.
- Big 4 Winds大四喜 60 pts Four wind pongs. Worth 60 points, plus seat and round wind bonuses.
Dragon Tiles
Sequences
- Pure Dragon (Concealed) 20 pts 1-2-3, 4-5-6 and 7-8-9 in the same suit, all concealed. Worth 20 points.
- Mixed Dragon (Concealed) 10 pts A 1-2-3, a 4-5-6 and a 7-8-9 in three different suits, all concealed. Worth 10 points.
- Brother Sheungs 5 / 15 / 30 pts Two identical sheungs in the same suit score 5, three score 15, four score 30.
- Sister Sheungs 3 / 10 pts The same sequence in 2 different suits scores 3. In all 3 suits it scores 10.
Triplets
Terminals
- No Terminals 5 pts No 1s, 9s or honour tiles anywhere in the hand. Every tile is 2 to 8.
- Terminal Pong Set 3 / 15 pts 111 and 999 of the same suit score 3. Two such sets score 15.
- Terminals with Honours 20 pts Every set is a terminal pong, a 1-2-3 or 7-8-9 sheung, or an honour set. The pair is a terminal or honour. Both terminals and honours appear.
- Terminals Only (No Honours) 40 pts Every set is a terminal pong or a 1-2-3 or 7-8-9 sheung, the pair is 1s or 9s, and there are no winds or dragons.
Suit Composition
- 2-Suit Hand 5 pts Exactly two of the three numbered suits, with no winds or dragons. Worth 5 points.
- Semi-Pure Hand混一色 30 pts One numbered suit plus honour tiles. Worth 30 points.
- Pure Suit Hand清一色 90 pts One numbered suit only, no honours. Worth 90 points.
- All 5 Suits 10 pts The hand holds Bamboo, Characters, Circles, winds and dragons. Worth 10 points.
Hand Types
Concealment
Eyes (Pair)
- Good Eyes 2 pts The pair is 2s, 5s or 8s. Worth 2 points.
- True Single Wait 2 pts Only one tile could complete the hand. Worth 2 points.
- False Single Wait 2 pts The winning tile was one of several choices, and those choices finish the hand differently. Worth 2 points.
- Calling by Pairs 2 pts Waiting on either of two pairs to become a pong. Worth 2 points.
Win Conditions
- Self-Draw from the Live Wall 1 pts Won by drawing your own winning tile from the wall. Worth 1 point.
- Robbing the Gong 10 pts Won on the tile another player was adding to their exposed pong to make a gong.
- Heavenly Hand 100 pts East has a complete hand before any discard is made. Worth 100 points.
- Earthly Hand地胡 90 pts A player other than East wins on East’s very first discard. Worth 90 points.
- Closing (Calling Hand) 5 pts The hand was turned face down straight after a discard, before winning. Worth 5 points.
Special Hands
- Nico Nico 40 pts Seven pairs plus one pong, fully concealed. The pattern is worth 40 points.
- 13 Orphans十三幺 90 pts All thirteen terminal and honour tiles, one duplicate for the pair, and one extra pong or sheung. Fully concealed.
- 16 Orphans 50 pts Three tiles per suit at least three apart, all four winds, all three dragons and one pair. Fully concealed.
- Jade Hand 20 pts Bamboo tiles and Green dragons only; the Green dragons may be a pong, a gong or the pair.
- Ruby Hand 20 pts Character tiles and Red dragons only; the Red dragons may be a pong, a gong or the pair.
- Diamond Hand 20 pts Circle tiles and White dragons only; the White dragons may be a pong, a gong or the pair.
- Sapphire Hand 20 pts Character tiles and White dragons only; the White dragons may be a pong, a gong or the pair.
- All Step-Up Hand 20 pts All five sets are sheungs that each start one number higher, using all three suits. Worth 20 points; all in one suit, 90.
- Honours Hand 90 pts Only wind and dragon tiles. Worth 90 points.
- Chicken Hand 20 to 26 pts (the round minimum) Exactly one point before the base makes a Chicken. It pays the round minimum: 20, 22, 24 or 26.