Claiming, winning and Closing

What you may claim

• Sheung: only from the player immediately before you in turn order, and only to complete a sequence.
• Pong or open gong: from any seat, to complete three or four identical tiles.
• Mahjong: from any seat, when the discard is your winning tile.

Priority

1. Mahjong: the win outranks everything. If the discard completes a valid winning hand, it is yours to take.
2. Pong or gong: three or four identical tiles, claimable from any seat.
3. Sheung: a sequence, claimable only from the player just before you, and only if nobody above outbids.

More than one player may win on the same discard. If two or three hands are completed by the same tile, every one of them is a Mahjong and each is scored and settled in full. No seat order breaks the tie, because there is no tie to break.

If East is one of the winners, East keeps the deal. If East is not among the winners, the deal passes to the next seat.

When several players win on one discard, settle them in turn order, starting with the winner nearest the discarder: score and pay the first winner, pass the winning tile to the next winner, then score and pay them. Several winners are only possible on a discard, never on a self-draw.

How long a discard stays claimable

After the next player draws. You may still claim a discard after the next player has drawn from the wall and looked at the tile, as long as they have not yet placed it into their row. They put the drawn tile back on the wall in its place, and you take the discard.

After the next player claims it. Once the next player has claimed the discard, shown the other two tiles and made an exposed set, the chance is gone, even for a pong or a win. Claim quickly.

No swapping through a sheung. You may not claim a discard for a sheung and then throw away a tile from that same sequence on the same turn. If you take a 4 to turn 5-6-7 into 4-5-6, the 7 stays in your hand until your next turn.

No take backs. Once a discard is face up on the table it stays there, and another player may claim it.

Passing a tile you could claim

If you pass a discard you could legally claim, you cannot claim that same tile again until your own next draw. This applies to set claims and to a missed Mahjong claim alike.

For example, you could claim a discarded 6 Circle but pass. Before your own next draw, another player discards another 6 Circle. You still cannot claim it. The restriction ends on your own next draw, not on the next player’s turn and not only after your next discard.

Closing does not make this restriction permanent. A closed hand cannot declare further gongs.

What to check before declaring Mahjong

A winning hand must have a valid shape: five sets and a pair, or a qualifying special hand.

1. Count the shape: five sets and a pair, or a qualifying special hand. Allow one extra physical tile for each declared gong, and keep flowers outside the playing hand.
2. Identify the winning tile and how it arrived. A wall draw, a replacement draw and a discard can score differently.
3. Check the tile count: seventeen tiles plus one for each gong. A short or long hand cannot win.
4. Only then declare Mahjong. If a discard completes your hand and you pass it, you may still win by self-draw, but winning on another discard before your next turn is a false Mahjong.

The declaration

Say Mahjong (or a clear house word). Place the winning tile face up and sideways in front of your rack, then show the complete hand: five sets and a pair, plus any flowers and gongs beside the rack. Never slide the winning tile into your concealed tiles before declaring: that hand is dead and counts as a false Mahjong.

You can win from your own draw (including a flower wall replacement after a gong or flower) or by claiming a discard. Self-draw and certain winning moments add points; see the scoring page.

Closing

Closing, also called a Calling hand, is an optional commitment when your hand is one tile from winning. Win after Closing and the hand scores 5 extra points.

1. Draw. On your own turn, take your tile: from the wall, or by claiming a discard.
2. Discard. Choose a tile and discard it.
3. Flip. Straight after the discard, turn all your remaining concealed tiles face down. That is the signal; you do not have to say anything.
4. Commit. Closing cannot be undone. Once the next player has drawn, you may not look at your face down tiles. Peeking costs 5 points to each other player.
5. Gongs. If you draw the fourth tile of a pong, you may not make a gong; discard it. You still collect flower money.
6. Win. Declare Mahjong before you turn your tiles back over. Revealing first and then declaring is not allowed.

You can only Close during your own turn, never before or after it. The normal missed discard rule still applies to a closed hand.

How it scores. Closing adds 5 to the other rows that apply. A fully exposed hand won on a discard can receive both the 15 point exposed bonus and Closing’s 5.

Special hands can receive Closing when the conditions are met. A Chicken hand cannot, because Closing’s 5 takes the count past the one point Chicken needs.