Mahjong (麻將, pronounced "mah-jong") is a tile-based strategy game born in Qing Dynasty China around 1850. Four players sit at a square table and race to assemble a winning hand of 14 tiles — four sets of three, plus one pair. Think of it as Rummy meets Chess, played with ivory tiles that click like a hundred tiny doors opening at once.
Over 600 million people play Mahjong worldwide — more than Chess. In Japan it is a national pastime. In China, families play during festivals. At Jaipur Mahjong Club — India's first dedicated club — it is becoming a way of life.
"Mahjong is not merely a game. It is a conversation between four minds, conducted in the language of tiles."
The shuffling sound of tiles is called "washing the tiles" (洗牌, xǐ pái). The unique clicking sound is one of the most recognised sounds in Asia — and considered good luck before a game begins.
A Mahjong set holds 144 tiles in six families. The three main suits each run 1–9, with four identical copies of every tile — one destined for each of the four players.
Winds and Dragons are Honour tiles — they cannot form sequences, only triplets, and score the highest points. Flowers and Seasons are bonus tiles — set aside for extra points when drawn.
— 3 —Before the first tile is drawn, a ritual of preparation unfolds. Four players take their seats at the cardinal points — East, South, West, North. The highest dice roller becomes East Wind, the Dealer, and holds a hidden advantage throughout the round.
All 144 tiles are placed face-down and shuffled by all four players. This communal "washing" is an act of fairness — and a beloved ritual.
Each player stacks tiles two layers high, 18 long — forming a square wall around the table center. This is the reservoir from which the game flows.
Dice determine where to break the wall. From that point, tiles are distributed counter-clockwise. Each player receives 13 tiles; East receives 14 and may play immediately.
Any Flower or Season drawn is placed face-up (bonus points earned) and replaced from the Dead Wall — the far end of the supply.
In classical tradition, tiles are never slammed. Discards are placed gently, face-up, and announced clearly. The table is a place of calm concentration.
Play flows counter-clockwise. Each turn: draw one tile from the wall, keep or discard. The discarded tile sits face-up at the center — and any player may claim it by calling one of three sacred words before the next draw.
Take a discarded tile to complete 3 consecutive same-suit tiles. From left player only. Reveal the set, discard one tile.
Take a discarded tile to complete 3 identical tiles. From any player. Reveal the triplet, discard one tile.
Collect all four identical tiles — the rarest move. Draw an extra tile from the Dead Wall. Scores like a Pung, multiplied.
When multiple players want the same discard: Mahjong beats Kong, Kong beats Pung, Pung beats Chow. The highest call takes the tile.
4 Sets × 3 tiles + 1 Pair × 2 tiles = 14 tiles. Declare Mahjong (胡)!
4 sequences + 1 pair. Most common beginner hand.
4 triplets + 1 pair. High-scoring — collect with Pung calls.
7 different pairs = 14 tiles. The exception hand — mark of a master.
— 6 —The three losing players each pay the winner the hand's value. The player who discarded the winning tile pays double. A self-drawn win — drawing from the wall — is the most honoured: all three players pay double.
| Set / Tile | Description | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence | 3 consecutive same-suit | 0 pts |
| Triplet — Simples | Three tiles 2–8 | 2 pts |
| Triplet — Terminals | Three 1s or 9s | 4 pts |
| Triplet — Honour | Three winds or dragons | 4 pts |
| Kong (Quad) | All four identical tiles | 4× Pung |
| Dragon Pair | Two dragons as your pair | 2 pts |
| Own Wind Pair | Two of your seat wind | 2 pts |
| Self-Draw Win | Drew winning tile yourself | ×2 all |
| Each Flower/Season | Bonus tile collected | +4 pts |
Hand worth 8 pts. The player who discarded your winning tile pays 16 pts (double). The other two each pay 8 pts. Total received: 32 points.
These are the truths that separate a player who knows the rules from one who commands the table. They reveal themselves only through patient observation.
Every discard is a clue. If 3 copies of a tile are discarded, the 4th is dead — nobody can Pung it. Master this awareness before building your hand.
Chowing reveals your hand's direction. Sometimes it is wiser to draw quietly from the wall — revealing nothing, waiting patiently for the right moment.
Each revealed meld tells you what an opponent holds. Two revealed Pungs means they need only one more set and one pair — stop feeding them tiles.
Dragon triplets score freely. If you hold two of any dragon in your opening hand, guard them — the third will come to those who wait.
Masters bait opponents by discarding tiles that appear safe — to coax them into throwing the tile they truly need. Deception is the highest art.
The blank tile (白) is invisible to careless eyes. Three White Dragons = a powerful Pung collected from apparent nothingness.
The game itself. Literally "Hemp General." The name may derive from the sound of sparrows — the tiles' click resembles birdsong.
Claim a discard to complete a sequence. Left player only. Meaning: "to eat."
Claim a discard to complete a triplet. Any player. Meaning: "to bump."
All four identical tiles. Draw an extra tile. The rarest declaration.
The declaration of a complete winning hand. The moment all have been working toward.
Needing one final tile to win. The most electrifying state at the table.
Two identical tiles — the essential pair every winning hand must contain.
Wind and Dragon tiles. No numbers, no sequences — only triplets, always high-value.
"The tiles do not lie. Read them with patience, and they will show you the way to victory."
India's first dedicated Mahjong club — come play with us