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Mahjong Rules. A beginner’s guide to Japanese (riichi) mahjong.

The Basic Rule of Mahjong

• Mahjong is basically played with 4 players.
• There are "Dealer" and "Non-dealers" among the players.
• Mahjong is played using Mahjong tiles.
• The basic winning hand is made up of 4 melds and 1 pair.
• You cannot win without a "Yaku" (a valid hand pattern).
• Points are managed using scoring sticks.

These are the basic elements of Mahjong. If you find yourself saying, "I didn't know any of that!", we recommend checking out the beginner-friendly article below!!!

Mahjong Equipment

You may already know about Mahjong tiles and scoring sticks, but there are also some items used in the game.

Some tools may not be used depending on the rules, but let's take a look at what kind of equipment is available.

• Mahjong table
• Mahjong tiles
• Scoring sticks
• Dice
• East-South marker
• Yakitori marker
• Chips

Mahjong Table

A Mahjong table is a special table designed for playing Mahjong.

There are "manual Mahjong tables" where tiles are shuffled by hand and "fully automatic Mahjong tables" where tiles are shuffled and set automatically.

Manual Mahjong Table

This is a square table often covered with a felt-like material for noise reduction. The shuffling and stacking of tiles are done manually.

There are also Mahjong mats that can be placed on square tables. These mats are very convenient, as you can easily use them by just spreading them on your home table.

Features

• Simple structure makes it affordable.
• No electrical parts, so there is less risk of malfunction.
• Many people enjoy the manual process of shuffling and stacking tiles as part of the Mahjong experience.

Fully Automatic Mahjong Table

A fully automatic Mahjong table is a high-tech table that automatically shuffles and stacks Mahjong tiles in front of the players. After a game, you just place the tiles into the table, and the next set is prepared automatically.

Features

• Since tile stacking is automated, the game progresses very smoothly.
• Shuffling by machine helps prevent cheating.
• More expensive compared to manual tables and requires electricity, so there are maintenance costs.
• It often has features like digital score display, making score checking easier.

Mahjong Tiles

There are a total of 34 types of Mahjong tiles, with four of each, making a total of 34✕4 = 136 tiles.

Though 34 types might sound overwhelming to remember, it’s actually not too hard. First, the tiles are divided into two main categories: "Number tiles" (Shūpai) that consist of numbers and "Honor tiles" (Jihai/Tsupai) that consist of characters. The number tiles are easy to remember because they are simply numbers. There are only seven types of honor tiles.

Number Tiles (Shuupai)

Number tiles consist of numbers from 1 to 9, and they come in three suits: Manzu (Characters), Sōzu (Bamboos), and Pinzu (Circles).

Manzu

Souzu

Pinzu

Honor Tiles (Jihai)

Honor tiles (Jihai) are tiles marked with a single Chinese character and are divided into two categories: wind tiles (Fonpai) and dragon tiles (Sangenpai).

Honor tiles are represented by characters, but they also have an order, just like numbered tiles. This order is important, so be sure to remember it.

Wind Tiles (Fonpai)

Order of Wind Tiles: ⇒ ⇒ ⇒

Dragon Tiles (Sangenpai)

Order of Dragon Tiles: ⇒ ⇒

Score Sticks

In Mahjong, scores are managed using score sticks. The color and types of sticks may differ between manual Mahjong tables and automatic Mahjong tables.

In automatic tables, the machine automatically identifies the types of score sticks and displays each player's points.

Types of Score Sticks

Score Sticks for Manual Mahjong Tables

Score Sticks for Automatic Mahjong Tables

Distribution of Score Sticks

In general rules, each player starts with 25,000 points.

The score sticks are distributed as follows:

Distribution of Score Sticks for Manual Mahjong Tables

Distribution of Score Sticks for Automatic Mahjong Tables

Dice

In Mahjong, two dice are used to determine the dealer at the start of the game and to decide the position of the initial draw. It’s essential to learn how to use the dice.

Two dice are rolled, and the total number determines which player’s position is relevant. The player rolling the dice counts from their seat as 1, and proceeds counterclockwise according to the total dice roll.

If Player A rolls the dice, the result is as follows:

If the total is 2, 6, 10 ... Player B
If the total is 3, 7, 11 ... Player C
If the total is 4, 8, 12 ... Player D
If the total is 5, 9 ... Player A

Dealer Marker

The dealer marker is an orange plate with “East” written on the front and “South” on the back.

The first player to become the dealer is called the "dealer," and the dealer marker is placed to keep track of who was the dealer.

In the East round, the "East" side is shown, and in the South round, the "South" side is shown. Place the dealer marker on the right side of the dealer's seat.

Yakitori Marker

The Yakitori marker is a card with a comical illustration of a bird skewered on a stick. It’s used only when playing with the special “Yakitori” rule.

Yakitori Rule

A Yakitori marker is placed in front of each player at the start of the game.

A player who wins a hand takes their Yakitori marker back. A player who keeps their Yakitori marker until the end of the game (without winning) receives a penalty, such as “minus 10,000 points at the settlement.” The penalty should be decided in advance.

Chips

Red, blue, green, and other colorful coin-like items are the chips.

Each chip is worth a predetermined number of points, and they can be used as a reward when a player wins with certain conditions, like scoring a Yakuman (a high-value hand). However, chips are not used in regular Mahjong rules, so some Mahjong sets may not include them.

※Yakuman is the highest scoring hand in Mahjong. Hands will be explained later.

Seating rules

Here’s a simple method for deciding seats in Mahjong. There are also more formal methods with additional steps, but the one below is more commonly used

• Take one of each wind tile: "East," "South," "West," and "North" and shuffle them face down.
• Each player draws one tile (order is random).
• The player who draws "East" gets to choose their seat.
• Starting from the "East" seat, players sit in a counterclockwise order as "South," "West," and "North."

Mahjong is a game of chance, so many players care about where they sit! Make sure everyone is satisfied before starting!

Rules for deciding the dealer

Once the seats are set, the next step is to determine the dealer.

• The player who drew "East" during the seating arrangement rolls the dice.
• The dice result determines the "temporary dealer," who then rolls the dice again.
• The second dice roll from the temporary dealer decides the final dealer.
• The dealer marker is placed on the dealer’s seat.

As previously explained, two dice are rolled, and the total determines which seat is relevant, counting counterclockwise from the seat of the player who rolled

Difference between the Dealer and Non-dealers

The dealer is the player who starts playing first and is in a very advantageous position, as the points they score when they win are 1.5 times higher than those of a non-dealer. However, there is a downside as well: when a non-dealer wins by drawing a tile, the dealer must pay 1.5 times more points.

Continuing or Passing the Dealer

The dealer retains their position if they win or if the game ends in a draw with the dealer in a ready hand (tenpai). If a non-dealer wins or the game ends in a draw with the dealer not being in a ready hand, the dealer's position moves to the player to their right. This is also called "passing the dealer."

• Tenpai: A state where the player needs only one more tile to win
• Draw: A situation where the game ends without anyone winning

Rules for dealing tiles

The tile wall refers to the pile of Mahjong tiles placed on the table. Mahjong cannot start without first creating the wall.

The process of building the tile wall and dealing the tiles (haipai) to each player is as follows. The act of shuffling the tiles on the table is called "washing the tiles" (shāpai). If the shuffle is poor, the tiles may become biased, so be sure to shuffle them thoroughly.

• Shuffle all the tiles thoroughly on the table (shāpai)
• Each player stacks two rows of 17 tiles in front of them
• The dealer rolls the dice to determine the starting point for dealing the tiles
• Tiles are dealt counterclockwise in sets of four starting from the dealer (haipai)
• Flip over the dora indicator tile

The starting point refers to the location on the tile wall from which tiles will begin to be dealt. The seat and position for starting are determined by the roll of the dice.

In the example above, Player A, the dealer, rolls the dice. Since the total is 4, the seat four positions counterclockwise from the dealer, Player D's seat, will be the starting point for dealing tiles.

Although Player D's seat has been chosen as the starting point, it's not just any part of the tile wall that can be used. The starting point is determined by counting the total shown on the dice from the right end of the tile wall.

In the example above, since the dice total is 4, the starting point will be between the 4th and 5th stacks. A stack (ton) refers to a pair of upper and lower tiles in the wall.

How to Deal the Tiles

Tiles are dealt counterclockwise, starting with the dealer. This process is repeated four times, but for the first three rounds, four tiles are dealt at a time. In the final round, one tile is dealt at a time, resulting in each player receiving a total of 13 tiles.

Dora Indicator Tile

The last 14 tiles of the tile wall are called the dead wall (wanpai) and are used for special purposes.

The dora indicator tile is flipped over from the upper tile of the 3rd pair from the end of the dead wall.

The dora is a special tile that adds one han (a point multiplier used in scoring) for each dora tile in a player's hand. ※ A "han" is a scoring unit, and the more han a player has, the higher their score.

The tile below the dora indicator tile is called the ura-dora (hidden dora), and it is revealed if the player wins after declaring a "reach."

The tile that follows the dora indicator tile becomes the dora. For numbered tiles, the next number in the same suit becomes the dora. For example, if the dora indicator tile is , then will be the dora.

If the dora indicator tile is , then becomes the dora.

For honor tiles, the dora follows the usual order of honor tiles.

Wind tile order: ⇒⇒⇒⇒

Dragon tile order: ⇒⇒⇒

Rules for drawing and discarding Tiles

Drawing and discarding tiles are the basic actions in Mahjong, where players take turns drawing and discarding tiles to form a winning hand.

Drawing (tsumo) means taking a tile from the tile wall. The drawing starts from the tile wall where the dealing ended, with players drawing in counterclockwise order.

Discarding (dahai) refers to discarding one of the tiles from your hand. The discarded tiles are placed in front of you. This area is called the "river".

Discarded tiles are arranged neatly in your river. They are placed from left to right, and after arranging six tiles, start a new row, also from the left. The order of discarded tiles is extremely important, so this rule must always be followed.

Mahjong winning conditions rules

To win in Mahjong, you need to arrange your 14 tiles into a specific pattern. This pattern consists of a basic form of "4 melds and 1 pair" as well as having a "yaku" (winning hand pattern).

4 Melds and 1 Pair

A meld (mentsu) is a set of 3 tiles, and a pair (jantou) is a combination of 2 identical tiles. The pair is commonly referred to as the "head."

To win in Mahjong, with a few exceptions, you generally need 4 melds and 1 pair arranged as follows.

Types of Melds

There are 3 main types of melds.

Sequence (Shuntsu)

A combination of three consecutive numbers of the same suit

Triple (Koutsu)

A combination of three identical tiles

Quad (Kantsu)

A combination of four identical tiles. This is only possible through a special action called "calling" (naki)

The quad can only be created when you perform a "Call". Further details on calls will be explained later.

Yaku (Hand)

To win in Mahjong, you need a yaku, but the tile combination (4 melds and 1 pair) described above doesn't yet have a yaku.

A yaku in Mahjong refers to a specific set of conditions that the tile combinations must fulfill. According to general Mahjong rules, there are 37 different types of yaku. These include "hand yaku," which are based on specific tile combinations, and "chance yaku," which can only occur by luck.

The score you receive varies significantly depending on the difficulty of the yaku.

Examples of Yaku

Tanyao

Tanyao is one of the easiest hand yaku for beginners to remember. Tanyao is formed by completing 4 melds and 1 pair without using terminals (ones and nines) or honor tiles.

Since this hand fulfills the condition of not using ones, nines, or honors, the yaku is valid.

Riichi

When you're one tile away from completing 4 melds and 1 pair without calling (門前 = closed hand), you can declare "Riichi" by placing 1,000 points on the table. This declaration forms the yaku called Riichi.

Unlike Tanyao, Riichi does not depend on the tile arrangement, but it still counts as one of the yaku.

In this example, if you draw or discard a or , you can declare Riichi as it would complete your 4 melds and 1 pair.

When you win after declaring Riichi, you can reveal the Ura Dora (hidden bonus tile). Ura Dora is the tile below the Dora indicator. Like the Dora indicator, the next tile in the sequence becomes a bonus tile.

Ippatsu

Ippatsu is a representative example of a "chance yaku." If you win within one round after declaring Riichi, you achieve the yaku called Ippatsu.

Since winning within one round is purely by chance, this is classified as a chance yaku.

There's no need to memorize all 37 types of yaku at once. Even advanced players don't always aim for the more complex yaku, so beginners should start by learning about 10 easy ones.

麻雀役の一覧、通常役からローカル役まで紹介！【PDFあり】

Tsumo and Ron

There are two ways to win in Mahjong: Tsumo and Ron.

• Tsumo: Winning by drawing the winning tile during your own turn.
• Ron: Winning by claiming another player's discarded tile.

While both result in a win, there are yaku that can only be formed through Tsumo. The exchange of points also differs between Tsumo and Ron.

In a Tsumo win, all three opponents must pay. If all three are non-dealers, they split the payment equally. If one of the three is the dealer, the dealer pays half, while the other two players each pay a quarter.

In a Ron win, the player who discarded the winning tile pays the full amount.

Hanchan and Tonpuusen

Hanchan and Tonpuusen are the standard game lengths in Mahjong.

A full game consists of four rounds: East (Ton), South (Nan), West (Shaa), and North (Pei), which is called a Ichansen (一荘戦). However, since a full game can take a long time, the Hanchan (半荘), which only includes the East and South rounds, has become the standard match length.

For quicker games, Tonpuusen (トンプウセン) consists of just the East round.

Ba (Rounds) and Kyoku (Hands)

A round in Mahjong is called a “ba.” In a Hanshan match, play starts from the East round and ends with the South round.

A hand, or kyoku, is the smallest unit of the game, from the deal to when someone wins or the hand ends in a draw.

Each player takes turns being the dealer, so there are at least 4 hands in one round. If the dealer wins or the hand is drawn, the dealer stays on, increasing the number of hands in that round.

Concealed Hands and Melds

Concealed hands (menzen) refer to hands where no melds have been made. So, let’s first explain what “melding” is.

What is Meld (Naki)?

“Meld” is officially called “furo” and refers to claiming a tile discarded by another player.

There are three types of melds: Pon, Chi, and Kan.

Pon

Pon is when you claim a discarded tile to complete a set of three identical tiles (called a koutsu).

The steps to perform Pon are as follows:

• You have two identical tiles in your hand.
• Another player discards the same tile.
• Immediately after the tile is discarded, you declare “Pon” out loud.
• Take the discarded tile, combine it with the two in your hand, and reveal the set of three.
• Discard one tile from your hand.

After Pon is declared, the player to the right of the person who called Pon resumes the game with a draw and discard.

Chi

Chi is when you claim a discarded tile to complete a sequence of three tiles (called a shuntsu).

The steps to perform Chi are as follows:

• You have tiles that are one step away from a sequence, such as [2][3] or [4][6].
• The player to your left discards the tile needed to complete your sequence.
• Immediately after the tile is discarded, you declare “Chi” out loud.
• Take the discarded tile, combine it with the tiles in your hand, and reveal the sequence.
• Discard one tile from your hand.

If both Pon and Chi are declared at the same time, Pon takes precedence.

Kan

Kan is when you claim a tile discarded by another player to create a set of four identical tiles (called a kantsu).

There are some unique rules regarding Kan:

• There are three types: Minkan (open kan), Ankan (closed kan), and Kakan (added kan).
• When you declare Kan, you must draw a tile from the "Rinshan Hai" (the upper pile).
• When Kan is completed, a new Dora called "Kandora" is added.
• Kan can only be performed a total of four times by all players (within one round).

Drawing from Rinshan Hai

When you declare Kan, you create a set of four tiles. Therefore, you must draw one tile to avoid running out of tiles needed to form 4 melds and 1 pair.

Thus, after declaring Kan, you must draw one tile from the "Rinshan Hai." You take a tile from the end of the Rinshan Hai and add it to your hand. Since you always need 14 tiles for the wall, you must draw one tile from the wall and add it to the remaining tiles.

New Dora (Kandora) Added

When you declare Kan, you can flip over the Kandora indicator tile on the wall to add a new Dora.

The drawing from Rinshan Hai and the location of the Kandora are illustrated below.

You draw a tile from the end of the Rinshan Hai and add it to your hand. The Kandora is drawn from the tile next to the regular Dora indicator. Moreover, you always need 14 tiles for the wall, so you must move one tile from the wall. Numbers 1 to 4 indicate the positions of the tiles used from the first to the fourth Kan. Note that the movement from the wall should be done from the bottom row.

Kan Can Only Be Done a Total of Four Times

A total of four Kans can be performed by all players.

If two or more players perform a total of four Kans in one round, the round may end in a draw. If one player performs all four Kans, they achieve the hand pattern called "Shikantsu."

Minkan (Open Kan)

• You have three identical tiles in your hand.
• Someone discards the same tile.
• Immediately after the tile is discarded, declare "Kan" out loud.
• Take the discarded tile, combine it with your three, and reveal the set of four.
• Discard one tile from your hand.
• Reveal the Kandora.

After declaring Minkan, the player to the right of the person who called Kan resumes play by drawing and discarding.

Ankan (Closed Kan)

Ankan is a type of Kan, but since you only use tiles you have drawn yourself, it is not treated as a "naki."

• You have four identical tiles in your hand.
• On your turn, declare "Kan" out loud.
• Reveal the four tiles.
• Draw one tile from the Rinshan Hai.
• Reveal the Kandora.
• Discard one tile from your hand.

Unlike Minkan, you can reveal the Kandora before discarding.

Kakan (Added Kan)

Kakan refers to adding one tile to a previously declared Pon to turn it into a Kan.

Minkan is sometimes called Daimeinkan, and Kakan is referred to as Shoumeinkan.

• You have a Pon already declared.
• You have a tile in your hand that matches the Pon.
• On your turn, declare "Kan" out loud.
• Add the one tile to the previously declared Pon.
• Draw one tile from the Rinshan Hai.
• Reveal the Kandora.
• Discard one tile from your hand.

Menzen (Concealed Hand)

As mentioned earlier, a hand where no melds have been made is called "menzen."

There are advantages to being in a menzen state. There are many yaku (winning patterns) that can only be established with menzen, and it tends to lead to higher points when you win.

If you prioritize points, aim for menzen; if you prioritize speed of winning, consider making melds.

Furiten rule

Furiten refers to the state where a player has a tile in their discard pile (river) that would complete their hand when they are in Tenpai.

When in a Furiten state, you cannot win by Ron (claiming a tile from another player).

If you inadvertently declare Ron while in a Furiten state, it is considered a Chombo (illegal move).

Furiten is a common mistake for beginners, so it's important to remember it well.

• Tenpai... The state where only one more tile is needed to complete your hand.
• River (Ho)... The area where discarded tiles are arranged.

Two Types of Furiten

There are two types of Furiten: the one where there is a tile in your river (discard pile) and the one that occurs when you miss the opportunity to declare Ron.

• In a Tenpai state, if there is at least one winning tile in your river.
• In a Tenpai state, if you miss a winning tile discarded by another player without declaring Ron.

1. is referred to as "Furiten due to discards"
2. is called "Furiten due to a missed opportunity."
While both are types of Furiten, the approach differs based on whether you have declared Reach.

Refer to the diagram below for determining Furiten and its handling. The "Same Turn Furiten" in the diagram is a type of missed opportunity Furiten, but the response differs based on whether you declared Reach.

Scoring rule

The points you earn when winning are calculated based on the yaku (winning patterns) you have established, expressed as han (multipliers) and fu (points).

Han and fu are represented with numbers, such as 1 Han 30 Fu.

The number of Han for each yaku is predetermined, and you add the number of Han based on the yaku you establish. Additionally, you gain 1 Han for each Dora.

Fu is determined by the method of winning and the types of melds.

• Base Fu (always awarded when winning)... 20 Fu
• Menzen Ron (winning with concealed hand)... 10 Fu
• Tsumo (winning with drawn tile)... 2 Fu
• Varies by type of meld... 0 Fu to 32 Fu
• Winning tile is a Yakuhai... 2 Fu
• Single wait... 2 Fu

Once you know the Han and Fu, you can calculate your points based on that.

Calculation for Winning as a Child

Fu × 4 × 2 raised to the power of Han = Points (round up the last two digits)

Calculation for Winning as a Parent

Fu × 6 × 2 raised to the power of Han = Points (round up the last two digits)

Even with these formulas, performing mental calculations can be quite challenging. Therefore, it’s common to refer to a scoring table or memorize it.

Calculating points is difficult for beginners, so it's best to learn gradually through experience.

聴牌(テンパイ)と待ちの形 点数計算 計算式と早見表

Conclusion

This has been a brief overview of the rules that beginners should learn about Mahjong.

If you can remember the rules presented here, you should be able to start playing Mahjong!

The finer points will become clearer as you play, so begin by enjoying the game!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments below!