How to Play Basic Mahjong Using VFZubiri's MAHJONG! Complete Mahjong Card Deck

 

The basic idea of mahjong:

 

Winning means that you have the following:

A Pair of like cards (called the "Eye" because it's like a pair of eyes) and 4 sets of 3's and 4's.

So the minimum number of cards you CAN have at the end of the game can be:

2 + 3 + 3 + 3 +3 = 14, this is a usual occurrence.

The maximum number of cards you CAN have at the end of the game can be:

2 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 18, but this rarely happens, because the 4's mean that you have all "Kungs," or "Kongs."

The above is possible if you started with 13 cards, because some play with 16 cards (resulting in an extra 3 or 4). Some people like to start with 13, and some like to start with 16, which takes longer. We will use 13 for this discussion.

As the players take turns, they take a "new" 14th card, add it to their cards, and discard the one they don't need to win. So each regular move is like a basic "take one, discard one," then the next player does the same.

Calling out "Mahjong!" when you win, is when there is nothing you need to discard anymore, you just need one last card, and it shows up.

That's it! This is the basic idea of mahjong!

The Pair, Chow, Pung and Kung

As we have said, the Pair is 2 exactly similar cards:

 

The three's can be a Chow or a Pung.

A Chow is 3 consecutive cards of the same suit:

A Pung is 3 cards that are exactly similar:

The Kungs can only be 4 cards that are exactly similar:

All this happens because the traditional deck consists of three suits, the Ball Cards (or the "Balls"), the Stick Cards (or the "Sticks") and the Chinese Character Cards (or the "Cars"). These are numbered from 1 to 9, and there are 4 sets of each in the deck.

This means that you can form a Chow of 5-6-7-Balls, or 7-8-9-Balls, but no number goes past the 9, or before the 1, so the 1 and the 9 are the end numbers.

An example of the Pung is 8-8-8-Sticks and an example of the Kung is 8-8-8-8-Sticks.

However, remember that no two players can have a Pung of 8-Sticks and a Kung of 8-Sticks, because there are only four 8-Sticks in the deck. It is possible for someone to have a Pung of 8-Sticks and a Chow of Sticks that uses the fourth 8-Sticks.

Variations like American Mahjong goes beyond this basic set of rules, so it is possible to use the American Joker cards to create groups of 5 cards, but that is for a later set of rules.

Above: The 8 American Jokers - This deck numbered the American Jokers from 1 to 8, in case some people want to come up with new rules that involve the numbering. Otherwise, the Jokers are identitcal.

In addition to the three suits there are two other suits, but they are usually not numbered: The Winds Cards (or "Winds"), which consist of North, East, West and South, and the Dragon Cards (the "Dragons"), which consist of the Red Dragon, Green Dragon, and White Dragon.

The White Dragon is represented by the rectangle, because it is "invisible," so the rectangle represents a caged invisible White Dragon. You can only make a Pair, a Pung or a Kung from these two suits. According to the basic rules, you cannot make any Chows from these two suits.

Once again, we numbered the winds from 1 to 4, following the tradition that 1 is the East Wind, West is 2, South is 3 and North is 4, just in case some games needed the numbers.

The other 8 cards in a traditional deck are called "Flowers" - Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, the Plum Flower, the Orchid, the Bamboo and the Chrysanthemum. You cannot make Pairs, Chows, Pungs or Kungs from these. whenever they appear, they are "Discarded," but make it a habit of discarding them by your side of the card table, because all the players will need to see the Discarded Suit Cards, the "Garbage Pile," which are in the middle of the card table. These are discards from the Suit Cards (Balls, Sticks, Cars, Winds and Dragons), because although these cards can no longer be used, they are the ones which help the players make decisions.

Once again, we numbered the 8 cards 1-4 for the Seasons, and 1-4 for the real Flowers, following the traditional way of numbering, just in case some games need the numbers.

Once you get the idea of mahjong, the way to teach others is to play with open (exposed, face up) hands. Deal the cards, but have everyone show his cards to the rest. Then discuss how each one can "strategize," given his or her hand.

Normally, dice are thrown. This time, use the dice cards in the deck. Separate the dice cards from the rest, and each player takes two or three cards from the faced down dice cards. The one with the highest total value from the dice goes first.

If the other, more advanced cards confuse you, separate them from the rest. Play with 144 cards, the traditional number of cards in the deck. This will consist of 1. the Balls, 2. the Sticks, 3. the Cars (Characters), all of them going from 1 to 9, and there are four of each in the set, 4. the Winds, 5. the Dragons and the 8 Flower Cards (the four Seasons and the four Plants / Actual Flowers as shown above). You will have a total of 144 cards (36 Balls, 36 Sticks, 36 Cars, 12 Winds, 9 Dragons, 8 Flowers).

Have everyone shuffle, by cutting the 144 cards into the number of players, then each one shuffles, cuts, give a half to the player to the left, gives the other half to the player to the right, each one gets two new halves, and everyone shuffles again. Continue this a few times, then the deck is put together, and the dealer, the one who goes first, deals 13 cards to everyone, and a 14th card to himself or herself.

The cards that are left will be called the "Pile" for this discussion. Spread it face down, by about 12 inches in the center of the players (the card table). Make sure that the last few cards at the bottom are easy to get, as well as the top card. We will call the top card the "Regular Card" from the "Regular Pile" and the bottom card will always be the "Flower Replacement Card," and the bottom end will be the "Flower End."

There are 8 Flower Cards in this game. After the deal, the players sort their hands. Everyone exposes and sets aside his or her Flower Cards face up by his or her side of the table. In an orderly fashion, the dealer goes first to replace any Flower Cards from his or her hand. Then the next player gets to replace flowers, and so on. If anyone got more flowers, another round of Flower replacement happens, and another, until no one has any flowers and the Dealer has 14 Suit Cards and the others each have 13 Suit Cards.

Everyone groups each suit together, arranged from 1 to 9, north, east, west, south, and then the dragon cards.

The first person who plays starts by discarding a 14th unneeded card, so he or she will be left with 13.

If it is agreed that the play will proceed clockwise, the next person will MOST PROBABLY be the one on the last player's left, so the next player to the Dealer's left is next.

However, from this time on, everytime a card is discarded, and put out on the center of the table face up, everyone should check if they need that card to complete a Mahjong, a Chow, a Pung, a Kung or even a Pair if that is the last card needed for a Mahjong. (You cannot get a card to make a pair in the middle of the game. You can only get the card to make a Pair if you are "Waiting" to Mahjong.)

If someone needs the recently discarded card to complete a Pung or a Kung, that player tells the others "Pung" or "Kung" and takes the card. Because it was taken from a player, that player will have to "Justify" the take, by showing everyone what he or she completed with that taken card. That group of 3 or 4 cards is "Completed" and "Locked" which means it cannot be placed back in the hand. Place the locked set on the side, FACE UP, right where the flowers are. The cards are exposed, to help everyone with their decision-making as the game progresses.

A Chow can only be claimed by the person to the left of the last player who played (since the play here is going clockwise).

Only the most recent discard can be played by everyone. Previous discards are face up on the center of the card table for everyone to see, so they can make winning decisions. As the game progresses, and more cards are exposed, the players make decisions on which card they could get and which card they would want to throw out.

Everytime someone takes a card for a Pung or a Kung, and it's not his or her turn yet, the next player who is supposed to get the next card is skipped.

Pairs can only be claimed by anyone from the last discard if that player wins the game, and shouts "Mahjong!" No one can get a discarded card in the middle of the game if all that can do is make a pair, but not a win.

This is how players lose turns, thus delaying their goal of winning - when someone takes a discard to make a Pung or a Kung. If for example, there are 4 players, the first one discards and the fourth one calls "Pung!" then the second and third players lose their turn, and the next play goes back to the first.

No one loses a turn if the next person calls a Chow.

Mahjong (winning) takes precedence over a Kung, Pung or Chow. Getting a Kung or Pung takes precedence over a Chow. When someone calls "Chow" and someone calls "Pung!" the Pung takes the discard. If all a person needs to win is a Pair, Chow, Kung or Pung, then that is a Mahjong.

Moving on, when no one needs the discarded card.

If no one needs a discard, then the play continues to the next player to the left of the one who just played. This next player takes a card from the top of the regular pile, sorts it with the rest of his or her hand, then discards the most unneeded card, face up, on the Scattered Garbage Pile in the middle of the table. Once again, only the next person can Chow the discard, and anyone can Pung or Kung the card.

Add one more move for Kungs

When a player calls a Kung, that player takes the discard, then exposes the 4 Kung cards, locks them to his or her side, face up, and then takes another card from the Flower End (the bottom of the Regular Pile), then discards an unneeded card. Everytime there is a Kung, there is an additional move to make sure that the other cards can still make a pair, and the needed threes (Chows and Pungs) and the needed fours (Kungs) in order to mahjong.

If a Flower is taken, then the flower gets exposed to the side, not to the garbage pile in the center (only the cards from the suits should be on the center garbage pile). Then a second replacement card is taken from the bottom of the Regular Pile. Then an unneeded card is discarded. As long as the person keeps getting flower cards, they need to be replaced by taking a card from the bottom of the regular pile, until a suit / playable card is taken from the regular pile, then an unneeded card is discarded.

Whenever a card is taken from the recent card discarded by an opponent, the set of Chow, Pung or Kung completed must be shown.

However, if the Chow, Pung or Kung is completed from the regular pile, then there is no need to show the card group to anyone. During a player's turn, if the card from the regular pile completes a Kung, and that player decides to call a Kung, then that player tells everyone that he or she has a "Secret." Place the 4 cards face down, on the side with the flowers and the other exposed Chows, Pungs, and Kungs, and take another card from the regular pile. Then discard an unneeded card.

If a player decides that he or she will use the 4 similar cards as a Kung, then that player tells everyone that he or she has a "Secret." The player "locks" the 4 cards by placing them face down next to the other exposed cards (the flowers and the Chows, Pungs and Kungs completed earlier by taking from the opponents). Then to "Balance" the cards, the person must take another card from the regular pile, and then discard an unwanted card.

The rest is strategy - deciding which cards to keep and which card to throw out.

You have the following 13 cards to start after you have gotten rid of your flowers and put them on the side:

Balls: There is a chance that you can have a Chow of 3-4-5-Balls, or a Chow of 4-5-6-Balls. As far as the balls are concerned, 1-ball is not needed, but that will depend on the next cards drawn.

Sticks: If you get 3-Sticks, then a Chow could be made 1-2-3-Sticks. 6-Sticks seems to be useless.

Cars: A Chow could be made from 3-4-5-Cars, or 4-5-6-Cars. A Pung could be made if another 4-Cars shows up. Another Chow could be made from 7-8-9-Cars, if the 7-Cars shows up. There suit goes up to 9-Cars, so there can only be one Chow combination for the 8-9-Cars. The 4-Cars is also already a pair or an Eye.

Red Dragon: This is a pair / Eye. If another Red Dragon shows, up, then a Pung would be had.

You get a card. It is 6-Cars.

Place it with the rest of your hand:

You have 14 cards. You need to discard one card. Let's say you throw the 1-Ball. You are left with the following:

It is the next player's turn. If the play is clockwise, the next player is the one one the left. Anyone can Pung or Kung the recently dicarded 1-ball. The next player can Chow, Pung or Kung it.

If anyone needs that 1-ball for a mahjong, then the mahjong wins, and takes precedence. It would not matter if the card was for a pair, Chow, or Pung.

You cannot mahjong with a Kung, you should have "balanced" your cards earlier (taken an extra card to continue playing, when you should have set aside a Kung). This is one pitfall beginners need to watch out for. More on mistakes below.

Someone throws a Red Dragon:

You decide to call "Pung!" You could have kept going and kept the Red Dragon pair to use as the Eye of the hand, but this is the best for now, because you have a lot of unmatched cards. You take the Red Dragon, and must show the other 2 cards, and "lock" them on your side, next to your flowers, so that the others can make decisions based on this set. Everyone knows that there is one Red Dragon left somewhere in the game, either in the regular pile or with the other players.

The player then needs to throw out a card. The best card to throw out is the 6-Sticks, because it's too far from the 2-Sticks. You might get a 3- or 6-Balls, and you might get a 3-Sticks. You might get a 3-,4-,7-char as well.

Your hand becomes:

There are 10 cards left to "solve" in order to win. The 3 Red Dragons have been locked. If you got a 4th Red Dragon, you can no longer use it, unless you have agreed that this is possible before the game started. You will just have to discard it.

It's your turn again. You get a 4-Cars from the regular pile. This means that you have a Pung, but you do not have to show the others that Pung, because you did not get it from the other players. You can keep that information from the rest of the group.

Now you will have to make a "Sacrifice." Each card has a chance to make Chows. However, the 4- & 5-Balls might get either 3- or 6-Balls in the future. On the other hand, the 1- and 2-Sticks can only get a 3-Sticks. The car cards seem like the best group to keep intact. If you get a 7-char, you can group the car cards as follows:

, in case you get that 7-Cars.

You can look at the cards that had been thrown out before. You notice that there are two 2-Sticks already exposed. This means that there's a chance the 2-Sticks is not needed at all, so you decide to throw the 2-Sticks.

It's your turn. You get a card from the regular pile. You get a 4-Cars. This is now your hand, and you need to throw out a card. Whether it is a smart move or not, if you decide to form a Kung from the four 4-Cars. Because none of them came from another player's discard, you can say you have a "Secret." Take the four 4-Cars and place them face down next to the flower cards. You have now "locked" the 4-Cars. You have considered them a complete group of 4, and you will need to continue playing with the cards that are left:

 

Place this Secret face down by your flower cards, and the three Red Dragons. Do not show this Kung to the other players because the 4th card for the Kung was not taken from someone else's discard. This is how you keep your opponents in suspense.

You now need to balance your cards. You are left playing with 7 cards, but it should be 8 (the decision to Kung left you with one less card.) You should get one card from the Flower End of the regular pile, and then choose one to discard.

Note: It is understood that you HONESTLY obtained a Kung. Because you just took an extra card from the Flower End, you have taken more than the others. If you deliberately cheated, you will be found out at the end of the game because you will need to expose your Kung. No one might let you join again in the future if you keep disrupting the game by doing this.

You got 7-Balls. 1-Stick is the least desirable card, so you get rid of that one. You might get a 6-Balls later. You will make a decision on that later.

This is what you have left:

The person before your turn throws out a 7-Cars. You can say "Chow!" You can either add the 7-Cars to the 5- & 6-Cars, but you will be left with the 8- and 9-Cars, which means you will need to come up with another 7-Cars later. On the other hand, you can either get a 4- or another 7-Cars next time, which means you have 2 chances, instead of 1.

You take the Chow card and add it to the 8- & 9-Cars.

Because you need to justify the Chow, you show the 7-8-9-Cars. You then decide to throw out the 7-Balls. You are left with this:

It's your turn. You get a 3-Balls from the Regular Pile. You just made a Chow and it's a Secret, because you got it from the Regular Pile. Then you need to discard, you can either discard the 5-Cars or the 6-Cars. You look at the discard / garbage pile. You notice that two 5-Cars have been thrown out. Chances are no one needs it. That's the card you should throw out.

You are left with the following cards:

This means that you are now "Waiting." You are waiting to Mahjong (Win), once anyone discards the 6-Cars or once you get the 6-Cars from the Regular Pile.

Someone throws out a 6-Cars. You cry out "Mahjong!" and you get the 6-Cars.

This is your final winning hand:

one pair, and 4 sets of threes and fours.

1. Failing to recognize a flower. You keep playing and you don't realize you have a flower.

2. Too many cards. Somehow you kept something and failed to discard.

3. You thought you had a Kung, but your cards would not balance anymore.

4. Thinking you have a Pair, Chow, Pung or Kung by mixing different suits.

5. Thinking that you can have a Chow of the Wind and Dragon cards. You can only have Pungs and Kungs from the Wind and Dragon cards.

6. Thinking that the Flower Cards can have Chows. The numbers in the Flower Cards are usually unacceptable, unless you agree to change certain rules before you play the game.

What beginners might encounter:

1. A new move by someone who already knows Mahjong, but failed to inform the beginner that such a move is acceptable. For example, if the player aimed to complete 7 Pairs or Eyes, just because it happened to be the best way to go. Although this is rare, it is still possible.