Hong Kong Style Mahjong Rules
Master the fundamentals with our beginner-friendly guide
The Basics
Players: 4 (East, South, West, North)
The Set: 144 tiles
Suits
Dots
Bamboo
Characters
Honors
Winds (East, South, West, North)
Dragons (Red, Green, White)
Flowers/Seasons: 8 bonus tiles
Flowers/Seasons: 8 bonus tiles
The primary goal of Hong Kong Mahjong is to be the first player to form a winning hand. A complete winning hand consists of 14 tiles, arranged into specific combinations.
These 14 tiles are divided into two main categories:
- • Sets (Mentsu): Four distinct combinations of three (or sometimes four) tiles.
- • The Eye (Pair): One pair of two identical tiles.
A winning hand is achieved by combining Four Sets + One Pair.
Understanding the Set (Mentsu)
A "set" is one completed grouping of tiles required to win. There are four main ways you can build a set. While you only need four sets to win, they can be formed in various ways:
Pong (碰), Chow (吃), Kong (槓)
Each of these represents a different method of tile collection, which is explained in detail in the following sections.
Method 1: The Pong (碰)
A Pong (碰) is the simplest set: Three identical tiles.
There are two types of Pongs:
- Self-Drawn Pong: You draw all three matching tiles yourself during your regular turns. You keep this concealed in your hand until you win.
- Declared Pong: If you have a matching pair (e.g., two 5-Dots) and any other player discards that exact tile, you can call out "PONG!" This claim takes precedence over a Chow. You reveal your matching pair, take the discarded tile, and place the resulting Pong face-up on the table for all to see. You then discard one tile to end your turn.
Method 2: The Chow (吃)
A Chow (吃) is a set of three consecutive tiles in the same suit. Examples include 4-5-6 Dots or 1-2-3 Bamboo.
Important Constraints:
- • You can only form a Chow from a tile discarded by the player on your immediate left.
- • If another player calls "Pong" on that same discarded tile, they take priority, and you cannot form your Chow.
When the player to your left discards a tile that completes your Chow sequence, you call "CHOW!" You reveal your sequential tiles, take the discarded tile, and place the Chow set face-up on the table. You must then discard one tile from your hand.
Method 3: The Kong (槓)
A Kong (槓) is an aggressive and specialized set: Four identical tiles.
While you only need four sets to win (totaling 12 tiles + 2 for the pair = 14), a Kong counts as a complete set. When you form a Kong, you draw a replacement tile from the back of the wall to restore your hand to 13 tiles, allowing you to continue play towards four sets.
There are three ways to form a Kong:
- Self-Drawn/Concealed Kong: You draw all four identical tiles yourself. You reveal them, place them face-down with the outer two flipped up (indicating a concealed set), and immediately draw a replacement tile. This is typically done to gain immediate bonus points.
- Claimed/Melded Kong: If you already hold three identical tiles in your concealed hand and any other player discards the fourth, you call out "KONG!" This claim takes precedence over everything except a Win (Mahjong). You reveal the four tiles as a set on the table and draw a replacement tile.
- Melded-on-Pong Kong: If you have already revealed a declared Pong (e.g., three revealed 5-Dots on the table) and you later self-draw the fourth matching tile, you can add it to the Pong to create a Kong, immediately drawing a replacement tile.
Special Tiles: Flowers and Seasons
Hong Kong Mahjong sets often include 8 additional tiles: 4 Flowers and 4 Seasons. These are bonus tiles. When you draw one, you reveal it immediately, set it aside, and draw a replacement tile. While they do not help you form any of the four sets needed to win, having specific pairs or sets of Flowers/Seasons will contribute significant bonus points (Faan) to your score.
How to Win: Declaring Mahjong
The game is won when you have successfully formed a hand of Four Sets + One Pair. However, you cannot declare a win just by having the right combination of sets; you must also meet the agreed-upon Minimum Faan (Point) requirement.
In HK Mahjong, players usually agree on a limit (e.g., "1 Faan" or "3 Faan") that every winning hand must meet. This is critical: if your combination of sets and bonus tiles does not equal or exceed this minimum Faan value, you are not allowed to declare a win.
Scoring (The "Faan" System)
In HK Mahjong, you usually agree on a minimum Faan (point) requirement before starting (typically 1 or 3 Faan). If your hand doesn't meet the limit, you cannot declare a win.
Common Faan Values:
| Hand Type | Description | Faan |
|---|---|---|
| Common Hand (Ping Wu) | Four Chows and a non-honor pair. | 1 |
| All Pongs | Four Pongs/Kongs and any pair. | 3 |
| Clean Suit | Only one suit + Honor tiles. | 3 |
| Pure Suit | Only one suit, no Honors. | 6 |
| Great Dragons | Pongs of all three Dragons (Red, Green, White). | 8 |
Winning and Paying
Winning by Discard: The person who threw the tile pays the winner the full amount. The other two players pay nothing (or a reduced amount depending on local house rules).
Winning by Self-Draw (Zimo): This is the "gold standard." All three players must pay the winner, usually doubling the score.
Essential Etiquette
- 1.Don't touch the wall out of turn: It's considered bad luck and ruins the flow.
- 2.Call your moves: Clearly say "Pong," "Chow," or "Sik Hu" (Win) so everyone knows why you're grabbing a tile.
- 3.The "Dead Tile" Rule: Once a tile touches the table surface during a discard, it is considered played and cannot be taken back.