Playing Mahjong correctly is not something everyone knows how to do. This game, rich in Chinese tradition, has not yet become widely popular worldwide. For those interested in learning, the following guide provided by 5JILI will be very helpful.
Understanding Mahjong
Mahjong originates from China. It’s a popular game in China and has since appeared in casinos. Unlike games that rely heavily on luck, Mahjong requires strategic thinking to create powerful hands.
Discovering the Mahjong Tiles
The first step in learning Mahjong is to familiarize yourself with the tiles. The Mahjong set includes 160 tiles divided into 4 suits plus a special set. Specifically:
- Bamboo: 36 green tiles representing bamboo sticks, including 1 tile with a sparrow symbol.
- Dots: 36 tiles with circular symbols, divided into 4 types with numbers ranging from 1 to 9.
- Characters: 36 tiles numbered from 1 to 9 with the Chinese character for ‘ten thousand’ below.
- Flower Tiles: Consist of Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, Bamboo.
- Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.
- Four Kings and Four Queens: Each set contains 4 tiles numbered from 1 to 4 with “King” or “Queen” written below.
Detailed Mahjong Gameplay
Once you recognize all the tiles, it’s essential to understand the rules and scoring system:
Dealing Tiles
A Mahjong game starts with 4 players. All tiles are placed face down, and players mix them. Each player then builds a wall of 18 tiles, two tiles high. The dealer rolls two dice to determine where to start dealing tiles. Each player receives 40 tiles, arranged into 20 pairs in front of them.
Specific Rules
The game includes four winds: East, South, West, North.
- The player at the East position starts the game by rolling the dice to determine where to start dealing tiles.
- Each player receives 13 tiles, but the dealer receives 14 tiles and discards one to start the game.
- Players take turns picking up and discarding tiles to form sets:
- Pair: Two identical tiles.
- Pung: Three identical tiles.
- Chow: Three consecutive tiles of the same suit.
If a discarded tile completes a player’s set, they can pick it up and must discard another tile.
Winning Hands
Understanding the winning hands helps plan your strategy effectively:
- Mosquito Win: 4 Pungs and a pair.
- Wind Win: 4 Pungs and a wind.
- Three Fan Win: 4 Pungs of the same type.
- All One Suit: All 14 tiles in one suit (6 fans).
- All Characters: All tiles are character tiles.
- Single Wait: Waiting for one tile to complete a set and drawing it.
- Self-drawn Pungs: Drawing 4 Pungs without picking up any discarded tiles.
- Thirteen Orphans: 13 tiles including terminal, honor, and nine different tiles.
- Big Three Dragons: 3 Pungs of Trung, Bạch, Phát.
- Big Four Winds: 4 Pungs of East, West, South, North.
- Small Four Winds: 3 Pungs of East, West, South, North.
Scoring in Mahjong
Scoring in Mahjong is based on units called “fan”:
- 0 Fan: Basic winning hand.
- 1 Fan: 4 Chows, self-drawn winning tile, flower matching seat, exposed Pung of the same suit and seat wind.
- 2 Fan: 4 flowers of the same type, winning with the last tile, exposed Pung of the same suit and wind.
- 3 Fan: 3 Pungs of dragons, exposed Pung of the wind, winning with the same suit.
- 6 Fan: 4 exposed Pungs of the wind, self-drawn winning tile.
- 8 Fan: 4 exposed Pungs of the wind and dragons, winning with a hand of winds and dragons.
Penalties in Mahjong
Be aware of the penalties for violating rules:
- Wrong declaration of a win: A penalty of 32 to 64 units and paying the other players.
- Nine Gates Announcement: Announcing nine tiles of the same suit and then discarding it.
- Running Win: Declaring a win with more than 3 fan, the win is invalid.
- Twelve Gates Announcement: Announcing nine gates but continuing to declare a win results in a penalty.
Tips for Winning Mahjong
Mahjong can be challenging initially, but these tips can help you win:
- Avoid aiming for big wins immediately: Aim for a basic winning hand before attempting more complex hands.
- Flexible strategy: Be willing to change your hand strategy if the tiles you need aren’t appearing.
- Study and learn: Continuously learn from other experienced players and observe their strategies.
Conclusion
Playing Mahjong at casino is not as daunting as it may seem. It’s a stimulating game that requires strategic thinking and is perfect for both entertainment and mental exercise. With a good understanding of the rules and strategies, you can master Mahjong and enjoy the game. Keep these tips in mind, and happy playing!
