Mahjong - International game

Introduction

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After mahjong was invented in China in the mid-1800's – see the slightly more elaborate history of the game in the Chinese Classical section on this web site – it evolved differently in different parts of China, and then yet again into even more forms when spreading further into other countries in Asia and then the West during the 1900's.
In this way, about two dozen recognized “main” variants of the game came to exist: in the regions of mainland China, and in Japan, the USA, Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia and so on. The result was that unlike in bridge, backgammon or FIDE-style chess, or more recently in poker, people from different parts of the world or even from different parts of China could not easily play against each other but were forced to adapt to the local rules.


Another problem has been that mahjong over the decades undeniably often has come to be associated with playing for high stakes, and thus acquired in part an unsavoury reputation as a gambling game – while still, in many other circles, being enjoyed as a family entertainment for points and prestige only. Especially during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960's and 1970's in China, when gambling was sternly discouraged, mahjong was at times prohibited and driven underground... which did not stop for example Chairman Mao himself from enjoying the game in secret.
Despite this mahjong proved to be unstoppable in China, due to its great popularity. Thus, in 1996 the People's Sports Publishing House took up the challenge to create a national set of rules and also a “healthier” form of the game. It would not involve money, but instead be ranked as a “mind sports” form of competition. These official rules would therefore prohibit not only gambling on the outcome, but also drinking, smoking and swearing while playing.
In defining this new set of rules for Mahjong, a specially selected group of experts from all over China was appointed, and research was made not only into the regional variants in Beijing, Shanghai, Ningbo, Tiangjin, Hong Kong and others, but also those of Japan and Taiwan. The more complex forms of the game were rejected, and in the end the decision was made to create a pattern-based, additive form of play and scoring. The rules were presented in 1998; and in that same year mahjong as defined by these rules was officially named the country's 255th sport, by the State Sports Commission of China.
This form of the game has since come to be recognized and adopted as the international version of mahjong, whilst undergoing a few micro-changes in the early 2000's. Also, this form is known variously as Chinese Official (CO), World Mahjong Contest Rules (WMCR), Official International Rules (OIR), or Chinese Mahjong Contest Rules (CMCR), and is now officially (since October 2005) sanctioned and governed by the World Mahjong Organization (WMO).
In October 2002 the first World Mahjong Championship was held, in Tokyo. In 2005 the first European Championship was played according to the International Rules, in Nijmegen in the Netherlands. The Second World Championship was then played in November 2007, in Chengdu in China; and now there are a number of national and international tournaments annually, all based on these International Competition Rules.
Mahjong is a game of judgment and skill, repaying concentration, an ability to figure out odds, and evaluating the possible hands the opponents are holding in order to recognize which tiles are “dangerous” to discard. The game also offers the challenge of balancing your play between aiming to go out quickly but with not very valuable tiles in hand, and shooting for more high-paying but harder-to-achieve combinations.
When taking up International Competition Mahjong, it helps to first be well experienced in for example the Chinese Classical form of the game: and while the basic gameplay is the same, you must thoroughly familiarize yourself with the scoring elements, and learn how to quickly evaluate a starting hand to see in which “direction” you should then take it when exchanging tiles, while keeping open as many options as possible. International Competition Mahjong is indeed a demanding, but at the same time highly rewarding form of the game!

Rules

The game play in International Competition Rules is basically the same as in the Chinese Classical game; it is to your advantage if you already know how the play the latter. The general winning hand structure is the same, “four sets and a pair” – more on this below – but a few other winning hands are also recognized.
As for the background history of International Competition Mahjong, see here. For an overview of the scoring elements and scoring principles, click here.

Tiles

In International Competition Mahjong, also known variously as Chinese Official (CO), World Mahjong Contest Rules (WMCR), Official International Rules (OIR), or Chinese Mahjong Contest Rules (CMCR), and being officially sanctioned and governed by the World Mahjong Organization (WMO), a set of 144 tiles consisting of the following is used:

The Suit tiles

There are three suits: Bamboo, Character and Circles. Each suit runs from 1 to 9.

Figure 1. Bamboo

Figure 2. Character

Figure 3. Circles

Each tile is replicated four times – thus there are for example four Three of Bamboo tiles, four Seven of Characters tiles, and so on, making up 36 tiles (4x9) in each suit, and 108 (3x36) suit tiles in total. The numbers 2-8 are often referred to as Simples, while the 1's and 9's are called Terminals. Note that the One of Bamboos shows a stylized picture of a bird, which beginners may at first confuse with the Bonus tiles; see below!

The Honour tiles

There are two categories of Honour tiles, Winds and Dragons respectively:

Figure 4. Winds

These show the four winds, or the four cardinal directions: East (E), South (S), West (W) and North (N) respectively.

Figure 5. Dragons

These show Red Dragon, Green Dragon and White Dragon respectively.
As with the suit tiles, each Wind Tile and each Dragon tile is replicated four times, making up 16 (4x4) and 12 (3x4) = 28 Honour tiles in total.

The Bonus tiles

There are 8 such tiles, all different, traditionally showing the four Seasons and four Flowers:

Figure 6. Seasons and Flowers

The Seasons depict spring (the number 1), summer (2), autumn (3) and winter (4) respectively. The Flowers are plum blossom (1), orchid (2), chrysanthemum (3) and bamboo (4) respectively.
As the name implies, these Bonus tiles are not used in the actual game play, forming sets and pairs; instead they make up a luck element, as they are set aside and replaced when drawn, increasing that player's score. Note that if you buy a “physical” Mahjong set, the Bonus tiles may vary widely in design!

Additional notes

A “physical” mahjong set as a rule contains not only the tiles, but also dice, scoring sticks or chips, and sometimes also other objects which are used in the game. Also, regional mahjong sets (in for example Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, USA etc) will often contain additional and/or different-looking tiles, which often have other functions not covered here.

The object of the game

The object of the game is to collect tiles to form one of the scoring patterns described later and thereby achieving a mahjong hand. A mahjong hand normally consists of four sets of tiles plus one pair of tiles (or as pointed out above, a hand which conforms to another, winning specification).
Any set must consist of either three identical tiles (called a pong),

Figure 7. Example pong

or four identical tiles (called a kong),

Figure 8. Example kong

or three Suit tiles in numerical sequence and of the same suit (called a chow or chi).

Figure 9. Example chow

A pong or a kong must be made up of identical tiles. Note also that a chow/chi must consist of exactly three tiles, no more and no less, and of the same suit.
The pair may be any pair, as long as it consists of two identical tiles.

Figure 10. Example pair

You cannot form any set or pair with your Bonus tiles! Instead, as soon as you draw a bonus tile, you set it aside and draw a replacement tile. The bonus tiles you accumulate (if any), will score extra points for you at the end.
Here is one example (among millions possible) of a finished mahjong hand:

Figure 11. Mahjong hand containing three chows, one pong and one pair

Again, note that you may also go out with any of a number of special mahjong hands, which do not conform to the “four sets, one pair” rule above! See the section on scoring for a list of these special hands.

A brief overview of the game play

In mahjong, the four players sit at a table facing each other, as when playing bridge or whist. The players are identified by the four cardinal directions: in anti-clockwise order, East, South, West and North respectively.
Note that this does not correspond to the order on a compass! Also, unlike in bridge or whist, mahjong players do not play in teams: rather, it is every player for himself.
Each deal begins by shuffling and arranging the 144 tiles in a square 2x18 tiles long on every side, called “the Wall”. Then each player draws (according to a certain ritual) 13 tiles each; the exception is the player in the East seat, who draws 14 tiles. (Here, this entire process is of course taken care of by the software.)
The players, starting with East who must first discard one of his/her tiles, now in counterclockwise order take turns to pick tiles: either claiming the last one discarded by a previous player (provided certain conditions are met), or drawing the next available one from the Wall. After picking a tile, that same player must immediately discard a tile, after which it is the next player's turn.
While picking and discarding, each player tries to exchange and arrange his/her tiles so as to form them into a mahjong hand (four sets and a pair, or one of the special hands). The first player to accomplish this declares “Mahjong” (or, in modern tournaments, declares “Hu”), upon which the game immediately stops. Note that a player declaring mahjong and thereby going out, does not discard a tile in that same turn!
The winning player is then paid by his/her opponents, according to the score for the hand: the more valuable the hand, the more points he/she gets. The other players do not exchange points between themselves, unlike in the Classical form of the game.
Mahjong is also playable with two or three players instead of four (though in modern tournaments, the International game is invariably played with four), following the same principles as above.

Determining the seats

As soon as you choose a table here, the software will take you to it and randomly assign you a seat. If you enter a tournament, the software will assign you both a table and a seat at it.

Arranging the wall and dealing the tiles

As soon as a new deal begins, the 144 tiles are shuffled and then arranged in a square: each side is 18 tiles long, and 2 tiles high. This arrangement is called “the Wall”.
With the help of dice, the spot where you “break the Wall” and start drawing tiles is randomly chosen. All this is automatically handled by the software.
Starting with East taking the first 4 tiles, each player eventually draws 13 tiles from the wall; the exception is the player in the East seat, who draws 14 tiles. Again, here the entire process is automatically taken care of by the software. When the tiles are dealt, you will see your own tiles face up on the screen, while those of the other players are seen standing on edge and are hidden from you.
Note that you during the game will be drawing “normal” tiles from the Wall in clockwise fashion, but drawing any replacement tiles from the back end of the Wall. If the last tile has been drawn from the Wall without any player managing to go out, play stops and no scoring is made. This is called a “washout” or a “dead hand” – but is a rare occurrence.

Replacing the Bonus tiles

Each player now examines the tiles he/she has drawn at the start. In turn order counterclockwise, starting with East, the players now declare any Bonus tile or tiles they have, setting them aside face up, and drawing replacement tiles from the back end of the Wall.
If any new Bonus tiles are drawn when replacing, these are also set aside and further replacement tiles drawn. After this procedure is completed, the players should once again have 13 tiles each in hand, with the exception of East who should have 14 tiles. Again, this procedure is handled automatically here by the software.
Also, if a player is dealt a concealed kong, he/she may declare it immediately – see below.

Turn order and basic game play

The East player now always takes the first turn, by discarding any of the 14 tiles in his hand, face up within the area of the Wall. If none of the other players claims this tile, South now draws the next tile from the Wall and then discards any of his tiles in the same manner, followed by West, North, East again, and so on in counterclockwise order around the table, drawing and discarding each time in turn.
Note that the tiles from the Wall are drawn in clockwise fashion, while the turn order among the players goes counterclockwise!
The only time that you do not draw a tile from the Wall during your turn, is when you instead claim another player's recently discarded tile.

Claiming a tile for a pong

If any of the other players discards a tile which you need to complete a pong (three identical tiles), you immediately say “Pong” and may then pick up this tile. Any player/-s sitting between you and he/she who discarded the tile, are skipped over in turn order.
You must then at once, during that same turn, expose and put on the table (face up) the set you claimed for: this is called melding. After this you as usual discard a tile, and the turn then passes to the next player counterclockwise.
Example: East has two White Dragons in hand, when South discards another White Dragon. East immediately says “Pong”, picks up the tile, and exposes and places his three White Dragons as a set beside him on the table. Then East discards one of the tiles in his hand, and it is South's turn again. Note that West and North were skipped over in the turn sequence!
If no player claims a newly discarded tile, it is considered “dead”, remains face up on the table, and may not be claimed at a later point in the game.
It is customary to put the claimed tile sideways in the exposed set, so as to show which of the other players discarded it.

Figure 12. Pong with tile sideways to indicate the claimed tile was discarded by the player to the right

Claiming a tile for a kong

Claiming a tile for a kong (four identical tiles) is performed exactly as when claiming a tile for a pong – see above. The only difference is that the player claiming and exposing the kong (melding it) must then immediately draw a replacement tile from the back end of the Wall, BEFORE discarding one of the tiles in hand. (This replacement is done for mathematical reasons: if you do not draw a replacement tile after putting down a kong, it is impossible to form four sets and a pair with the tiles you have left in hand!)
Example: North has three tiles of the Four of Bamboos in hand, when West discards another Four of Bamboos. North immediately says “Kong”, picks up the discarded tile, exposes and puts down her set of four identical tiles, draws a replacement tile from the back end of the Wall, and finally discards one of her tiles, after which it is East's turn. Note that in this example, none of the other players were skipped over in the turn sequence.
As when claiming a tile for a pong, it is customary in a live game to put the claimed tile sideways in the exposed set, so as to show which of the other players discarded it.

Claiming a tile for a chow

Claiming a tile for a chow (also called chi) may ONLY be done by the next player in turn. South may only claim such a tile if it is discarded by East; West may only claim such a tile if it is discarded by South; and so on around the table. Apart from this, the procedure is the same as when claiming a tile for a pong and melding with it.
Example: South discards the Eight of Characters. West, who is next in turn, happens to have both the Six and the Seven of Characters and therefore immediately says “Chi” and picks up the discarded tile. He exposes his set, puts it on the table beside him, and discards one of his tiles in hand. Now it is North's turn.
As when claiming a tile for a pong, it is customary in a live game to put the claimed tile in a chow sideways in the exposed set, so as to show which of the other players discarded it.
If completing a chow would also complete your mahjong hand, you may claim this tile no matter which of the other players discards it – just say “Mahjong” or “Hu” and pick up the tile to your hand!

Claiming a tile for the pair

This may only be done on one condition: that the player claiming the tile thereby immediately can finish his/her mahjong hand and go out. Under no other circumstances may a player claim a discard to complete the pair (any pair) needed in a mahjong hand.

Further notes on claiming tiles

Note: you are NEVER forced to claim a suitable tile! Instead, you may if you wish just draw the next tile from the Wall, even if you technically could have claimed the previous discard.
What happens if two players both claim the same tile? Then the claim priority rules come into effect:

1. Claiming a tile for a pong or a kong has priority over claiming for a chow/chi.
2. Claiming a tile for mahjong has priority over any other claim.
3. If two or three players both claim the same tile for mahjong, the player sitting closest in (counterclockwise) turn order after the discarder has priority.

When playing at this site, any claiming options on your turn are clearly indicated on the screen by the software – just click to claim, within the set time limit.
If you do not claim a possible tile before the next player in turn draws a tile from the Wall, you have forfeited your opportunity and may not claim the discarded tile later in the game; this is also the custom in a live game!

Completing a concealed pong or chow by drawing

If drawing a tile from the Wall completes a pong in your hand, or a chow, or if you are dealt such a set at the start of the game, it is considered concealed and you do not need to declare this set before you go out by achieving your mahjong hand: when this occurs, such sets are of course shown but still considered concealed, not exposed. Keeping your opponents from knowing whatever combinations of tiles you have in hand during play is a tactical advantage!
Any tiles in concealed sets in hand may of course be rearranged in new combinations, whenever you wish. However, already exposed sets may never be touched.

Drawing the fourth identical tile when you have a concealed pong

If you already have a concealed pong (three identical tiles) in hand, and draw the fourth identical tile from the Wall, you have a concealed kong. You declare this set by putting it on the table in that same turn. (It is still considered concealed.) You must then immediately draw a replacement tile from the back end of the Wall, after which you as usual discard a tile. It is then the next player's turn.
If you are dealt a concealed kong at the start of the game, you also declare it in the same way, and draw a replacement tile.
Note that you are not required to declare a concealed kong! You may if you wish keep your concealed pong, and use the fourth identical tile in a chow instead.

Drawing the fourth identical tile when you have an exposed pong

If you have previously claimed a tile to complete a pong, having the exposed pong beside you on the table, and you later yourself draw the fourth identical tile from the Wall, you may add this tile to your exposed pong: this turns it into an exposed kong instead.
Note that you may not claim this fourth tile to an already exposed pong, if it is discarded by another player!
When drawing and adding the fourth identical tile, you must as with any declared kong draw a replacement tile from the back end of the Wall before discarding.

Drawing a Bonus tile

If you draw a Bonus tile during the game, you simply set it aside with your exposed sets (if any), immediately draw a replacement tile from the back end of the Wall, and then discard a tile as usual.
Note however that you actually are permitted to discard a Bonus tile, instead of adding it to your exposed sets! No other player may claim it. This is a “desperate” measure when playing defensive tactics in the endgame, and you are trying to prevent another player from going out.

Declaring mahjong and going out

Whenever you draw the last tile you need to complete your mahjong hand consisting of four sets and a pair (or completing another recognized winning hand), you say “Hu” or “Mahjong”. Show the tiles you have in hand, taking care to mark concealed sets.
You may also claim the last tile you need to complete your mahjong hand, regardless of whether for a pong, a chow/chi, or the pair, or any other recognized winning hand, and regardless of which of the other players discards it; again, just call out “Hu” or “Mahjong”, and take the discarded tile.
As soon as a player calls out “Hu”, play immediately stops and that player shows his or her entire hand.
Note that when going out with a mahjong hand, you draw or claim a tile – but this is the only time you do not discard a tile during your move!
Now the scoring begins – see the scoring section for information on this.
Again, note that you may also go out with any of a few special mahjong hands, which do not conform to the “four sets, one pair” rule above! See the scoring section.

Washout, or dead hand

Play continues until a player goes out, or until the last tile has been drawn from the Wall. If no player goes out on either this tile or the discard from the player who drew the last available tile, it is known as a “washout” or a “dead hand”: no-one wins, and no points are scored.

When the scoring is completed

After each hand, even a washout, and regardless of who won, the seating positions rotate one step counterclockwise: the East player now becomes North, the South player becomes East, and so on. The next hand now begins, in the same manner as above.
In a tournament, the game will in each round stop after a certain time limit. The current hand is then not played to a finish, and the players will score the points they have so far accumulated before the current hand started.

Seat wind and prevalent wind

Each seat (each player, East, South, West or North) has a corresponding wind, called the Seat Wind. If you achieve a pong or a kong in “your own” Wind, it means extra points; see the scoring section.
When the seating positions rotate, so does your Seat Wind. Each round (= consisting of four hands when each player will be in each of the seating positions in turn) also corresponds to a Prevailing Wind: during the first round (the first four hands), the Prevailing Wind will be East; then, during the following four hands, it will be South; then West, and finally North, after which sixteen hands (= four rounds) have been played and the game is over, if not before due to time reasons.

Internet play vs live play

Note that when playing in a live game, there are also a number of other rules governing the players' physical behaviour, such as the formal procedure to add up the points using previously discarded tiles, penalties for having the wrong number of tiles in hand or trying to go out with a non-correct hand, and so on. The software on this site will of course make it impossible to commit these mistakes, but before playing in a live game it is advised that you familiarize yourself with the entire set of these rules, as set down by the World Mahjong Organization.

Scoring

As soon as a player has achieved a valid mahjong hand and goes out, play immediately stops and he or she exposes the tiles still in hand (while taking care to note which sets were concealed just before going out). In a live tournament, that player would then count out loud, one by one, the scoring elements and combinations he/she claims for the hand, summing up the points while being validated by the other players. If that player forgets any scoring element or combination, it is his/her fault – the other players are not obliged to point out this error (indeed, must keep silent in a live tournament); and furthermore, once validated by the others and scored the points stand, even if any mistake is noticed later.
Naturally, when playing at this site all the scoring is done automatically by the software and shown on the screen – and no elements or combinations are overlooked!

The basic principles of scoring

The International game is pattern-based, subject to a number of stringent rules, and differs severly in scoring from the Chinese Classical game.
First, the minimum required to go out is 8 points (not counting any Bonus tiles); any hand failing to reach this minimum (even if it fulfills the formal requirement of four sets and a pair) you are not permitted to go out on.
Second, once all the scoring elements and combinations (including the Bonus tiles) have been added up, this forms the “basic score”. To this 8 points are always added, for the full score of the winning hand.
Third, only the winner gets paid by the other three players – these three do not then exchange points between themselves, unlike in the Chinese Classical game.
Fourth, if the win is by self-draw (the winning player draws the final tile needed from the Wall), the three other players all pay the winning score in full. If instead the win is by discard (the final tile needed is discarded by another player and immediately claimed by the winner), only the discarder pays the winning score in full (as a penalty for his/her “carelessness”), while the other two players only pay the winner the minimum 8 points each.
Fifth, in International Competition Mahjong points may be scored by combinations of sets – such as for example having two chows, 1-2-3 and 7-8-9 in the same suit, which each by itself would not give the player any points but do so when together in the same hand (“Two Terminal Chows”, see below). It is critically important to know of all these scoring elements and combinations of elements which are possible, and how to utilize them to your advantage when trying to achieve a winning hand.
Sixth, there are a few principles governing how a hand is scored, prohibiting for example a repetition of the same combinations. When playing here the software will automatically adhere to these principles, but in a live game you must know them by heart – see near the end of this scoring section.
Seventh, the only five permissible hands not conforming to the “four sets and one pair” rule are:

• Seven Shifted Pairs (#06, see below)
• Thirteen Orphans (#07)
• Seven Pairs (#19)
• Greater Honours and Knitted Tiles (#20)
• Lesser Honours and Knitted Tiles (#34)
• Knitted Straight (#35)

The scoring elements and combinations

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There are eighty-one scoring elements and combinations (called fan in Chinese) in total, worth from 1 point up to 88 points. Here they are, grouped and numbered in the official order set out by the World Mahjong Organization:

88 points

(01) Big Four Winds: A hand containing pongs or kongs of all four Wind tiles, E-S-W-N.
It may not be combined with big Three Winds, Little Four Winds, All Pongs, Seat Wind, Prevalent Wind, or pong of Terminals or Honours (all implied).
(02) Big Three Dragons: A hand containing pongs or kongs of all three Dragon tiles, Red-Green-White.
It may not be combined with pong of Dragons, or Two Dragons (both implied).
(03) All Green: A hand in which all the chows, pongs/kongs and the pair are made up entirely of combinations of “green” tiles: defined as 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 of Bamboos, and Green Dragon.
It may be combined with either Half Flush or Full Flush. When combined with Seven Pairs, Tile Hog may not be added.
(04) Nine Gates: Holding (concealed) the 1-1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-9-9 tiles in any of the three suits, creating the nine-sided wait of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 in that same suit.
It may be combined with Fully Concealed if the winning tile is Self-Drawn. It may not be combined with Full Flush (implied), Concealed, Edge Wait, Closed Wait, Single Wait, or Pong of Terminals or Honours.
(05) Four Kongs: Any hand that includes four kongs (plus a pair). These may be concealed or melded.
(06) Seven Shifted Pairs: A hand containing seven pairs of the same suit, each shifted one up from the previous one.
It may be combined with Fully Concealed if the winning tile is Self-Drawn. It may not be combined with Full Flush, Concealed Hand, or Single Wait (all implied).
(07) Thirteen Orphans: A hand containing one each of all the Dragons, all the Winds, a 1 and 9 of each suit, and the fourteenth tile forming a pair with any of the previous ones.
It may be combined with Fully Concealed if the winning tile is Self-Drawn. It may not be combined with Concealed Hand, All Types, or Single Wait (all implied).

64 Points

(08) All Terminals: A hand made up entirely of 1 and 9 of the suit tiles, pongs or kongs and including the pair, without any Honour tiles.
It may not be combined with No Honours (implied), All Pongs (implied), or Outside Hand (implied). It may be combined with Double Pong or Triple Pong. It may be combined with Seven Pairs, but then the Tile Hog may not be added.
(09) Little Four Winds: A hand containing three pongs or kongs of Wind tiles, and a pair of the fourth Wind.
It may not be combined with Big Three Winds (implied) or Pong of Terminals or Honours (implied). It may be combined with Seat Wind or Prevalent Wind.
(10) Little Three Dragons: A hand containing two pongs or kongs of Dragons, and a pair of the Third Dragon.
It may not be combined with Two Dragons, or Pong of Dragons (both implied).
(11) All Honours: All pungs, kongs and the pair consist of Honour tiles.
The Dragons and Winds may be exposed or concealed. It may not be combined with All Pongs (implied), Outside Hand, or Pong of Terminals or Honours (implied). Points for Seat Wind, Prevalent Wind and/or Pong of Dragons may be added.
(12) Four Concealed Pongs: A hand containing four concealed pongs or kongs (achieved without melding).
It may not be combined with Concealed Hand (implied) or All Pongs (implied). It may be combined with Fully Concealed if the winning tile is Self-Drawn.
(13) Pure Terminal Chows: A hand containing four Terminal Chows, two each of the lower and the upper, all of the same suit, and a pair of fives of the same suit.
It may not be combined with Full Flush (implied), All Chows (implied), Seven Pairs, Pure Double Chow (implied), Mixed Double Chow (implied), or Two Terminal Chows (implied).

48 Points

(14) Quadruple Chow: A hand containing four identical chows of the same suit.
It may not be combined with Pure Double Chow (implied), Pure Triple Chow (implied), Tile Hog, or Pure Shifted Pongs.
(15) Four Pure Shifted Pongs: A hand containing four pongs or kongs of the same suit, each shifted one of from the previous one.
It may not be combined with Pure Double Chow, Pure Triple Chow, Tile Hog, or Pure Shifted Pongs Implied).

32 Points

(16) Four Pure Shifted Chows: A hand containing four chows of the same suit, each shifted up either 1 or 2 steps from the previous one (but not a combination of both).
>It may not be combined with Short Straight.
(17) Three Kongs: A hand containing three kongs (exposed or concealed).
It may be combined with points for concealment, see below. If all three kongs are concealed, it may be combined with Three Concealed Pongs.
(18) All Terminals and Honours: A hand containing pongs, kongs and/or pair(s), all of 1 and/or 9 of the suit tiles and Honour tiles (Winds and/or Dragons).
It may not be combined with Pong of Terminals or Honours (implied), Outside Hand, or All Pongs (implied).

24 Points

(19) Seven Pairs: A hand consisting of seven pairs, any pairs. The pairs need not all be different – one may be two 7 of Characters, and another pair the remaining two 7 of Characters, for example.
It may not be combined with Single Wait (implied) or Concealed Hand (implied). It may be combined with Fully Concealed if the winning tile is Self-Drawn, and may also be combined with All Types and Tile Hog.
(20) Greater Honours and Knitted Tiles: A hand containing one each of the four Winds and the three Dragons, plus any seven tiles in a knitted straight (1-4-7 of one suit, 2-5-8 of another suit and 3-6-9 of the third suit), but where the Wind and Dragon tiles are used as “jokers” to take the place of missing suit tiles in the sequences. Differs from Lesser Honours and Knitted Tiles (#34, see below) in that it must contain one each of all seven Honour tiles. This hand does not contain a pair!
It may not be combined with Concealed Hand or All Types (both implied). It may be combined with Fully Concealed if the winning tile is Self-Drawn.
(21) All Even Pongs: A hand containing pongs or kongs of 2, 4, 6 or 8 of the suit tiles, plus a pair of the same.
It may not be combined with All Pongs (implied) or All Simples (implied).
(22) Full Flush: A hand containing tiles from one suit only.
It may not be combined with No Honours (implied).
(23) Pure Triple Chow: A hand containing three identical chows of the same suit.
It may not be combined with Pure Shifted Pongs, or Pure Double Chow (implied).
(24) Pure Shifted Pongs:A hand containing three pongs or kongs of the same suit, each shifted one up from the previous one.
It may not be combined with Pure Triple Chow.
(25) Upper Tiles: A hand containing 7, 8 and/or 9 tiles only.
It may not be combined with No Honours (implied).
(26) Middle Tiles: A hand containing 4, 5 and/or 6 tiles only.
Again, it may not be combined with No Honours (implied).
(27) Lower Tiles: A hand containing 1, 2 and/or 3 tiles only.
Again, it may not be combined with No Honours (implied).

16 Points

(28) Pure Straight: A hand containing the sequence 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 of the same suit, forming three consecutive chows.
(29) Three-Suited Terminal Chows: A hand containing 1-2-3 and 7-8-9 of one suit (Two Terminal Chows), 1-2-3 and 7-8-9 of another suit, and a pair of fives in the remaining suit.
It may not be combined with All Chows (implied), Two Terminal Chows (implied), or Mixed Double Chow (implied).
(30) Pure Shifted Chows: A hand containing three chows of the same suit, each shifted up either 1 or 2 steps from the previous one (but not a combination of both).
(31) All Fives: A hand in which every set (chow, pong, kong, pair) includes at least one 5 tile.
It may not be combined with All Simples (implied).
(32) Triple Pong: A hand containing three matching pongs or kongs of the same number, in all three suits.
(33) Three Concealed Pongs: A hand containing three concealed pongs or kongs (achieved without melding).

12 Points

(34) Lesser Honours and Knitted Tiles: A hand containing a knitted straight (1-4-7 of one suit, 2-5-8 of another suit and 3-6-9 of the third suit), and with single Honour tiles (Winds and Dragons) making up the rest of the hand as well as acting as “jokers” taking the place of any missing suit tiles in the sequences. This hand differs from Greater Honours and Knitted Tiles (#20) in that it does not contain one each of all seven Honour tiles. Also, this hand does not contain a pair!
It may not be combined with Concealed Hand or All Types (both implied). It may be combined with Fully Concealed if the winning tile is Self-Drawn. It may also be combined with Knitted Straight, if no Honour tiles at all are used in the sequences.
(35) Knitted Straight: A hand containing three special sequences, 1-4-7 of one suit, 2-5-8 of another suit and 3-6-9 of the third suit.
It may not be combined with Edge Wait or Closed Wait. It may be combined with All Chows, or with Lesser Honours and Knitted Tiles.
(36) Upper Four: A hand containing 6, 7, 8 and/or 9 tiles only.
It may not be combined with No Honours (implied).
(37) Lower Four: A hand containing 1, 2, 3 and/or 4 tiles only.
It may not be combined with No Honours (implied).
(38) Big Three Winds: A hand containing three pongs or kongs in three different winds.

8 Points

(39) Mixed Straight: A hand containing three different chows, 1-2-3 of one suit, 4-5-6 of another suit, and 7-8-9 of the third suit.
(40) Reversible Tiles: A hand made up entirely of those tiles which are vertically symmetrical, meaning the tile looks the same when turned upside down. These tiles are defined as the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9 of Dots, the 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 of Bamboos, and the White Dragon.
It may not be combined with One Voided Suit (implied).
(41) Mixed Triple Chow: A hand containing three chows of the same numerical sequence, but in three different suits.
(42) Mixed Shifted Pongs: A hand containing three pongs or kongs, in all three different suits, each shifted one step up from the previous one.
(43) Chicken Hand: A hand that would otherwise score 0 points (not counting the Bonus tiles). The different elements in it must not qualify for any scoring at all!
(44) Last Tile Draw: Going out (making the mahjong) by drawing the very last tile from the Wall.
It does not combine with Self-Drawn (implied).
(45) Last Tile Claim: Going out (making the mahjong) by claiming the very last discarded tile in the game.
(46) Out With Replacement Tile: Going out (making the mahjong) with the replacement tile drawn after achieving a kong (but not when replacing a Bonus tile).
It may not combine with Self-Drawn (implied). If a Bonus tile is drawn as a replacement after achieving a kong, and the new replacement tile lets you go out, the point for Self-Drawn may be added but Out With Replacement Tile does not apply.
(47) Robbing the Kong: Winning by claiming (for the mahjong) a tile another player tries to add to a melded pong to create an exposed kong.
This is treated, points-wise, as winning by discard from another player. It may not be combined with either Last Tile Draw or Last Tile Claim.
(48) Two Concealed Kongs: A hand containing two concealed kongs.
Note: This scoring element was originally valued at 6 points, but was upgraded to 8 points in the year 2006 by the WMO.

6 Points

(49) All Pongs: A hand containing four pongs or kongs, and a pair.
(50) Half Flush: A hand that contains suits from one suit only, in combination with Honour tiles (Winds and/or Dragons).
(51) Mixed Shifted Chows: A hand containing three chows, one in each suit, each shifted one step up from the previous one.
Note: This is an important scoring element, very frequently used by master players.
(52) All Types: A hand in which all three suits, and one of the Winds and one of the Dragons, are present in making up the four sets and the pair.
It may also be combined with Seven Pairs.
(53) Melded Hand: A hand in which all four sets, AND the pair, must be completed by claiming tiles discarded by the other players. All sets must be exposed, and the player goes out by completing the pair off a discard from another player.
It may not be combined with Single Wait (implied).
(54) Two Dragon Pongs: A hand containing two pongs or kongs of Dragon tiles.

4 Points

(55) Outside Hand: A hand containing Terminals and Honours in all four sets, as well as the pair.
(56) Fully Concealed Hand: A hand which is completed without any melds (any claiming of discards), and wins by Self-Draw.
It may not be combined with Self-Draw (implied) or Concealed Hand (implied).
(57) Two Melded Kongs: A hand containing two exposed kongs.
Note that one melded kong and one concealed kong are 6 points.
(58) Last Tile: Winning with a tile that is the last of its kind. This fact must be clear to all players, the previous three having been discarded or exposed in sets.

2 Points

(59) Dragon Pong: One pong or kong of Dragons, concealed or exposed.
(60) Prevalent Wind: A pong or kong of the Wind corresponding to the current Prevalent Wind.
(61) Seat Wind: A pong or kong of the Wind corresponding to your own current Seat Wind (seating position, East, South, West or North).
(62) Concealed Hand: A hand without any exposed sets (melds), and which wins by claiming a discard.
(63) All Chows: A hand consisting of four chows (plus a pair), the pair not being made up of Honour tiles.
It may not be combined with No Honours (implied).
(64) Tile Hog: Using four identical tiles from one of the suits, without using them as a kong – using them instead as two pairs, or in one pong and one chow.
(65) Double Pong: Two pongs or kongs (or one pong and one kong) of the same number but in two different suits.
(66) Two Concealed Pongs: Two pongs achieved without melding.
(67) Concealed kong: Four identical tiles, all self-drawn, declared as a kong.
(68) All Simples: A hand which does not contain any Terminals (1 or 9), nor any Honours.

1 Point

(69) Pure Double Chow: Two identical chows, of the same suit.
(70) Mixed Double Chow: Two chows with the same numbers, but in different suits.
(71) Short Straight: Two chows in the same suit that run consecutively, for example 3-4-5 and 6-7-8 of Dots.
(72) Two Terminal Chows: Two chows, of 1-2-3 and 7-8-9 respectively, in the same suit.
(73) Pong of Terminals or Honours: A pong or kong of 1 or 9 in one of the suits, or of one of the Winds.
Note that a pong of Dragons scores 2 points instead. A pong in one of the Winds may be combined with Seat Wind or Prevalent Wind.
(74) Melded Kong: A kong claimed from another player's discard, or promoted from a previously melded pong by self-drawing the fourth tile.
(75) One Voided Suit: A hand entirely lacking tiles from one of the suits. Winds and/or Dragon tiles may be present in the hand.
(76) No Honours: A hand formed entirely of suit tiles, without any Winds or Dragons.
(77) Edge Wait: Winning by drawing or claiming a 3 to form a 1-2-3 chow, or a 7 to form a 7-8-9 chow.
It is not valid if waiting for more than one tile, or if the Edge Wait is combined with any other waits.
(78) Closed Wait: Winning by drawing or claiming a tile whose number is on the “inside” to form a chow, for example a 6 to form a 5-6-7 chow.
It is not valid if waiting for more than one tile, or if the Closed Wait is combined with any other waits.
(79) Single Wait: Waiting solely for a tile to form a pair.
It is not valid if waiting for more than one tile, for example when holding 1-2-3-4 of a suit and waiting for either the 1 or the 4.
(80) Self-Drawn: Going out (making the mahjong) with a tile drawn from the Wall.
(81) Bonus Tiles: Each Season tile or Flower tile will award you 1 point when going out (making the mahjong). However, Bonus tiles do not count toward the 8-point minimum score required to go out – the hand must be worth at least 8 points on it own merits, before any points for Bonus tiles are added.
If you draw a replacement for a Bonus tile, and can go out with this replacement tile, it counts as Self-Drawn for 1 extra point.

The five principles governing how a hand is scored

In calculating the score for a hand, the following principles must be stringently observed:
The prohibition against implied inclusion: When a higher-scoring pattern cannot be achieved without also making a related lower-scoring pattern, the lower-scoring pattern is said to be “implied” and may not also be scored.
The prohibition against identical patterns: Once a set has been used to achieve a particular two- or three-set pattern, you may then not use the same set to form an identical pattern with another set.
The prohibition against separation: Once one or more sets have been formed into a particular scoring combination, you may not “separate” those tiles and re-organize them into other sets to form a different scoring combination.
The prohibition against repetitive set usage: Once two or three sets have been used to form a scoring combination, any other remaining sets in hand may only be combined once with an already-scored set, in creating additional two- or three-set scoring combinations.
The freedom of choice principle: If a set can be used to form a high-scoring pattern or a low-scoring pattern, the player is free to select the high-scoring pattern.

The table points in a tournament

After each game in a tournament, whether completed by playing all sixteen hands or interrupted by time running out, a total of 7 table points are awarded. When playing in a championship, the player scoring the highest total number of table points after a pre-determined number of games is the winner. In case of a tie in table points, the total number of “regular” points accumulated during all the games is the tie-breaker.
After each game, the high scorer receives 4 table points; the second highest scorer receives 2 table points; the third highest receives 1 table point; and the fourth player receives 0 table points.
If two players' scores are equal, they split table points between them. In case of a tie for highest score, both players receive 3 table points each, and the third and fourth player 1 and 0 table points respectively. In case of a tie for second-highest score, the first player receives 4 points, the tied players 1,5 points each, and the fourth player 0 points. In case of a tie for third-highest score, the first player receives 4,5 points, the second 2,5 points, and the tied players 0 points each – and so on in logical fashion, for the remaining possible cases.

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