To play Mahjong, here are the basic steps and rules to get started:
- Setup:
- 4 players sit around a square table.
- Each player has a rack to hold tiles.
- All Mahjong tiles are placed face down in the center and shuffled.
- Each player builds a "wall" of 19 tiles long and 2 tiles high in front of them.
- Players roll dice to determine who is "East" (dealer).
- East breaks their wall at the rolled dice location and draws tiles.
- Players draw tiles in a counter-clockwise direction until East has 14 tiles and others have 13 tiles each.
- Goal:
- The goal is to form a legal winning hand.
- A winning hand usually consists of four sets of three tiles (called melds) and one pair.
- A set can be three identical tiles or a sequence of three consecutive tiles in the same suit.
- Play:
- The dealer (East) starts by discarding a tile.
- Play passes counter-clockwise; players draw a tile from the wall and discard one tile each turn.
- Players may "call" or "claim" a discarded tile out of turn if it helps complete a set.
- Calls include "Pung" (three of a kind), "Kong" (four of a kind), and "Chow" (sequence).
- A player who completes a legal winning hand calls "Mahjong" and reveals the hand to win.
- Rules:
- Players keep 13 tiles in hand during play (except the dealer who starts with 14).
- Bonus tiles (flowers, seasons) are set aside and replaced by drawing extra tiles.
- If multiple players want the same discarded tile, the one who can complete Mahjong takes precedence.
- When a tile is claimed to form a set, those tiles are shown face-up (exposed).
- Play continues until a player wins or no more tiles remain (a "wall game").
- Strategy:
- Arrange and analyze your tiles to plan how to complete sets.
- Decide when to call discarded tiles or draw from the wall to optimize your hand.
This is a brief overview primarily based on American and Chinese Mahjong styles. Variations exist depending on regional rules and tile sets used. For detailed visual and step-by-step guides, tutorials on YouTube and Mahjong instruction websites can be very helpful. If you want, I can also provide instructions specific to a Mahjong variant such as American, Chinese, or Hong Kong style. Let me know! This summary covers how to play the core Mahjong game including setup, play order, calling tiles, and winning conditions.
