Tournament Rules

1. Introduction

• Guangdong Mahjong: The most popular Mahjong rule set in the Guangdong region, featuring unique gameplay aspects such as “Push-to-Win,” “Buying Horses,” and the use of “Joker Tile (a random tile that can be defined as joker tile),” adding distinctive enjoyment.

2. Rules

2.1 Components and Terminology

2.1.1 Components

A standard set of Mahjong tiles includes number tiles, honor tiles, and flower tiles, for a total of 136 tiles.

Type	Subtype	Name	Description
Tile Set	(136 tiles)	Number Tiles	(108 tiles)
		Wan (36), also called character	1 to 9 Wan (4 of each)
		Bing (36), also called dots	1 to 9 Bing (4 of each)
		Tiao (36), also called bamboo	1 to 9 Tiao (4 of each)
		Honor Tiles	(28 tiles)
		Wind Tiles (16)	East, South, West, North (4 of each)
		Arrow Tiles (12)	Zhong (Red Dragon), Fa (Green Dragon), Bai (White Dragon)

Tools

• Dice: Two six-sided dice are used.

Participants

• Players: 4 players.

2.1.2 Terminology

Term	Description
Turn	A cycle where each player draws and discards one tile.
Round	When all 4 players complete a turn, it constitutes a round.
Hand	From the start of the hand to a win or a draw.
Game	Composed of eight hands or until a designated time limit.
Dealer	The player who starts the game; determined at random. Subsequent hands’ dealer can rotate based on rules.
Hand Tiles	The tiles each player holds, typically 13 in total.
Exposed Melds	Tiles revealed on the left side of a player’s hand from Pung or Kong actions.
Pair	A set of two identical tiles needed for winning.
Sequence (Shunzi)	Three consecutive tiles of the same suit.
Triplet (Kezi)	Three identical tiles. A Pung creates an exposed triplet, and a concealed triplet remains in hand.
Terminal Tiles	Any 1s and 9s from the number tiles and honor tiles.
Pung	Declaring a triplet by claiming a discard to match a pair.
Kong	Declaring a set of four identical tiles.
Chow	Declaring a sequence by claiming a discard to complete a sequence with two tiles in your hand.
Listening	When a player needs only one more tile to complete their hand.
Win	Completing the hand according to the rules and declaring a win.
Self-Draw Win	Winning by drawing the tile yourself from the wall.
Winning on Discard (Dian Pao)	Winning by using another player’s discard.
False Win	Declaring a win without having a valid hand.
Fan Type	The different types of tile combinations and their values.
Drawn Game (荒庄)	When no one wins, and the last tile is drawn.
Tile Wall	Each player builds a wall of 14 tiles, forming a square.
Tile Pool	The area within the tile walls.
Joker Tile	After the initial draw, a tile is revealed to indicate the Joker, whose next tile in the same suit is designated as the Joker.

2.1.3-2.1.5 Key Game Actions

• Chow (Eating): Not allowed in “Push-to-Win” Guangdong Mahjong.
• Pung: Declaring a triplet by claiming a discard to match a pair.
  • After Pung, the player must discard a tile and place the Pung face-up on the left.
  • Placement: If the tile was discarded by the player to the right, place it to the left of the triplet; from the player across, place it in the center; and from the player to the left, place it to the right.
  • [Priority]: If a discarded tile can be used by one player to complete a Pung and by another player to complete a winning hand, the winning hand takes priority. Only if the player with the winning hand chooses not to win can the tile be used for the Pung.

 

• Kong: Divided into exposed Kongs (明杠, which includes direct and added Kongs) and concealed Kongs (暗杠).
  • Exposed Kongs require immediate replacement from the wall’s end.
  • Direct Kong (点杠): Completed with a discarded tile, and the discarding player pays points.

2.1.6 Winning Hand Requirements

1. Basic Hand Types

	Winning hand	Description
1	11 123 123 123 123	Four Sequences + Pair
2	11 111 123 123 123	Three Sequences + Triplet + Pair
3	11 111 111 123 123	Two Sequences + Two Triplets + Pair
4	11 111 111 111 123	One Sequence + Three Triplets + Pair
5	11 111 111 111 111	Four Triplets + Pair
6	11 11 11 11 11 11 11	Seven Pairs
7	Thirteen Orphans (十三幺)	This hand consists of the 1 and 9 tiles from the Wan, Bing, and Tiao suits, along with one of each of the seven different honor tiles. To complete the hand, one of these thirteen unique tiles must be paired.

 

1. Win Types
   • Self-Draw: Winning with a tile drawn by oneself.
   • Robbing a Kong: Winning on a tile claimed for a Kong by another player.
   • No Cannon Win: Winning without using another player’s discard.

2.1.8 Fan Types (25 Types)

Fan Value:

• 88 Fan: Big Four Winds, Big Three Dragons, Four Kongs
• 64 Fan: All Honors, Triple Luxury Seven Pairs
• 48 Fan: Small Four Winds, Small Three Dragons
• 32 Fan: Terminals and Honors, Double Luxury Seven Pairs
• 16 Fan: Nine Gates, Luxury Seven Pairs, Thirteen Orphans
• 12 Fan: Four Jokers Win
• 8 Fan: Seven Pairs, Pure One Suit
• 4 Fan: Mixed One Suit, All Triplets, Sea Bottom Win, Robbing a Kong, Kong Bloom
• 2 Fan: Peace Hand (All Sequences)
• 1 Fan: Concealed Hand

Detailed Types

1. 88 Fan Examples:

Big Three Dragons (three dragon triplets).

 

Big Four Winds (four wind triplets),

Eighteen Arhats (十八罗汉): This winning hand consists of four Kongs (either exposed or concealed), meaning the player must have declared Kong four times.

1. 64 Fan Examples: All honor tiles, Heavenly Hand (winning on the initial deal).

All Honors (字一色): A winning hand composed entirely of honor tile triplets (or Kongs) and a pair.

  Heavenly Hand (天和): A win achieved by the dealer immediately after drawing their initial 14 tiles, without playing any other tiles.

  Earthly Hand (地和): A win that occurs when the first tile discarded by the dealer completes another player’s hand, or when the first player to the dealer’s left wins by self-draw on their first turn.

  Triple Luxury Seven Pairs (三豪华七对): A variation of the Seven Pairs hand, in which three of the pairs consist of four identical tiles, each counting as two pairs.

 

1. 48 Fan Examples:

Small Four Winds (小四喜): A winning hand consisting of three wind triplets (or Kongs) and a pair made from the remaining wind tile.

Small Three Dragons (小三元): A winning hand consisting of two dragon triplets (or Kongs) and a pair made from the remaining dragon tile.

 

1. 32 Fan Examples:

  Terminals and Honors (幺九): A winning hand composed of triplets (or Kongs) of 1s and 9s, along with a pair.

  Double Luxury Seven Pairs (双豪华七对): A variation of the Seven Pairs hand, in which two of the pairs consist of four identical tiles, each counting as two pairs.

 

1. 16 Fan Examples:,

Thirteen Orphans: This hand consists of the 1 and 9 tiles from the Wan, Bing, and Tiao suits, along with one of each of the seven different honor tiles. To complete the hand, one of these thirteen unique tiles must be paired.

Nine Gates (九莲宝灯): This hand consists of tiles from a single suit arranged in the sequence 1112345678999, with all tiles being self-drawn (concealed). The player can win by drawing or using any tile of the same suit to complete the hand.

1. 12 Fan:

Four Jokers Win (四鬼和牌): A winning hand that includes four Joker (wildcard) tiles.

1. 8 Fan:

Seven Pairs:

Tiles all in one suit:

1. 4 Fan

Mixed One Suit (混一色): A winning hand composed of tiles from a single suit combined with honor tiles.

All Triplets (碰碰和): A winning hand consisting entirely of triplets (no sequences).

 

Fishing the Moon from the Sea (海底捞月): Winning by using the last tile discarded from the wall.

Kong Bloom (杠上开花): Winning by drawing a tile immediately after declaring a Kong.

Robbing a Kong (抢杠和): Winning by using a tile that another player is attempting to add to an existing Pung to make a Kong.

1. 2 Fan

Peace Hand (平和): A winning hand composed entirely of sequences (no triplets or Kongs) and a pair, with the winning tile completing a sequence.

1. 1 Fan

Concealed Hand (门清): A winning hand with no Pungs or exposed Kongs; all tiles remain concealed in the player’s hand.

 

2.1.9 Scoring Principles

1. Basic Combinations: Pure One Suit and Mixed One Suit can stack with All Triplets or Seven Pairs.
2. Joker Use: Each Joker used doubles the final score.
3. Four Jokers Win: A win with four Jokers qualifies as an immediate win.
4. Joker Discard Win (出鬼和牌): If a player discards a Joker tile and eventually completes a winning hand, the base score is doubled.
5. Robbing a Kong Win (抢杠和): When a player wins by robbing another player’s Kong, the player attempting the Kong must pay both the horse points and the fan points for all three other players.
6. Winning After Discarded Kong (点杠杠开): If a player wins immediately after another player discards a tile to form a Kong, the player who discarded the tile must pay both the horse points and the fan points for all three other players.
7. Winning After Added Kong (补杠杠开): If a player wins immediately after an added Kong, the player who initially declared the Pung must pay both the horse points and the fan points for all three other players.

 

3. Horse Betting Rules

Guangdong Mahjong typically includes “Buying Horses” (买马):

1. Each player randomly receives two “Horse Tiles” at the start of each hand.
2. At the end of the hand, horses are calculated from the winner in a counterclockwise direction.
3. Horse Mapping
   • Winner: 1, 5, 9 tiles and East Wind.
   • Next Player: 2, 6 tiles, South Wind, Red Dragon.
   • Player Across: 3, 7 tiles, West Wind, Green Dragon.
   • Previous Player: 4, 8 tiles, North Wind, White Dragon.