Tournament Rules

1. Introduction

• Sichuan Mahjong Blood Battle rules are one of the most widely recognized and adopted Mahjong rules within China.
• Sichuan Mahjong Blood Battle Rules: This set of rules is based on Sichuan Mahjong’s Blood Battle rules, designed to reduce luck elements, with a cap of three fan (multiplier) and introduces the concept of game scores.

2. Rules

2.1 Components and Terminology

2.1.1 Components

A standard set of Mahjong tiles with 108 tiles in three suits: Wan, Bing, and Tiao.

2.2 Basic Rules

1. Tiles: The game uses three suits: Wan, Bing, and Tiao (Character, Dots and Bamboo), totaling 108 tiles. Honor tiles are not used.
2. Allowed Moves: Players may declare Pung or Kong but cannot Chow (Eat).
3. Multiple Winners on a Single Discard: A single discarded tile may result in multiple players winning.
4. Sequential Pung and Sequential Win Restrictions: Players cannot declare sequential Pungs (using the same tile) or sequential wins. Sequential Pungs and Wins are considered false wins unless they increase the total score.
5. Robbing a Kong: Players can rob an exposed Kong but not a concealed Kong.

2.3 One Missing Suit Rule (缺一门)

1. One Missing Suit Requirement: To win, players’ hands must include no more than two of the three suits, referred to as “one missing suit.” If, at the end of a draw, a player’s hand still contains tiles from all three suits (Tiao, Bing, and Wan), this is called a “Flower Pig” (花猪). The “Flower Pig” must pay each player the full hand score.
2. Declaring the Missing Suit: Players must decide which suit to exclude after drawing their starting hand. Once declared, the suit cannot be changed, and any tile of the missing suit must be discarded before other tiles.

2.4 Blood Battle to the End Rules (血战到底)

1. Continuing After a Win: After one player wins, the hand does not end. The remaining players continue until three players win or the hand is drawn.
2. Self-Draw vs. Discard Win: A player who wins by self-draw collects points from all other players who have not won, while a player winning on a discard collects points only from the discarding player.
3. First Win Immunity: The first winning player is unaffected by subsequent scoring events.

2.5 Wind and Rain Bonuses (刮风下雨)

1. Added Kong from Drawn Tile: If a player completes a Kong by drawing the fourth tile of a Pung, they collect one point from each non-winning player.
2. Pung to Kong with Discard: When a player completes a Kong with a discarded tile, they collect two points from the player who discarded it.
3. Concealed Kong: Declaring a concealed Kong allows the player to collect two points from each non-winning player.
4. Draw Penalty for Kong Declaration: If a player declares a Kong and the hand ends in a draw, any points gained from the Kong must be returned.
5. Robbing a Kong: If a player robs an added Kong, only the robber gains points.

2.6 Checking “Listening” Status (查叫)

After a draw, players who are not in the listening (ready to win) state must pay points to those who are, based on the maximum fan value.

2.7 Winning Hand Combinations

1. 1. 11 123 123 123 123, 4 sequences + 1 pair.

1. 1. 11 111 123 123 123, 3 sequences + 1 triplet + 1 pair.

1. 1. 11 111 111 123 123, 2 sequences + 2 triplets + 1 pair.

1. 1. 11 111 111 111 123, 1 sequence + 3 triplets + 1 pair.

1. 1. 11 111 111 111 111, 4 triplets + 1 pair.

1. 1. 11 11 11 11 11 11 11, Seven Pairs (七对).

2.8 Scoring

1. Cap: The general cap is three fan (8 points) for competitive rules. Any hand with 3 fan or more is considered a “full hand.”
2. Scoring Rules:
   • Standard win: 1 point.
   • Discarded Kong: 2 points.
   • Concealed Kong: 2 points per non-winning player.
   • Exposed Kong: 1 point per non-winning player.
   • Self-Draw Formula: (2 fan + base of 1 point) × associated players + Kong points – other players’ points = final score.
   • Winning on Discard Formula: 2 fan + Kong points – other players’ points = final score.
3. 8.3 Definitions

Heavenly Hand (天和): A Heavenly Hand occurs when the dealer draws a complete winning hand of 14 tiles immediately after the initial deal. (3 fan)

Earthly Hand (地和): An Earthly Hand occurs if a non-dealer player wins using the dealer’s first discarded tile, or if the first player to the dealer’s left draws a winning tile immediately without Pung or Kong. (3 fan)

With Root (带根): With Root refers to a situation where a player’s exposed tiles include a Kong, or if the tiles in their hand can form a Kong with the exposed tiles. (1 fan)

  Self-Draw (自摸): A self-draw win occurs when a player completes their winning hand by drawing the tile themselves from the wall.

  Winning on Discard (点炮和牌 / 点和): Winning on discard refers to a winning hand completed using a tile discarded by another player.

  All Triplets (大对 / 碰碰和): This hand combination consists of all triplets plus one pair. (1 fan)

Pure Suit (清一色): This refers to a winning hand composed of tiles from only one suit. (1 fan)

Fishing for the Golden Hook (金钩钓): This occurs when, after forming Pungs or Kongs, the player has only one tile left in their hand and completes the winning pair by either drawing the tile themselves or using another player’s discard. (2 fan)

Seven Pairs (七对) and Dragon Seven Pairs (龙七对): This hand consists of seven pairs or, for Dragon Seven Pairs, five pairs plus one Kong. (Seven Pairs: 2 fan; Dragon Seven Pairs: 3 fan)

  Kong Bloom (杠上开花): This refers to winning by drawing a tile immediately after declaring a Kong. (2 fan)

  Fishing the Moon from the Sea (海底捞月) and Last Minute Save (妙手回春):

• Fishing the Moon from the Sea: Winning by self-drawing the very last tile from the wall.
• Last Minute Save: Winning when another player uses the very last tile from the wall to complete their hand. (1 fan)

  Base Point (底): Refers to adding an extra 1 point.

2.9 Fan Types

1. Examples:
   • 1 Fan Hands: Standard Win, Robbing a Kong, Winning with Sea Bottom tile.
   • 2 Fan Hands: Winning with a Concealed Kong, All of One Suit, Fishing for the Last Tile.
   • 3 Fan Hands: Dragon Seven Pairs, Heavenly Win, Earthly Win.

2.10 Game Score Calculation

Each match consists of eight rounds, with each round totaling the score from eight hands. Players receive points based on their rank at the end of each round: 4, 3, 2, or 1. After eight rounds, these scores are added to determine the final ranking.

3. Supplementary Rules for Live Matches

1. Verbal Declarations: Actions such as Pung, Kong, and Win must be clearly announced.
2. Discretion with Actions: Players reaching for a tile without declaration are assumed to forgo the chance to Pung, Kong, or Win.
3. False Wins: Players must pay the maximum points possible for each remaining player if they falsely declare a win.
4. Irregular Hands: If a player holds too many or too few tiles unnoticed by others, the game continues. If found, a penalty tile is shown to the player, and the game proceeds without a point deduction.
5. Flower Pig: If a player fails to fulfill the one missing suit requirement, they are declared a “flower pig” and penalized by awarding full hand points to the other players.
6. Rules for Discarding Tiles:

• A: Once a tile has been placed into the discard pool and released, it is considered final and cannot be changed. If a player immediately retrieves a tile after placing it down, it is treated as if the tile never entered the discard pool, but the player will receive a yellow card warning. If the tile is not retrieved immediately and the next player draws, the tile is considered officially discarded.
• B: During the game, any action that stops the flow of play (such as declaring Pung, Kong, or Win) must be accompanied by a physical gesture. If a player verbally declares Pung, Kong, or Win without actually performing the action, it is considered a violation and results in a yellow card warning. Judgment criteria: False Win (诈和) is determined if a player reaches for a tile, places it in their hand, and releases it, or if they place the Win card on the table. Similarly, False Kong (诈杠) is determined by reaching for a tile, placing it in their hand, and completing the action of drawing a replacement tile. Both are treated as False Wins.
• C: After stopping the game for an action, if the player changes their intent (e.g., from Pung to Kong after consideration), other players may declare Win.