# Hong Kong vs American mahjong

Hong Kong mahjong uses 144 tiles with no jokers. You can make runs (chows), and any 4 sets and a pair can win if it scores at least 3 faan. American mahjong uses 152 tiles with 8 jokers, has no runs, starts with a tile trade called the Charleston, and you can only win with a hand printed on a card.

The tiles, the seats and the direction of play are the same, so moving from one to the other is easier than it looks. This guide covers what changes.

## The differences at a glance

| Topic | Hong Kong | American |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiles | 144 | 152 |
| Jokers | None | 8 |
| Flowers | 4 flowers and 4 seasons, set aside as bonus tiles | 8 flowers, all the same tile, used in hands |
| Runs | Allowed (chows) | Not allowed |
| Winning hand | Any 4 sets and a pair with at least 3 faan | One hand from the card |
| Before play | Straight into play | The Charleston |
| Calling | Chow from your left; pung or kong from anyone | Pung, kong or quint from anyone; pairs only for mahjong |
| Scoring | Faan for each scoring part; each faan doubles the payment | A value printed next to each hand on the card |
| Dealer | East deals again after a win or a draw | The deal moves on after every hand |

## What's the same

- Three suits numbered 1 to 9 (Dots, Bams and Craks), four winds and three dragons, four of each.
- Four players, each with a seat wind. East is the dealer and starts with 14 tiles; everyone else has 13.
- Play goes counter-clockwise: the player on your right goes after you.
- On your turn you draw, then discard. You can call a discard to finish a pung or kong.
- Pungs (3 alike) and kongs (4 alike) are sets in both games. After a kong you take an extra tile.

## Chows: runs are allowed

This is the biggest change for American players. In Hong Kong mahjong, 3 in a row in one suit is a set called a chow. You can call a discard for a chow, but only from the player on your left.

Tiles: 3 Dot, 4 Dot, 5 Dot | 3 Dot, 3 Dot, 3 Dot

American mahjong has no runs. Numbers in a row show up on the card only as matching sets, like a pung of 3s, a pung of 4s and a pung of 5s.

## No card: faan instead

American players win by matching one exact hand on the card, and the card changes every year. Hong Kong mahjong has no card. Any 4 sets and a pair is a winning shape.

Instead, the hand has to score enough. Faan are points for features like a dragon pung, a hand in one suit, a concealed hand or a self-drawn win. Most tables need 3 faan to win. See [Hong Kong mahjong scoring](https://learnmahjongquick.com/guides/hong-kong-mahjong-scoring).

So the planning is different. In American mahjong you pick a hand from the card early. In Hong Kong mahjong you look for where your faan will come from, and keep your options open.

## Jokers and flowers

Hong Kong mahjong has no jokers. Every set is made of real tiles, and there are no joker swaps.

Tiles: Flower, Flower, Flower, Flower | 7 Bam, 7 Bam, Joker

Flowers work differently too. In Hong Kong mahjong, a flower or season never stays in your hand. You put it face up beside you, take a replacement tile, and it may add faan at the end. In American mahjong, the 8 flowers are all the same tile and are part of many hands on the card.

## No Charleston, and more calling

There is no Charleston in Hong Kong mahjong. After the deal, East discards and play starts.

- **Chow:** only from the player on your left.
- **Pung or kong:** from anyone, as in American mahjong.
- **To win:** any tile from anyone, for any set or for your pair.
- **No quints:** with no jokers there are only 4 of each tile, so the biggest set is a kong.

Calling costs something in Hong Kong mahjong: a hand with no called sets scores 1 more faan. American hands marked C (concealed) on the card can't call at all, except for the last tile.

## Scoring and paying

In American mahjong, each hand's value is printed on the card. In Hong Kong mahjong, you add up the faan, up to a top score called the limit (10 faan in our game). In our game, each faan doubles the payment.

Who pays works the same way in both: on a discard win, the player who threw the tile pays double and the others pay single; on a self-drawn win, everyone pays double.

Tiles: Red Dragon, Red Dragon, Red Dragon | East, East, East. Pungs of dragons and of your own winds score in Hong Kong mahjong. In American mahjong they only matter if the card asks for them.

## Tips for switching

### From American to Hong Kong

- Look for chows. They are the fastest way to finish a hand.
- Count your faan early. A fast hand that scores 1 faan can't win.
- Watch the player on your left: only their discards can make your chows.
- Don't pass tiles at the start, and don't look for jokers.

### From Hong Kong to American

- Forget runs. Every set is matching tiles.
- Pick a hand from the card. Any 4 sets and a pair won't win.
- Keep your flowers: they are part of many hands.
- Use jokers in sets of 3 or more, never in pairs.

To learn either one with tiles on the screen, try the free [Hong Kong mahjong course](https://learnmahjongquick.com/learn-hong-kong-mahjong) or the [American mahjong course](https://learnmahjongquick.com/learn-american-mahjong). Then [play Hong Kong mahjong](https://learnmahjongquick.com/play-hong-kong-mahjong) or [play American mahjong](https://learnmahjongquick.com/play-american-mahjong) against the computer.

## Questions

**Which is easier, Hong Kong or American mahjong?**

Hong Kong mahjong has fewer rules at the start: no card, no jokers and no Charleston. American mahjong is simpler to score, because each hand's value is printed on the card.

**Can I play Hong Kong mahjong with an American set?**

Yes. Take out the 8 jokers and you have the 144 tiles you need.

**Can I play American mahjong with a Hong Kong set?**

Not without extra tiles. American mahjong needs 8 jokers, and most sets made for Chinese styles have none.

**Is Hong Kong mahjong the same as Chinese mahjong?**

It's one style of Chinese mahjong, also called Cantonese mahjong. Other Chinese styles use different scoring. See [American vs Chinese mahjong](https://learnmahjongquick.com/guides/american-vs-chinese-mahjong).

Web version: https://learnmahjongquick.com/guides/hong-kong-vs-american-mahjong