Making sets
Hong Kong mahjong, lesson 2. Chows, pungs, kongs and the pair. A hand is 4 sets and a pair.
1. A winning hand
You win with 14 tiles: 4 sets and 1 pair. A set is 3 tiles that go together. A pair is 2 matching tiles.
- 2 sets: 1 Dot, 2 Dot, 3 Dot, 5 Bam, 5 Bam, 5 Bam
- 2 sets: 7 Crak, 8 Crak, 9 Crak, East, East, East
- 1 pair: Red Dragon, Red Dragon
2. Chow: 3 in a row
A chow is 3 numbers in a row, all in one suit.
- Chow (3, 4, 5 Dots): 3 Dot, 4 Dot, 5 Dot
- Not a chow (Different suits): 3 Dot, 4 Bam, 5 Crak
- Not a chow (Not in a row): 2 Crak, 4 Crak, 6 Crak
- Not a chow (Honors have no numbers): East, South, West
Note: If you know American mahjong: runs like this are allowed here.
Go to step 23. Pung: 3 alike
A pung is 3 matching tiles. Same number and same suit, or the same honor.
- Pung (Three 7 Bams): 7 Bam, 7 Bam, 7 Bam
- Pung (Three Norths): North, North, North
- Not a pung (Different suits): 3 Dot, 3 Bam, 3 Crak
4. Kong: 4 alike
A kong is 4 matching tiles. It counts as one set, the same as a pung.
- Kong (Four 6 Dots): 6 Dot, 6 Dot, 6 Dot, 6 Dot
- Kong (Four Green Dragons): Green Dragon, Green Dragon, Green Dragon, Green Dragon
Note: When you make a kong, you take one extra tile. Lesson 5 shows how.
Go to step 45. Make a chow
Try it: Pick 3 tiles that make a chow in Bams. Tiles to pick from: 4 Bam, 5 Dot, 8 Bam, East, 5 Bam, 6 Crak, 6 Bam.
Go to step 56. Make a pung
Try it: Pick 3 tiles that make a pung of Green Dragons. Tiles to pick from: Green Dragon, Red Dragon, Green Dragon, 2 Bam, White Dragon, Green Dragon, 1 Bam.
Go to step 67. Quiz: Name that set
Question: What is this? [1 Dot, 2 Dot, 3 Dot]
Answer: Chow
Question: What is this? [9 Bam, 9 Bam, 9 Bam]
Answer: Pung
Question: What is this? [White Dragon, White Dragon, White Dragon, White Dragon]
Answer: Kong
Question: What is this? [2 Crak, 2 Crak]
Answer: Pair
Question: What is this? [4 Bam, 5 Bam, 6 Dot]
Answer: Not a set. A chow must be all one suit.
Question: What is this? [East, South, West]
Answer: Not a set. Winds have no numbers, so they can't make a chow.
Question: What makes a winning hand?
Answer: 4 sets and a pair
What this lesson teaches
- A chow is 3 in a row in one suit. A pung is 3 alike. A kong is 4 alike.
- Honors can make pungs and kongs, never chows.
- A winning hand is 4 sets and a pair.
