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Strategy basics

Hong Kong mahjong, lesson 9. Plan your faan, keep your hand flexible, and discard safely.

1. Plan your faan

You need 3 faan to win. Look at your first tiles. Where could they come from?

  • Dragon pair (A pung is 1 faan): Red Dragon, Red Dragon
  • Lots of Craks (One suit: 3 or 7 faan): 2 Crak, 4 Crak, 7 Crak, 8 Crak
  • Many pairs (All pungs: 3 faan): 2 × 3 Bam, 2 × 6 Dot, 2 × North
Go to step 1

2. Keep it flexible

Some tiles wait on more winning tiles than others.

  • Two tiles (3 Dot or 6 Dot): 4 Dot, 5 Dot
  • One tile (5 Dot only): 4 Dot, 6 Dot
  • One tile (3 Dot only): 1 Dot, 2 Dot
  • Discard early (A lone wind that scores nothing): West
Go to step 2

3. Pick a discard

You sit South. It's the East round.

Try it: Pick the 1 tile you need least. Tiles to pick from: 3 Dot, 4 Dot, 6 Bam, 7 Bam, 5 Crak, 5 Crak, Red Dragon, West.

Go to step 3

4. Safer discards

Late in a hand, a player may need just one tile. Don't hand it to them.

  • A tile that was just discarded and not taken is safer.
  • An honor with 3 copies already showing is very safe. Only thirteen orphans could still use it.
  • Watch exposed sets. A player with 3 Bam sets wants Bams.
  • Middle numbers, like 4, 5 and 6, fit more chows. They're riskier.
Go to step 4

5. When to call

  • Calling a tile makes your hand faster.
  • But you lose the concealed hand faan.
  • Call when it keeps your faan on track.
  • If you're far from winning late in a hand, play safe instead.
Go to step 5

6. Quiz: Strategy basics

  1. Question: How many different tiles finish these two? [4 Dot, 5 Dot]

    Answer: 2. 3 Dot or 6 Dot.

  2. Question: You sit South in the East round. Is a lone West worth keeping? [West]

    Answer: No. It's not your seat wind or the round's wind, so it scores nothing.

  3. Question: Is this pair worth keeping? [Green Dragon, Green Dragon]

    Answer: Yes. A pung of any dragon is 1 faan.

  4. Question: Three Norths are already showing. You hold the 4th. Is it safe to discard? [North]

    Answer: Yes, very safe

  5. Question: A player shows two Bam sets. Late in the hand, which is riskier to discard?

    Answer: A Bam

  6. Question: What do you lose when you call a tile?

    Answer: The concealed hand faan

Go to step 6

What this lesson teaches

  • Find a source of faan early, like a dragon pair or one suit.
  • Keep tiles that wait on more winning tiles. Let go of lone winds that don't score.
  • Late in a hand, discard tiles that are already showing.

Lesson 9: Strategy basics

Plan your faan, keep your hand flexible, and discard safely.

Plan your faan

You need 3 faan to win. Look at your first tiles. Where could they come from?

Dragon pairA pung is 1 faan
Lots of CraksOne suit: 3 or 7 faan
×2×2×2
Many pairsAll pungs: 3 faan

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