# Strategy basics (Hong Kong mahjong, lesson 9)

Plan your faan, keep your hand flexible, and discard safely. Interactive version: https://learnmahjongquick.com/learn-hong-kong-mahjong/strategy-basics

### 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

### 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

### 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.

### 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.

### 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.

### 6. Quiz: Strategy basics

- Q: How many different tiles finish these two? [4 Dot, 5 Dot] A: 2. 3 Dot or 6 Dot.
- Q: You sit South in the East round. Is a lone West worth keeping? [West] A: No. It's not your seat wind or the round's wind, so it scores nothing.
- Q: Is this pair worth keeping? [Green Dragon, Green Dragon] A: Yes. A pung of any dragon is 1 faan.
- Q: Three Norths are already showing. You hold the 4th. Is it safe to discard? [North] A: Yes, very safe
- Q: A player shows two Bam sets. Late in the hand, which is riskier to discard? A: A Bam
- Q: What do you lose when you call a tile? A: The concealed hand faan

## 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.