Winning
Hong Kong mahjong, lesson 6. A complete hand, waiting tiles, and the two ways to win.
1. A complete hand
You win when your tiles make 4 sets and a pair. Say "Mahjong" and lay them face up.
- 2 sets: 2 Dot, 3 Dot, 4 Dot, 6 Bam, 6 Bam, 6 Bam
- 2 sets: 1 Crak, 2 Crak, 3 Crak, Green Dragon, Green Dragon, Green Dragon
- 1 pair: North, North
Note: If you know American mahjong: there's no card. Any 4 sets and a pair can win, if it scores enough.
Go to step 12. Waiting
When one more tile would finish your hand, you're waiting. The tiles that would finish it are your waiting tiles.
- Two tiles win (3 Dot or 6 Dot): 4 Dot, 5 Dot
- One tile wins (5 Dot): 4 Dot, 6 Dot
- Two tiles win (North or 8 Crak): North, North, 8 Crak, 8 Crak
3. Waiting tiles
Three sets are done. You also have 6 Bam, 7 Bam and two Red Dragons.
Try it: Pick every tile that would win. Tiles to pick from: 4 Bam, 5 Bam, 8 Crak, 8 Bam, Red Dragon, 9 Bam, 5 Dot.
Go to step 34. Two ways to win
You can win with a tile you draw, or with a discard.
- Self-drawn (You draw the winning tile from the wall.)
- From a discard (Any player discards your winning tile. Call it.)
Note: To win, you can call from anyone, for any set: a chow, pung or the pair.
Go to step 45. Who pays
- Win from a discard: the player who discarded it pays double. The other two pay single.
- Win self-drawn: all three other players pay double.
- More faan means a bigger payment. In our game, each faan doubles it.
- Some groups have the discarder pay for everyone, or use a smaller table for big hands.
6. The minimum score
- Faan are scoring points. Your hand must score at least 3 faan to win.
- A complete hand with fewer faan can't be declared.
- Some groups pick a different minimum. 3 is the most common.
- The next lesson shows how to get faan.
7. Quiz: Winning
Question: Which tiles finish these two? [4 Dot, 5 Dot]
Answer: 3 Dot or 6 Dot
Question: Which tile finishes these two? [3 Bam, 5 Bam]
Answer: 4 Bam
Question: You draw your winning tile from the wall. What is that called?
Answer: Self-drawn
Question: The player across discards your winning tile. It finishes a chow. Can you take it?
Answer: Yes. To win, you can call any tile from anyone.
Question: Your hand is complete but scores 1 faan. The minimum is 3. Can you win?
Answer: No. You need at least the minimum faan to win.
Question: You win from a discard. Who pays the most?
Answer: The player who discarded it. The discarder pays double. The other two pay single.
What this lesson teaches
- You win with 4 sets and a pair, either self-drawn or from a discard.
- To win, you can call any tile from anyone.
- Your hand needs at least 3 faan, unless your group agrees on another minimum.
