Chinese Mahjong
Chinese Official Mahjong, also called Mahjong Competition Rules (MCR), is a standardized four-player ruleset. It uses 144 tiles, 81 scoring elements, and an 8-point minimum for a legal win.
Tiles and Objective
The 144-tile set contains 108 suited tiles, 28 Honors (Winds and Dragons), and 8 bonus tiles (Flowers and Seasons).
A player normally holds 13 tiles. On a turn, the player draws to 14 and then discards back to 13, unless the drawn or claimed tile completes a legal winning hand.
How to Win
A winning declaration must satisfy both the hand structure and the MCR scoring requirement.
- Standard hand: four sets and one pair. A set is a Chow, Pung, or Kong.
- Special hands: recognized structures such as Seven Pairs and Thirteen Orphans do not use the normal four-sets-and-a-pair form.
- Winning methods: win by Self-Draw, or by claiming another player’s discard.
- 8-point minimum: the valid scoring elements in the hand must reach at least 8 points. Flower bonuses are handled separately and should not be used to meet this minimum.
The reference groups scoring elements by value. Check the name, conditions, and exclusions before adding a Fan to the hand.
First confirm a legal hand structure, then identify every applicable scoring element. A complete-looking hand cannot be declared if its valid total is below 8 points.
MCR Scoring
MCR defines 81 scoring elements. Their values range from 1 to 88 points, and several elements can apply to the same winning hand when the combination rules permit it.
- Official value tiers: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, and 88 points. There is no 5-point tier.
- Combination rules: some elements may not be counted together, and the same group of tiles cannot always be reused for multiple similar patterns. Do not simply add every pattern that appears possible.
- Flower and Season tiles: each bonus tile scores 1 point after replacement, but bonus points are separate from the 8-point qualification requirement.
Payments After a Win
Let F be the valid Fan total of the winning hand. The fixed 8-point payment is included as follows:
- Self-Draw: each of the three opponents pays 8 + F to the winner.
- Win by discard: the discarder pays 8 + F; each of the other two players pays 8.
Practical Strategy
MCR rewards flexible planning more than blindly chasing the highest-value pattern.
- Plan a route to 8 points: Use the starting hand to identify two or three compatible scoring possibilities.
- Keep efficient shapes: Middle suited tiles usually support more Chows and flexible waits than isolated terminals and Honors.
- Count only compatible Fan: Check exclusion and non-duplication rules before committing to a scoring plan.
- Use calls deliberately: Chow, Pung, and Kong can improve speed but may remove concealed-hand options or expose the direction of the hand.
- Reassess after every draw: If the original plan becomes unlikely, switch to a simpler legal route rather than forcing a large hand.
Chinese Official Mahjong FAQ
Is this every form of Chinese Mahjong?
No. China has many regional rulesets. This page describes the standardized Mahjong Competition Rules used by MahJongo’s Chinese Official game.
How many scoring elements are there?
MCR has 81 scoring elements, commonly called Fan. Their point values are fixed by the rules.
Why can a complete hand fail to win?
The structure may be complete but the valid Fan total may still be below the required 8 points.
Can Flowers provide the 8 required points?
No. Flower and Season bonuses are added separately and do not satisfy the qualification minimum.
Who can claim a Chow?
Only the player immediately after the discarder may claim that discard for a Chow. Pung, Kong, and a winning claim follow their own priority rules.
How are payments calculated?
On Self-Draw, all three opponents pay 8 + Fan. On a discard win, the discarder pays 8 + Fan and the other two players each pay 8.
Chinese Mahjong Tools
Build a hand, verify a score, or report a rule issue with these focused tools.
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