Tile Hog

What Is Tile Hog

Tile Hog in Chinese Mahjong is a 2-fan pattern earned by distributing all four copies of the same tile across at least two different sets in your final hand—rather than combining them into a single kong. This can happen in various ways. While it can be a bit situational, recognizing the opportunity to form Tile Hog can grant a useful scoring boost. Keep track of tile availability, decide whether it’s more advantageous than forming a kong, and integrate it with any chow/pung-based patterns you are pursuing. With careful planning, Tile Hog can be a rewarding way to elevate your final score.

The Tile Pattern of Tile Hog

All Four Identical Tiles: Exactly four copies of a single rank (e.g., 5 of Bam ×4) appear in your hand.

Split Across Two Different Uses

• Those four tiles are distributed among two or more melds (chows/pungs) or between a meld and your pair. Examples include:
• Pung (5-5-5) + Chow (4-5-6) sharing that same 5.
• Pair (2-2) + Chow (1-2-3) + Another 2 in a different chow if you happen to use them in multiple sequences.

Not a Kong: If you combine all four identical tiles into a single kong (meld of four-of-a-kind), it does not count as Tile Hog. The defining aspect is that the four identical tiles are split among separate components of your hand.

Fan Value of Tile Hog

Under standard Chinese Mahjong rules, Tile Hog is worth 2 fan. This bonus can stack with other patterns (e.g., All Chows, No Honors, Concealed Hand, etc.) as long as the requirements do not conflict.

Strategies and Considerations of Tile Hog

Early Collections of a Rank: If you notice you have 3 copies of a particular tile and then draw the fourth, consider ways to split them (for instance, forming a pung plus weaving the extra tile into a chow or using it for your pair).

Avoiding a Kong: Declaring a kong (four-of-a-kind in one meld) might be tempting for extra draws or minor scoring benefits. However, that forfeits the chance for the 2-fan Tile Hog bonus. Decide which route yields a better overall score.

Opponent Awareness: If opponents see you collecting many of the same tile, they may suspect you are aiming for a pung or kong. They might not anticipate Tile Hog specifically, but watch them adjust discards to avoid helping you.

Flexibility vs. Commitment: Sometimes you draw the fourth tile late in the game. Weigh whether forcing Tile Hog is worthwhile if the rest of your hand is not close to completion. If chasing the 2-fan bonus risks missing a faster or more valuable pattern, pivot accordingly.

No Additional Meld Calls: If you choose to meld a pung of those tiles early, be mindful of how that shapes your hand. You’ll need to integrate the remaining copy into another meld or the pair. Keep track of how many copies are in play versus in opponents’ discard piles.

Miscounting Tile Availability: Ensure the fourth copy is actually available. If you see multiple copies discarded, or if someone else melds them, Tile Hog may become impossible. Combining Too Many Patterns: Overlap with certain patterns (like “No Honors” or “One-Void Suit”) is usually fine, but in some heavily pung-focused hands, it may be trickier to incorporate chows or pairs in a way that uses all four identical tiles effectively.