Taiwan Mahjong

Mahjong originated in late Qing Dynasty China and spread across regions in the early 20th century, earning recognition as one of the nation’s cultural treasures. The development of Taiwan Mahjong is closely tied to the playing styles of Fujian and Guangdong provinces—the 16-tile variant, for instance, is also common in Fuzhou and Fujian Mahjong. The game likely arrived in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period or even earlier: while the Japanese adapted mahjong into their own rules (Japanese mahjong), Taiwan communities preserved Chinese mahjong traditions. After World War II, the Nationalist Government’s relocation to Taiwan brought an influx of residents from mainland China, introducing diverse regional mahjong styles. Over time, these merged into a distinctive 16-tile Taiwan Mahjong. Early regional variations (such as the use of bonus flower tiles) gradually standardized through long-term grassroots interactions, culminating in the unified rules widely practiced today. 🚠

How to Play Taiwan Mahjong

Taiwan Mahjong Tiles

• Suits: Bamboo, Dots, and Characters: 36 tiles each (numbers 1–9, 4 copies per number).
• Wind Tiles: East, South, West, North (4 copies each, 16 total).
• Dragon Tiles: Red Dragon, Green Dragon, and White Dragon (4 copies each, 12 total).
• Flower Tiles (8 total): Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum (1 copy each).

Game Setup

• Seating & Dealer: Four players sit in positions corresponding to East, South, West, and North. The first dealer (East) is determined by dice roll.
• Starting Hands: The dealer draws 17 tiles; other players draw 16 tiles each.
• Flower Replacement: Players immediately reveal and replace flower tiles drawn in their starting hands by drawing from the "dead wall" (end of the tile wall).

Basic Rules

• Winning Hand: Requires five melds + one pair (sequences, triplets, or quads). Unlike mainland Chinese Mahjong (which uses four melds), Taiwan rules emphasize larger combinations.
• Tile Wall & Drawing: Each player builds two stacks of 18 tiles (36 total). The last 16 tiles form the "dead wall" for flower replacements. Drawing proceeds counterclockwise, with the dealer acting first.

Winning Methods in Taiwan Mahjong

Taiwan Mahjong emphasizes scoring through accumulated "Tai" (points) instead of minimum "Fan" thresholds. Each special pattern or condition adds fixed "Tai," with higher totals yielding greater rewards.

• Concealed Hand & Self-Draw: Concealed Hand No open melds (chows/pungs). Adds 1 Tai. Concealed Hand + Self-Draw: Self-drawing a winning tile with a concealed hand grants 3 Tai total (base 1 + 2 for self-draw). All three opponents pay the winner.
• Discard Punishment: If a player discards a tile that another uses to win (Ron), the discarder pays full points. If the dealer discards the winning tile, they pay an extra "dealer Tai."
• Limited Wait: Rewards 1 Tai for high-risk waits: Edge Wait (e.g., waiting for "3" to complete "1-2-3"). Inside Wait (missing the center of a sequence). Single Wait (waiting for the final pair tile). No reward if multiple winning possibilities exist.
• Flower Tile Wins: All Flowers: Collecting all 8 flower tiles grants 8 Tai, an instant win. Seven Flowers: A player with 7 flowers can "steal" the 8th flower from another player to claim 8 Tai.
• Quad Bonuses: Win after Kong: Drawing a winning tile after a quad grants 2 Tai (1 for self-draw + 1 for quad bonus). Robbing The Kong: Winning off the tile that somebody adds to a melded pung (to create a Kong).
• Dramatic Endgame: Last Tile Win: Self-drawing the last tile in the wall adds 1–2 Tai (varies by house rules).
• Blessing Of Heaven/Blessing Of Earth: Heavenly Win: Dealer wins with their starting hand (24 Tai). Earthly Win: Non-dealer wins on their first draw (16 Tai). Both are ultra-rare "jackpot" wins.

Taiwan Mahjong notably does not adopt Japan’s Riichi rules. Instead, it emphasizes flower tile mechanics and unique win conditions. 🪷

Scoring in Taiwan Mahjong

Taiwan Mahjong uses a "Base points+ Tai" scoring system:

• Base points: The foundational value of a win or loss (e.g., 1 base = 1 point).
• Tai: Bonus points accumulated based on winning hand patterns and special conditions (e.g., 1 Tai for a concealed hand, 1 Tai for a self-draw, 1 Tai per flower tile, etc.).

Calculation Formulas:

• Self-Draw Win = 3 × (Base points + Total Tai).
• Discard Win = (Base points + Total Tai). 🎯

Taiwan Mahjong "Tai" Scoring Table

1 Tai

• Wind Pung: A triplet/kong of the prevailing wind (current round) or seat wind (player’s position).
• Flower Tile: Seat-matching flowers: Each flower matching your seat adds 1 Tai. East: Spring/Plum; South: Summer/Orchid; West: Autumn/Chrysanthemum; North: Winter/Bamboo. Complete sets: Four Seasons or Four Gentlemen adds 2 Tai.
• Dragon Pung: Triplet/kong of Red Dragon, Green Dragon, or White Dragon.
• Concealed Hand: Win without calling chow, pung, or open kong.
• Win after Kong: Win by self-drawing after declaring a kong.
• Robbing The Kong: Win by stealing a tile during an opponent’s kong upgrade.
• Single Wait: Waiting for a single tile to complete a pair.
• Inside Wait: Waiting for the middle tile of a sequence (e.g., 2-4 waiting for 3).
• Edge Wait: Waiting for the edge of a sequence (e.g., 1-2 waiting for 3).
• Last Tile Win: Self-draw the final tile in the wall.
• Dealer: The dealer adds 1 Tai to all wins (even when losing). For consecutive dealer wins, each round adds 2 Tai (e.g., n consecutive rounds = 2n + 1 Tai).
• Ready Hand: Declare "ready" after forming a valid waiting hand (+1 Tai).
• Self-Draw: A player wins by drawing the required tile themselves from the wall. When self-drawing, all three opponents individually pay the winner both the base points and total tai points.

2 Tai

• All Chows: A win with no flowers, no honors, and only pure sequences + a pair (e.g., two-sided wait like 2-3 waiting for 1 or 4).
• All Terminals and Honors: All melds are from chow/pung, with a single tile discarded for a win (requires discard win).
• Three Concealed Pungs: Three concealed triplets/kongs in the winning hand.
• Consecutive Win: For each consecutive dealer win, add 2 Tai.

3 Tai

• Concealed Self-Drawn Win: Self-draw a win with a fully concealed hand.

4 Tai

• All Pungs: Hand composed entirely of triplets/kongs + a pair.
• Little Three Dragons: Two dragon triplets + a dragon pair.
• Half Flush: Hand combines one suit (e.g., all Bamboo) + honor tiles.
• Dealing Flower: Starting with 7 flowers + stealing the 8th, or starting with 8 flowers (grants 4 Tai + flower bonuses).
• Earth Ready: Declare "ready" within the first two turns with no prior chow/pung/kong.

5 Tai

• Four Concealed Pungs: Four concealed triplets/kongs in the winning hand.

8 Tai

• Big Three Dragons: Triplets of all three dragons.
• Bless of Man: Win on the first discard of the game (no prior chow/pung/kong).
• Full Flush: Hand composed entirely of one suit (no honors).
• All Honors: Hand composed entirely of wind/dragon tiles.
• Seven Flowers: When one player has collected seven flower tiles and another player obtains the final (eighth) flower tile, the player with seven flowers can immediately declare a win by claiming that final tile from its holder.
• All Flowers: Collect all 8 flower tiles.
• Five Concealed Pungs: Five concealed triplets/kongs.
• Little Four Winds: Triplets of three winds + a fourth wind pair.

16 Tai

• Blessing Of Earth: Non-dealer self-draws a win on their first turn.
• Big Four Winds: Triplets of all four winds (overrides wind bonuses).

24 Tai

• Blessing Of Heaven: Dealer wins with their starting hand.

Taiwan Mahjong FAQ

What are the basic rules of Taiwan Mahjong?

Taiwan Mahjong uses 144 tiles: Suits: Characters, Dots, Bamboo. Honors: Winds (East, South, West, North) and Dragons (Red, Green, White). 8 Flower Tiles (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum). Starting Hands: 16 tiles per player (17 for the dealer). A winning hand requires 17 tiles (5 melds + 1 pair). Players can chow (only from the player to their left), pung, or kong. Scoring is based on accumulated "Tai" —special patterns or conditions add Tai, with higher Tai increasing payout. ✏️

How does Taiwan Mahjong differ from Chinese Mahjong?

• Hand Size: Taiwan Mahjong: 16 tiles (17 to win). Chinese Mahjong: 13 tiles (14 to win).
• Scoring: Taiwan Mahjong: "Tai stacking" (no minimum Tai required; even 0-Tai wins are allowed). Chinese Mahjong: Requires 8+ fan types to win.
• Winning Flexibility: Taiwan Mahjong: Permits basic 0-Tai wins. Chinese Mahjong: Strict fan thresholds.

What are the winning methods in Taiwan Mahjong?

Basic Wins:

• Self-Draw: All three opponents pay the winner.
• Discard Win: Only the discarder pays.

Special Wins:

• Concealed Hand: +1 Tai.
• Limited Wait: +1 Tai (edge/middle/single waits).
• Win after Kong: +2 Tai.
• Robbing The Kong: +1 Tai.
• Last Tile Win: +1 Tai.
• All Flowers: +8 Tai (collect all flowers).

What is "Pihu" in Taiwan Mahjong?

A "Pihu" is a basic win with 0 Tai (no bonus conditions like concealed hand or flowers). It only fulfills the minimum requirement (5 melds + 1 pair). While allowed, it awards the lowest base score (e.g., 30 points). This contrasts with Chinese Mahjong or Japanese Mahjong, which require minimum points/fan to win. 🧐

How do Flower Tiles work?

Bonus Tai:

• Flower Tile : +1 Tai if a flower matches your seat (e.g., East = Spring).
• Four Seasons: Complete either set for +1 Tai.
• Seven Flowers: Steal the 8th flower for +8 Tai.
• All Flowers: Collect all 8 flowers for +8 Tai (instant win).

Flowers must be revealed immediately, and players draw replacements from the dead wall.

Can multiple players win from one discard?

Most Taiwan rules prohibit multiple players win from one discard. Only the closest player in turn order can claim the discard. However, some house rules allow it if agreed upon beforehand. 🔍