Compiled a few mahjong rules for us beginners.
Prevailing Wind
All players throw the dice, one at a time. The player with the highest number of points becomes the dealer (and is marked East). East throws the dice to determine where to cut the wall in front of him/her. S/he sets the first two-pile tile on top of wall (to the left; considered as the flower wall).
Cards are dealt in walls of four (8 tiles) counter-clockwise. When a player picks up a flower tile, s/he sets the tile aside and picks up a replacement tile from the flower wall.
East picks up the first tile in the wall.
Points/payments are based on a 1:2 game.
Winds (NEWS), Dragons (Red, White, Green), Flowers, and Seasons are all referred to as Flowers or Basura. They are left in the wall but set aside (visible to other players). If you reach a total of 13 flowers, you get a quarter of a point from each player.
The tiles are made of melds.
Melds include:
- Pong consists of three identical tiles.
- Kong consists of four identical tiles.
- Chow consists of three suited tiles in sequence.
If the third/fourth tile in the sequence is taken from a discarded tile, the tiles must be made visible to all the players.
You can only form a chow from a tile discarded by the player on your left.
Points:
Kong
- A melded Kong warrants a quarter of a point from each player.
- A hidden Kong is called a Secret. All four tiles are placed face down on the table; and you get half a point from all players.
- Conversion of a melded Pong to a Kong is called a “Sagasa” and gets you half a point from all players.
Ambisyon Points:
- One point for
- Escalera - Chows ascending from 1 to 9.
- Chows with same sequence (i.e. Bamboo 1,2,3; Char 1,2,3; Balls 1,2,3)
- Todo Pong
Half a point for
- Seven pairs - plus a set (Chow or Pong)
- All Chow
- All Up
Quarter of a point for
- Waiting back-to-back
- Waiting on middle Chow (Paningit)
- Waiting on single
The Thrower pays double.
If self-pick (bunot), then all pay double.
Conflicting Claims
When two players are claiming for chow and a pong, the player with the pong gets the tile.
When two players are claiming for a chow and a win, the winner gets the tile.
When two players both want a discard to win, total the points. The player with the higher number of points wins the game. If the game is tied, the single-player winnings are split.
Rambling Gypsy