Mahjong Basics

Last updated: 2024-11-20

Introduction

Understanding the fundamental rules of mahjong is essential for effective tile efficiency training. This guide covers the basics you need to know before using the training tools.

About This Guide

This guide focuses on rules directly related to tile efficiency training. For specialized terminology, see the Glossary.

The Tiles

Mahjong uses 144 tiles divided into several categories:

Numbered Tiles (1-9)

There are three suits of numbered tiles, each numbered 1 through 9, with 4 copies of each tile (36 tiles per suit, 108 total):

Characters (Man/万)

Represented by the character "万"
Example: 1万, 2万, 3万... 9万

Dots (Pin/筒)

Circular dots
Example: 1筒, 2筒, 3筒... 9筒

Bamboos (Sou/条)

Bamboo sticks
Example: 1条, 2条, 3条... 9条

Example: A complete set of numbered tiles

This shows all 27 unique numbered tiles (one of each from 1-9 in each suit).

Honor Tiles

Wind Tiles (4 types × 4 copies = 16 tiles)

East (东), South (南), West (西), North (北)

Dragon Tiles (3 types × 4 copies = 12 tiles)

Red Dragon (中), Green Dragon (发), White Dragon (白)

Example: A complete set of honor tiles

This shows all 7 unique honor tiles (4 wind tiles + 3 dragon tiles).

Basic Hand Composition

Standard Hand Size

Starting hand: 13 tiles
After drawing: 14 tiles
After discarding: Back to 13 tiles
To win: Form a winning combination + draw the winning tile

Key Point

The game alternates between drawing and discarding, maintaining 13 tiles in hand until you win.

Tile Groups

To form a winning hand, tiles must be organized into specific groups:

Sequence (Shuntsu)

Three consecutive tiles of the same suit.

Sequence in Characters: 1-2-3

Sequence in Dots: 4-5-6

Sequence in Bamboos: 7-8-9

Important Notes:

Sequences can only be formed with numbered tiles (not honors)
Sequences must be consecutive (1-2-3 is valid, 1-3-4 is not)
Sequences must be of the same suit

Triplet (Koutsu)

Three identical tiles.

Triplet: Three 1 Characters

Triplet: Three 5 Dots

Triplet: Three 8 Bamboos

Pair (Head/Eyes)

Two identical tiles (required for winning in regular form).

Pair: Two 9 Characters (used as the "head" in winning hands)

Winning Hand Structures

Regular Form (Standard Winning Hand)

The most common winning structure: 4 sets + 1 pair

Example 1: Regular Form

Breakdown: • Sequence: m123 (Characters 1-2-3) • Sequence: m456 (Characters 4-5-6) • Sequence: m789 (Characters 7-8-9) • Sequence: p123 (Dots 1-2-3) • Pair: p99 (Two 9 Dots)

Example 2: Mixed Sequences and Triplets

Breakdown: • Triplet: m111 (Three 1 Characters) • Triplet: m222 (Three 2 Characters) • Sequence: p456 (Dots 4-5-6) • Sequence: s789 (Bamboos 7-8-9) • Pair: s88 (Two 8 Bamboos)

Seven Pairs (Chitoitsu)

A special winning form: 7 pairs (no sequences or triplets needed)

Example: Seven Pairs

Seven different pairs. Note: This requires 14 tiles (7 pairs × 2 tiles = 14 tiles).

Thirteen Orphans (Kokushi)

A special yakuman hand: 13 different terminal/honor tiles + 1 pair

Example: Thirteen Orphans

Contains: 1 and 9 of each numbered suit (m1, m9, p1, p9, s1, s9) + all 7 honor tiles (z1-z7), with 1 Character being a pair.

Tenpai (Ready Hand)

A hand that is one tile away from winning is called "tenpai" (ready hand).

Example: Tenpai Hand

This hand needs either a 4 Dot or 7 Dot to complete: • Has: m123, m456, m789 (3 sequences), s88 (pair) • Needs: p456 or p789 (one more sequence) • Waiting for: 4p or 7p

Example: Another Tenpai Hand

This hand is waiting for a 7 Character to complete the sequence m789: • Has: p123, s123, s456 (3 sequences), p99 (pair) • Needs: m789 sequence (missing m7) • Waiting for: m7

Basic Gameplay Flow

The Turn Cycle

Start: Receive 13 tiles
Draw: Pick one tile from the wall → now have 14 tiles
Decide: Determine if you can win, or which tile to discard
Discard: Discard one tile → back to 13 tiles
Repeat: Continue until someone wins

Why 14 Tiles?

After drawing, you have 14 tiles. You must discard one to maintain 13 tiles, or declare a win if you have a winning hand.

Why This Matters for Training

Understanding these basics is essential for tile efficiency training because:

✓ Pattern Recognition

Recognize valid tile groups quickly to assess hand value.

✓ Decision Making

Make better discard choices by understanding what combinations you're building toward.

✓ Efficiency Calculation

Calculate shanten and tenpai more accurately with solid fundamentals.

✓ Speed

Improve reaction time by instantly recognizing tile patterns.

Notation Used in This Tool

In the training tool, tiles are represented using a compact notation:

m = Characters (Man/万)
p = Dots (Pin/筒)
s = Bamboos (Sou/条)
z = Honor tiles (Z字)

Numbers follow the letter to indicate which tile. For example:

m123 = Characters 1, 2, 3
p456 = Dots 4, 5, 6
s789 = Bamboos 7, 8, 9
m123456789p56s88 = A complete hand

Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics:

Review the Glossary - Learn specialized terminology used in training
Read the User Guide - Start using the training tools
Practice - Begin with Tenpai Training to identify ready hands