Sichuan Mahjong

Last updated: 2025-02-22

Overview

Sichuan Mahjong (also known as Blood Battle / Xue Zhan Dao Di / Chengdu Mahjong) originated in the Chengdu region of Sichuan, China, and is one of the most popular regional mahjong variants. Its defining features are Suit Elimination (Ding Que), Blood Battle (Last Man Standing), and Three-Tile Exchange — making for fast-paced, dynamic, and highly entertaining gameplay.

Key Features of Sichuan Mahjong

Uses only 108 tiles (Characters, Dots, Bamboos — no honor or flower tiles)
Three-Tile Exchange: swap 3 tiles with another player after dealing
Suit Elimination: must choose one suit to discard entirely
Blood Battle: game continues after a player wins until only one remains
Self-draw is the primary winning method; kong settles instantly
Wind and Rain (instant kong settlement)

Basic Setup

Tiles Used

Sichuan Mahjong uses only 108 tiles — numbered tiles only, no honor tiles, no flower tiles:

Characters (m): 1–9 Man, 4 of each, 36 total
Dots (p): 1–9 Pin, 4 of each, 36 total
Bamboos (s): 1–9 Sou, 4 of each, 36 total

Characters (36 tiles)

1 Man through 9 Man, 4 of each

Dots (36 tiles)

1 Pin through 9 Pin, 4 of each

Bamboos (36 tiles)

1 Sou through 9 Sou, 4 of each

⚠️ Note

Sichuan Mahjong does not use honor tiles (East, South, West, North, Chun, Hatsu, Haku) or flower tiles (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum) — only Characters, Dots, and Bamboos for a total of 108 tiles.

Basic Parameters

| Item | Description | |------|-------------| | Tile count | 108 tiles | | Players | 4 players | | Starting hand | Dealer: 14 tiles, Non-dealers: 13 tiles | | Special rules | Three-Tile Exchange, Suit Elimination, Blood Battle | | Primary winning method | Self-draw |

Three-Tile Exchange

The Three-Tile Exchange is the first unique phase of Sichuan Mahjong, taking place after dealing and before suit elimination.

Rules

Select tiles: Each player selects 3 tiles of the same suit from their hand
Determine direction: The system or dealer randomly decides the exchange direction:
- Clockwise (pass to the right)
- Counter-clockwise (pass to the left)
- Across (swap with the player opposite)
Exchange: All players simultaneously pass their selected tiles in the determined direction
Receive: Take the 3 tiles received and add them to your hand

Exchange Example

Hand Before Exchange

Characters: 6 tiles, Dots: 3 tiles, Bamboos: 5 tiles.

Strategy: Dots is the fewest — exchange p123 to prepare for eliminating Dots.

After Exchanging 3 Dots

After exchanging p123, only Characters and Bamboos remain.

After Receiving 3 Tiles

Received m789. Hand is now 9 Characters + 5 Bamboos — very comfortable after eliminating Dots.

💡 Exchange Strategy

Usually exchange your fewest suit to prepare for suit elimination
If you have potential for Full Flush, you might exchange your second-fewest suit instead
Choose isolated tiles to exchange — avoid breaking up useful combinations
Note: received tiles may disrupt your plans — stay flexible

Suit Elimination (Ding Que)

Suit Elimination is the most core rule of Sichuan Mahjong, determining your strategy for the entire hand.

Rules

After the Three-Tile Exchange, each player must choose one suit as their eliminated suit
Tiles of the eliminated suit must be discarded first
You cannot win while still holding eliminated suit tiles
Only after discarding all eliminated suit tiles can you be tenpai and win

Suit Elimination Examples

Example 1: Typical Elimination Choice

Characters: 8, Dots: 2, Bamboos: 4. Eliminate Dots — fewest tiles, quickest to discard.

Example 2: Two Suits Close in Count

Characters: 6, Dots: 3, Bamboos: 5. Eliminate Dots (fewest), but also consider tile quality.

Example 3: Going for Full Flush

9 Characters! Strong potential for Full Flush. Eliminate Bamboos or Dots (whichever is fewer), then focus on Characters.

Suit Elimination Strategy

Choose the fewest: Usually eliminate your suit with the fewest tiles for fastest clearing
Check combinations: If a suit has few tiles but good combinations, consider keeping it
Go big: If one suit has 7+ tiles, consider going for Full Flush
Clear quickly: After choosing, discard eliminated tiles as fast as possible

Winning Conditions

Basic Conditions

No eliminated suit tiles: All tiles of your eliminated suit must be discarded
Standard hand pattern: 4 sets + 1 pair (or special patterns)
Only two suits: Your winning hand can only contain two suits

Ways to Win

Self-Draw (Tsumo)

Draw the winning tile from the wall yourself. Self-draw is the primary method in Sichuan Mahjong.

Example: Self-Draw Win

Self-draw win. All remaining (non-won) players pay.

Discard Win (Dian Pao)

Another player discards a tile that completes your hand.

Example: Discard Win

Discard win. Only the discarder pays.

⚠️ Winning Restrictions

You absolutely cannot win while still holding eliminated suit tiles
Even if you draw a winning tile, it doesn't count if eliminated suit tiles remain
In some rulesets, non-tenpai players can only win by self-draw (no discard wins)

Blood Battle (Last Man Standing)

Blood Battle is the biggest defining feature of Sichuan Mahjong — and the most exciting part.

Core Rules

What is Blood Battle?

When a player wins, the game does not end! The winner exits the hand, and the remaining players continue drawing and discarding until:

Only 1 player hasn't won (the other 3 have all won)
The wall is exhausted (draw)

Blood Battle Flow Example

Phase 1: 4-Player Battle

Players A, B, C, D all draw and discard normally.

Phase 2: A Wins First (1st Place)

A wins by self-draw; B, C, D each pay one share. A exits; B, C, D continue.

Phase 3: C Wins Next (2nd Place)

C wins by self-draw; B, D each pay one share. C exits; B, D continue.

Phase 4: End

B wins (3rd Place), D is the last player without a win. Or the wall is exhausted and both B and D fail to win.

Rankings & Terms

| Rank | Term | Description | |------|------|-------------| | 1st | Tou You (First Out) | First player to win | | 2nd | Er You (Second Out) | Second player to win | | 3rd | San You (Third Out) | Third player to win | | Last | Hua Zhu (Penalty Player) | Player who hasn't won and still holds eliminated suit tiles |

Hua Zhu Penalty

If at the end of the hand a player still has eliminated suit tiles in their hand, they are a "Hua Zhu" (Penalty Player):

Hua Zhu must pay all winning players the full hand value
Multiple Hua Zhu players must also settle with each other

⚠️ Avoid Being Hua Zhu

Being Hua Zhu is the worst outcome in Sichuan Mahjong. After suit elimination, discard your eliminated tiles as quickly as possible — even if you can't win, at least don't become Hua Zhu!

Scoring Patterns

Sichuan Mahjong has relatively simple scoring patterns, calculated as multipliers.

Basic Patterns (1× / Base Stake)

Ping Hu (Basic Win)

Standard winning hand: 4 sets + 1 pair.

Characters + Bamboos, 4 sequences + pair. Ping Hu, 1×.

Characters + Dots, mixed sequences. Ping Hu, 1×.

2× Patterns

All Triplets (Dui Dui Hu)

4 triplets (or quads) + 1 pair, no sequences.

4 triplets + pair. All Triplets. 2×.

Characters and Bamboos triplets. All Triplets. 2×.

Full Flush (Qing Yi Se)

Hand consists entirely of one suit.

All Characters. Full Flush. 2×.

All Dots. Full Flush. 2×.

All Bamboos. Full Flush. 2×.

Seven Pairs (Qi Dui)

Seven pairs forming a special hand.

7 pairs. Seven Pairs. 2×.

Seven Pairs win. 2×.

4× Patterns

Pure Triplets (Qing Dui = Full Flush + All Triplets)

Single suit, all triplets and pair.

All Characters triplets + 9m pair. Pure Triplets. 4×.

All Bamboos triplets + 1s pair. Pure Triplets. 4×.

Dragon Seven Pairs (Long Qi Dui / Luxury Seven Pairs)

Seven Pairs with one quad (4 identical tiles counted within the pairs).

Contains four m1 (dragon). Dragon Seven Pairs. 4×.

Contains four p4 (dragon). Dragon Seven Pairs. 4×.

8× Patterns

Pure Dragon Seven Pairs (Qing Long Qi Dui = Full Flush + Dragon Seven Pairs)

Dragon Seven Pairs all in one suit.

All Characters with four m1. Pure Dragon Seven Pairs. 8×.

Special Patterns

Golden Hook (Jin Gou Diao)

4 triplets (or quads) + single wait on the pair. Also called "Fishing." Usually 4×.

4 triplets + s5 pair. Golden Hook. 4×.

Eighteen Arhats (Shi Ba Luo Han)

4 quads + single wait. Extremely rare. Usually high multiplier (varies by house rules).

Pure Golden Hook (Qing Jin Gou Diao)

Full Flush + Golden Hook. Usually 8× or higher.

All Characters triplets + m9 pair. Pure Golden Hook. Very high multiplier.

Heavenly Win (Tian Hu)

Dealer wins with the initial 14-tile deal. One of the highest patterns.

Earthly Win (Di Hu)

Non-dealer wins by self-draw on their very first turn. One of the highest patterns.

Extra Bonuses

Self-Draw

Self-draw win adds an extra base on top of the hand's multiplier. All non-winning players pay, making self-draw more profitable than discard wins.

Win After Kong (Gang Shang Kai Hua)

The replacement tile drawn after declaring kong is the winning tile. Extra +1×.

Drew s4 as kong replacement — self-draw win. Win After Kong, bonus multiplier.

Kong Into Discard (Gang Shang Pao)

The tile discarded after declaring kong is won by another player. The kong declarer must pay for all players (liability).

Robbing the Kong (Qiang Gang)

When another player upgrades a pon to kong, and that tile is your winning tile, you can rob the kong to win.

Gen (Hidden Quad)

Having 4 identical tiles in hand (not declared as kong). Each "gen" adds 1× multiplier.

Example: Hand with Gen

Four m1 tiles form a "gen" — extra 1× multiplier when winning. Two gen = 2× extra, and so on.

Kong Rules

Kong is a very important action in Sichuan Mahjong — kong payments are settled instantly (immediate cash).

Kong Types

Concealed Kong (An Gang / "Rain")

When you have 4 identical tiles, you can declare concealed kong. Other three players each pay 2× base stake.

Four 1m tiles — Concealed Kong ("Rain"). Other three each pay 2× base, total 6×.

Open Kong / Direct Kong (Ming Gang / "Wind")

You have 3 identical tiles and another player discards the fourth. The discarder pays 2× base stake.

Three 9p tiles; someone discards 9p — Open Kong ("Wind"). Discarder pays 2×.

Added Kong (Bu Gang / "Small Wind")

Upgrade a previously called pon by drawing the fourth tile. Other three players each pay 1× base stake.

Previously called pon on s555, drew the fourth s5 — Added Kong. Three others each pay 1×. Note: others may rob the kong.

Kong Settlement

Wind and Rain — Instant Settlement

Kong payments are settled immediately — regardless of whether you ultimately win the hand, kong money is collected and not refunded. This is the origin of the "Wind and Rain" nickname.

| Kong Type | Nickname | Payment | |-----------|----------|---------| | Concealed Kong | Rain | Three others each pay 2× | | Open/Direct Kong | Wind | Discarder pays 2× | | Added Kong | Small Wind | Three others each pay 1× |

Scoring Rules

Basic Calculation

Sichuan Mahjong scores are calculated as base stake × multiplier.

Scoring Formula

Actual score = Base Stake × Pattern Multiplier × 2^(number of gen)

Example: Base stake ¥1, Full Flush (2×) self-draw + 1 gen = 1 × 2 × 2 = ¥4/person

Self-Draw vs. Discard Win

| Method | Payment | Description | |--------|---------|-------------| | Self-draw | All non-winning players each pay | Higher income, lower risk | | Discard win | Discarder alone pays | Fixed income, one person bears the cost |

Special Penalties

Hua Zhu Check

At the end of the hand, players still holding eliminated suit tiles are Hua Zhu:

Hua Zhu pays all winning players the full hand value
Multiple Hua Zhu players also settle the maximum hand value between themselves

Da Jiao Check (Tenpai Check)

At the end of the hand, players who haven't won and aren't tenpai (Da Jiao):

Must pay tenpai (but non-winning) players
Payment is calculated based on the tenpai player's best possible winning hand

💡 Penalty Priority

Hua Zhu > Non-tenpai > Non-winner. Hua Zhu is worst — paying winning players, tenpai players, and other Hua Zhu.

Common Strategies

Suit Elimination Choice

🎯 Choose the Fewest

Usually eliminate the suit with the fewest tiles for fastest clearing.

🎯 Check Combination Quality

When two suits are close in count, eliminate the one with worse combinations.

🎯 Consider Going Big

If one suit has many tiles (7+), consider keeping it for Full Flush.

🎯 Avoid Hua Zhu

After elimination, prioritize discarding eliminated tiles. Better slow tenpai than Hua Zhu.

Blood Battle Strategy

First to Win is King

Speed first: In Blood Battle, winning early matters more than winning big
Minimize losses: Others winning first means you're paying — the later you win, the more you lose
Flexible tenpai: Better to have a wide wait on a small hand than a narrow wait on a big hand
Watch the table: Observe other players' hands to judge whether you can make it in time

Multiplier vs. Speed Trade-off

Example: Ping Hu vs. Full Flush

Characters: 8, Dots: 3, Bamboos: 2.

Fast route: Eliminate Bamboos, keep Characters + Dots, quick tenpai (Ping Hu 1×).
Big hand route: Eliminate Dots, discard them, then go for Characters Full Flush (2×), but slower.
Usual advice: In Blood Battle, choose the fast route — win quickly to minimize losses.

Key Differences from Other Variants

| Item | Sichuan Mahjong | Riichi Mahjong | Chinese Official | |------|-----------------|----------------|------------------| | Tile count | 108 | 136 | 144 | | Honor tiles | ❌ None | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | | Flower tiles | ❌ None | ❌ None | ✅ Yes | | Three-Tile Exchange | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | | Suit Elimination | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | | Blood Battle | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | | Chi (sequence call) | ❌ Not allowed | ✅ Allowed | ✅ Allowed | | Riichi | ❌ None | ✅ Core mechanic | ❌ None | | Dora | ❌ None | ✅ Yes | ❌ None | | Minimum to win | No limit | 1 han | 8 fan | | Kong settlement | Instant | After win | After win | | Core feature | Speed & survival | Offense-defense | Pattern strategy |