By Grey Tang (‘26)
If you’re in my grade this year, or hang around the Math modulars at lunch, then you know this article is long overdue. I’m not going to bore you with some grandiose description of the history or cultural significance of the game- that’ll come in a later article. Here we go.
If you ask someone what the goal of Mahjong is, they’ll answer along the lines of “achieving combinations”. But what does that actually mean?
Let’s start with the basics. This information will help you through your first round.
Mahjong is played with three different suits. These are the sticks, dots, and characters.
Each suit goes from one to nine. With the sticks and circles, you can distinguish them by counting up visually. The characters are in traditional Chinese, so that may require some memorization.
Next, are the miscellaneous tiles. They have Chinese characters written on them, except for one. In basic Mahjong, they are all used in the same way. They are the winds (left four) and the dragons (right four).
You might also encounter some ‘flower’ tiles. These are discarded at the beginning of the round and their appearance varies, but they do not actually have an in-game function unless you are playing for points.
Now, the ‘combinations’ we were talking about. There are three types: pair, peng, and chi.
A pair is two tiles that are exactly the same.
A peng is three tiles that are exactly the same.
A chi is three tiles in the same suit in ascending order.
Possible variations of each are pictured below, with pairs on top, pengs in the middle, and chis at the bottom.
From top to bottom, left to right: pair of winds, pair of ‘two’ characters, pair of ‘six’ sticks, pair of ‘seven’ dots, peng of ‘four’ dots, peng of winds, peng of ‘seven’ characters, chi of ‘seven-eight-nine’ sticks, chi of ‘three-four-five’ dots, chi of ‘one-two-three’ characters.
To win, you must achieve a deck of tiles where there’s one pair, and the rest of the tiles form peng or chi with each other. Alternatively, you can have a deck with only pairs.
From left to right: pair of dragons, chi of ‘two-three-four’ sticks, peng of ‘six’ sticks, chi of ‘five-six-seven’ dots, peng of winds.
At the beginning of the game, all players roll a set of dice. The player who rolls the highest sum starts the round. When the round finishes and another is starting, the previous winner becomes the starting player.
Each player is then dealt thirteen tiles, with the exception of the starting player, who is dealt fourteen. Keep these tiles upright and hidden from other players.
At this point, if you are playing with ‘flower’ tiles, anyone who has ‘flower’(s) in their deck will discard them and draw a new tile.
The starting player then discards one of their tiles, bringing their tile count down to thirteen.
Keep in mind that you should have exactly thirteen tiles on hand throughout the game, unless you’re winning off a tile (and thus have no need to discard it). if you don’t, something has gone wrong.
The game moves in a counterclockwise direction. The next player, sitting to the starting player’s right, draws in a tile, and then discards one. They may discard the tile they just drew in, or any other tile in their deck. Once they have done so, the player to their right draws in a tile, and then discards one. Ultimately, it circles back to the starting player, who repeats the cycle. This goes on until someone wins.
Discarding the right tiles is crucial to winning. Since the ultimate goal is to form a winning combination of pairs, pengs, or chis, judging how useful each tile is to your existing deck is important. Discard lone tiles, tiles that don’t fit into any suits or don’t have any pairs. Keep tiles that are similar, and group them together so you can keep track of them.
Now, let’s move onto the main mechanics of the game: player interaction. Peng and chi. There are two ways to form these combinations. The first is by drawing them into your deck yourself, in which case you can continue as normal. The second is by taking the discarded tiles of other players. Let me explain.
Starting with peng (three tiles that are the same): at any point during the game, if you are able to form a peng with the tile a player just discarded during their turn, you can take it in.
Next, chi ((three tiles in rising consecutive order): if the person who went before you, AKA the person on your left, discards a tile that you are able to form a chi with, you can take it in.
After doing so, you must collapse the newly formed peng/chi face-up so that everyone can see. You are no longer allowed to use those tiles to make other combinations.
When you have created your peng/chi, discard another tile from your deck and proceed as normal, with the person on your right taking their turn.
It is important to note that you only collapse your peng/chi when they involve another player’s discarded tiles. Combinations you start the game with, or form by drawing tiles, should remain upright and in your deck.
Congratulations! You now know the basics of Mahjong, and the rules that most variations of it abide by.
So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to head out there and try a game or two. Stop by the Math modular to join the Chinese Cultural Games Club on Wednesdays (at lunch or after school) to test your newfound knowledge!
**Note: Mahjong differs from region to region, so there are countless variations out there, each with different protocols. Think of these like house rules. The basics still apply, just make sure to ask about additional procedures!