Key Concepts — Chow, Pong, Kong, Pair
Hong Kong Style Mahjong
How to Play
Game play rules, key tile combinations — Chow, Pong, Kong, Pair — and how to win.
Mahjong is an ancient Chinese game of luck and skill, usually involving four players. The objective is to build 4 sets and sequences of 3 tiles each, finishing with a pair of tiles. Different hands carry different point values depending on their complexity.
Game Play
The objective is to assemble a winning hand using sets and a pair. Here are the core rules:
- Turn order — the player to the right of the dealer goes first. Play proceeds counterclockwise.
- Draw and discard — on each turn, draw a tile from the wall or the previous player’s discard, then discard one tile face-up.
- Creating sets (Pong / Kong) — combine three of a kind (Pong) or four of a kind (Kong) from any suit or honor tile.
- Creating runs (Chow) — form a sequence of three consecutive tiles of the same suit. Honor tiles cannot form runs.
- Winning hand — a complete hand is one pair plus four sets or runs.
- Scoring — points are awarded based on the fan (specific winning combinations) in the winning hand. See the Hands & Scoring section for the full list.
- End of round — the round ends when a player declares a winning hand, or all wall tiles are exhausted with no winner.
Key Concepts
A set of 3 tiles of the same suit in sequence. Call “Chow” to claim a discarded tile and complete the combination. A Chow can only be claimed from a discard by the player to your left.
A set of 3 identical tiles. Call “Pong” to claim any player’s discard to complete the set. Reveal the Pong, then discard a tile. The next counterclockwise player takes their turn.
A set of 4 identical tiles. When formed from a discarded tile, expose the set — it cannot be split once revealed. A Kong built from your own hand can be concealed, allowing it to be split later to form a Chow if needed. If you hold a Pong and draw the 4th matching tile from the wall, you may add it to form a Kong.
Two identical tiles. Cannot be formed from discarded tiles except to declare a win. Only one pair is permitted per winning hand.
Waiting to Win — Calling
A player who is just one tile short of a complete winning hand is said to have a “ready hand.” This state is known as Calling — the player is effectively calling for the specific tile(s) needed to complete their hand.
Winning — Sic Wu!
When a player completes their hand, they win the round. A winning hand consists of four sets (Chow, Pong, or Kong) and a pair. The winning player must declare “Sic Wu” to claim victory.
In Hong Kong Mahjong: if East (the Dealer) wins, they retain the dealer position. In a drawn game, wind and seating positions remain unchanged. Otherwise, the player to the right becomes the new dealer, and winds rotate counterclockwise.
There are many specific rules and variations of Hong Kong Mahjong. Consult a rulebook or learn from an experienced player to fully master the game. — hksmahjong.net
Quick reference for the four core set types and how to call them.
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