Hong Kong Style Mahjong

Setting Up the Game

How to build the wall, determine seating, and break the wall to begin play.

The wall is the structure made up of all tiles, shuffled and stacked to begin the game. Follow these steps to build it correctly:

1. Start with all 144 tiles — ensure you have the full set including suits, honor tiles, and flower tiles.
2. Shuffle the tiles — mix thoroughly on the table or use an automatic shuffler to fully randomise them.
3. Form a square — arrange the tiles into four rows of 18, each row perpendicular to the next, forming a square shape.
4. Stack the tiles — stack into two rows of 36 tiles each, parallel to one another and perpendicular to the original rows.
5. Repeat — build two more rows of 36 tiles parallel to the first pair.
6. Finish the wall — place the final two tiles on top in an inverted V-shape (the “roof”), signifying the end of wall construction.

Seating is determined through a process known as “bidding for seats.”

1. Shuffle the tiles — the dealer shuffles all tiles before the game begins.
2. Determine the wind — draw a tile to determine the prevailing wind: East, South, West, or North. It rotates clockwise each round.
3. Bid for seats — starting with the dealer, each player states their preferred direction. The highest bidder chooses first.
4. Assign seats — the dealer assigns seats in order of highest to lowest bid.
5. Determine the dealer — the player sitting to the right of the East seat becomes the first dealer. The dealer role rotates clockwise each subsequent round.

Breaking the wall is the process of drawing tiles from the wall to begin play.

1. Determine the dealer — the player to the right of the East bidder becomes the first dealer.
2. Roll the dice — the dealer rolls two or three dice. The total determines the starting count from the right-hand edge of the wall.
3. Break the wall — at the designated tile, separate the stack face-down into a loose section and a tight section. Place a marker on the loose section to mark the start.
4. Deal to players — beginning with the dealer and moving counterclockwise, each player draws 4 tiles at a time until each player holds 12 tiles.
5. Draw the last tile — the dealer draws one final tile from the tight section to complete their 13-tile hand.
6. Discard and begin — the dealer discards one tile face-up, and the game officially starts. Players then take turns drawing and discarding until a winning hand is declared.