Mahjong
Meet the tiles, build a hand; learn Riichi, Chinese Official and Sichuan separately.
- Tiles (by rules)
- 108 / 136 / 144
- Players
- 4
- Emerged
- Mid-1800s · China
Meet the game
Mahjong is usually played by four people. To draw means to take a new tile; to discard means to place an unwanted tile on the table. Arrange your tiles to meet the winning conditions of your chosen rules. Winning one hand does not necessarily put you first in the whole match.
Start with three numbered tile families, called suits: characters, bamboo and dots, each numbered one to nine. Riichi uses 136 tiles. This site's Chinese Official table includes eight flower tiles for 144; its Sichuan Blood Battle table uses only the three numbered suits for 108. Each version has its own lessons: do not mix their rules.
A common target is four groups and a pair. Three consecutive numbers in one suit, such as two, three and four characters, form a sequence; three identical tiles form a triplet; two identical tiles form a pair. Four identical tiles declared as a kong under the rules count as one group and require a replacement draw. Special shapes such as seven pairs also exist. A complete shape alone does not guarantee a legal win! Riichi also requires a yaku (a recognized winning condition) and other eligibility checks; Chinese Official requires at least eight scoring points, excluding flowers; this site's Sichuan rules require you to clear the suit you chose to exclude. Separate lessons walk you through the actions and explain why a win may be unavailable.
Beginner questions
Learn mahjong tiles, drawing, discarding and hand shapes, then separate Riichi, Chinese Official (MCR) and Sichuan lessons with rules practice.
Which mahjong rules should a beginner learn first?
Start with tiles, drawing, discarding and basic shapes, then choose the rules you intend to play. Riichi yaku, MCR scoring patterns and Sichuan missing-suit rules belong to different systems; lessons and practice keep them separate.
Does a complete-looking hand always qualify as a win?
Not necessarily. A completed shape must also meet the selected ruleset’s win conditions, such as a valid yaku in Riichi or the MCR minimum scoring requirement. Consult the specific lesson and table instructions.
Tutorials
All tutorials →Mahjong Lesson 1: Tiles, Sets and Your First Turns
The shared starting point: recognise tile pictures, group sets and pairs, and complete guided turns. Then choose one regional course; consult the illustrated reference as needed.
First steps · 6 steps · 40 min
Japanese Riichi: From Closed Hands and Yaku to Your First Win
After the shared first lesson, learn closed status, yaku, riichi and dora, then distinguish self-draw, discard wins and furiten. Practise a declaration and a legal win without repeating tile recognition.
Beginner · 7 steps · 50 min
MCR Mahjong: From Sets to the Eight-Point Minimum
Learn MCR’s minimum, flowers, calls, scoring patterns and settlement using a Pure Straight example, without importing riichi, yaku or dora.
Beginner · 7 steps · 45 min
Sichuan Mahjong: Blood Battle, Missing Suit and Exchange
A separate Blood Battle introduction: 108 suited tiles, a missing suit, no chow and multiple successive winners. Exchange, scoring caps and end-of-wall checks require explicit table rules.
Beginner · Blood Battle version · 7 steps · 45 min
Optional Reference: Mahjong Terms and Riichi-Specific Rules
After the shared first lesson, consult as needed. This reference does not repeat tile recognition and ordinary turns. Closed hands, yaku, riichi, dora and furiten are explained in the riichi context, not imported into MCR or Sichuan.
Beginner · shared ideas and riichi · 9 steps · 45 min
Play
Learn drawing and discarding, then choose a separate Japanese, Chinese Official or Sichuan table. Try random free play or a four-person direct friend connection. Read the selected table's rules; regional scoring is not interchangeable.
Play →