How to Play Taiwanese Mahjong: Your Comprehensive Guide to the 16-Tile Hand

Taiwanese Mahjong is a beloved and distinct variation of the game, famous for its strategic depth, fast pace, and its fundamental rule: the 16-tile hand. Unlike many other versions, which use a 13-tile hand, the extra three tiles in Taiwanese Mahjong allow for greater flexibility and the potential for larger, more complex winning hands.

1. The Tiles: The Foundation of the Game

A standard Taiwanese Mahjong set contains 144 tiles, divided into three main categories:

• Suit Tiles (108 total):

  • Dots (筒子 - Tǒngzǐ): Tiles with circles, numbered 1 to 9. Four of each.

  • Bamboos (索子 - Suǒzǐ): Tiles with bamboo sticks, numbered 1 to 9. Four of each.

  • Characters (萬子 - Wànzǐ): Tiles with a Chinese character on top and a numeral below, numbered 1 to 9. Four of each.

• Honor Tiles (28 total):

  • Winds (風牌 - Fēngpái): East (東), South (南), West (西), and North (北). Four of each.

  • Dragons (箭牌 - Jiànpái): Red (中), Green (發), and White (白). Four of each. The White Dragon is often a blank tile with a simple blue or black outline.

• Bonus Tiles (8 total):

  • Flowers (花牌 - Huāpái): Four unique tiles.

  • Seasons (季牌 - Jìpái): Four unique tiles.

  • These tiles do not contribute to forming a set but are revealed immediately upon being drawn. They are placed face-up beside your hand and a replacement tile is drawn from the end of the wall. They are only used for scoring if you win.

2. The Goal: The 16-Tile Winning Hand

To win a round, a player must be the first to form a hand of 16 tiles consisting of:

• Five sets of three tiles.

• One pair of two identical tiles.

The winning tile, whether drawn from the wall or claimed from a discard, is the final tile that completes this structure. The five sets can be any combination of the following:

• Pung (碰): Three identical tiles. You can form a Pung by claiming a discarded tile from any player. This is a crucial strategic move.

• Chow (吃): A sequence of three tiles in the same suit (e.g., a 5, 6, and 7 of Dots). You can only form a Chow by claiming a discarded tile from the player to your immediate left. This limitation is key to blocking opponents.

• Kong (杠): A set of four identical tiles. A Kong can be formed in a few ways:

  • Exposed Kong (明杠): Claiming a discarded tile to complete your four-of-a-kind.

  • Concealed Kong (暗杠): Having all four tiles in your hand and revealing them.

  • Add-on Kong (加杠): Having an exposed Pung and later drawing the fourth identical tile, which you then add to the Pung to form a Kong.

  • When you form a Kong, you draw a replacement tile from the end of the wall.

3. The Gameplay Flow: From Start to Finish

1. Building the Walls: All 144 tiles are shuffled face down. Each of the four players builds a wall of 18 stacks, with each stack being two tiles high. The four walls are pushed together to form a square.

2. Determining the Dealer: A dice roll determines the first dealer (East). The dealer's position will rotate to the right after each round unless they win or the round is a draw, in which case they remain the dealer.

3. The Deal: The dealer rolls the dice to determine where to break the wall. The deal begins with the dealer drawing their first two stacks (four tiles). This process continues until the dealer has 16 tiles and the other players have 16 tiles. Wait, you might ask, how does the dealer start with 17 tiles and then discard? The dealer is often dealt 17 tiles, but the game officially starts when the dealer discards their first tile, leaving everyone with a 16-tile hand.

4. No Charleston: Unlike American Mahjong, there is no "Charleston," or a set period of tile-passing. Play begins immediately.

5. Drawing and Discarding: The dealer discards their first tile. Play proceeds counter-clockwise.

   • The current player can either draw a tile from the wall or claim a discarded tile from the player who just played.

   • If a tile is discarded that completes a Pung or a Kong for any player, they can call it, take the tile, and then discard a tile from their hand.

   • If a tile is discarded that completes a Chow for the player to the immediate left, they can call it, take the tile, and then discard a tile.

   • If a player can win with a discarded tile, they can declare "Mahjong!" and end the round.

6. The End of the Round: The round ends when a player completes their winning hand.

4. Scoring: The Tái (Points) System

Scoring in Taiwanese Mahjong is based on tái (台), which are points that determine the payout. The more tái in your hand, the higher the score. The value of a tái is typically agreed upon before the game begins.

• Winning by Self-Draw (自摸): If you draw your winning tile from the wall, all three other players must pay you.

• Winning by Discard (放銃): If you claim a winning tile that another player discarded, only that player pays you. This is a very important difference.

• Dealer's Advantage:

  • If the dealer wins, they receive double the payment from each player.

  • If the dealer is the one who discards the winning tile for another player, they pay double to the winner.

• Common Tái Examples:

  • Base Hand: A winning hand with no special scoring patterns usually earns a minimum of 1 tái.

  • Dragons/Winds: A Pung of Dragons or a Pung of your own Wind earns tái.

  • All Pungs (碰碰胡): A hand with five Pungs and a pair earns significant tái.

  • All Chows (平胡): A hand with five Chows and a pair also earns points.

  • Bonus Tiles: Each bonus Flower or Season tile you possess in a winning hand adds a tái.

5. Strategy & Nuances

• Observe Your Opponents: Pay close attention to what tiles your opponents are discarding and what tiles they are calling. This can give you clues about the sets they are trying to form.

• The Power of the Discard: A well-timed discard can prevent an opponent from winning or force them to break up a potential hand.

• Dealer's Streak: If the dealer wins a round, they keep the dealer position and get a "streak" bonus. The tái they receive increases with each consecutive win, adding to the high-stakes nature of being East.

• House Rules: Like all Mahjong variations, Taiwanese Mahjong can have many regional or "house" rules. It is crucial to agree on all rules, especially scoring, before the game begins.