Hangzhou Mahjong (杭州麻将) is a regional Mahjong variant in from the Zhejiang Province known for its fast-paced play and unique scoring such as bonuses for "Explosive Pair" (Bao Tou (爆头)) and "Fortune Gambit" (Cai Piao (财飞)). An interesting limitation to Hangzhou Mahjong is the introduction of a Flat Dealer (Píng Zhuāng ( 平庄)) Phase in which no one can win off another player's discard and the rule that non-dealer to non-dealer discard-based wins are not allowed at all throughout the entire game. Hangzhou Mahjong focuses on quick wins, strict tile efficiency, a bit chutzpah through Fortune Gambits, and layering scoring multipliers to win!
This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to play Hangzhou Mahjong, including the tiles used, basic rules, setup procedures, special terms, winning hands, and the scoring system. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this guide will help you grasp the core concepts of Hangzhou Mahjong.
Tiles to Play Hangzhou Mahjong With
Hangzhou Mahjong is played with a total of 136 tiles. A standard 144-tile mahjong set (Characters/Cracks, Bamboos/Bams, Dots, Dragons, Winds, Flowers, and Seasons) can be used except you will remove the Flower Tiles. Even an American set (152 tiles) can be used, but you will remove all 8 Jokers and all Flowers and Season tiles.
Basic Rules of Hangzhou Mahjong
The primary goal of all mahjong variants is to form a winning hand by creating specific tile combinations, which include sets and pairs, and to score points based on the type of hand achieved.
Every turn goes the same way:
- Draw a tile from the wall or by take the tile that somebody just discarded
- Try to make a winning hand! The goal is to arrange your tiles into four sets of three and one pair. If you can't, go to step 3.
- Discard a tile in the center of the table, officially ending your turn.
- Immediately after a tile is discarded, someone else can take it to form a meld or to complete their winning hand. If nobody takes the discarded tile, that tile is out of play for the rest of the game and the next player draws from the wall.
By default, the next player is the player to the right (counterclockwise). Even if it is not your turn yet, this is not a time to sit idle. Although the next person is the player to the right by default, there are certain circumstances that allow somebody to jump ahead to call a discarded tile. Also, even if you are unable to call the tile, it is important for you to know what is thrown and what is out of play, so that you are not waiting for it in vain later on.
How to Setup Hangzhou Mahjong
Like most variants of mahjong, Hangzhou mahjong is intended for four players. Rules and customs for dealing the tiles out vary from version to version and table to table.
How to Determine the Dealer
The first step is to determine the dealer. Players can use dice to decide who will be the initial dealer. Typically, two dice are rolled, and the total value determines the player who will take the dealer position, starting with a pre-agreed player and counting counterclockwise around the table.
Alternatively, all four players can draw one of the four wind tiles (East, South, West, North) that are shuffled and placed face-down. The player who draws the East tile becomes the dealer.
After the first round, the dealer position is determined by the outcome of the game. If the dealer wins, they retain their position, resulting in a consecutive dealership. If no one wins and the round ends in a draw, the dealer also retains their position. However, if another player wins the hand, they become the new dealer for the next round.
Consecutive dealer rounds are tracked, and in Hangzhou Mahjong, this is uniquely referred to as Continuous Dealership (Lao Zhuang (老庄)), with consecutive rounds marked as 1 Lao, 2 Lao, and 3 Lao. A dealer's first round counts as 1 Lao.
In some variants, a dice roll resulting in doubles or 12 may automatically assign the game as a 3 Lao round, skipping the need to progress sequentially. This is done to speed up Hangzhou Mahjong since players can only win by self-draw until a 3 Lao round.
Setting up the Wall
To set up the wall in Hangzhou Mahjong, all players work together to shuffle the 136 tiles face-down thoroughly on the table. Each player then builds a wall by stacking tiles into two rows of 17 tiles each, forming a double-layered row in front of them. These walls are positioned to create a square shape in the center of the table.
Breaking The Wall
Once the walls are built, the dealer rolls two dice to determine the starting point for breaking the wall. The total rolled number corresponds to a specific player’s wall, counting counterclockwise from the dealer's position. Starting from the right end of the designated player's wall, count the same number of tiles rolled. The break occurs between the counted tiles, leaving a small gap. This point becomes the "head" of the wall, and tiles will be drawn from this position clockwise around the table.
Going counterclockwise from the "head" of the wall, the last 20 tiles are reserved as the dead wall.
Dealing the Hand
After breaking the wall at the designated point, dealing begins with each player taking 4 tiles (2 stacks) at a time from the front of the wall, starting with the dealer and going counter-clockwise, repeating this process three times until everyone has 12 tiles. The dealer then takes two additional tiles from the top row of the first and third columns at the front of the wall, while the other players each take one more tile: the player to the dealer's right takes from the bottom of the first column, the player opposite takes from the top of the second column, and the player to the dealer's left takes from the bottom of the second column. This results in the dealer having 14 tiles and other players having 13 tiles each.
Getting a Tile
The main way to get a tile is to draw it from the draw wall.
You can also get a tile when somebody discards it if it completes a a valid combination of three or four tiles, also known as a meld, or a winning hand. The called tile must be displayed face up with the completed meld. This open meld cannot be altered for the rest of the game. The discarded tile must be called immediately or else the tile becomes dead and will remain in the discarded tile area for the rest of the game.
Calling Tiles
A pung is a three-of-a-kind.
If you need the discarded tile to complete a pung, you have to say “pung,” grab it, and display the completed pung face up next to your flowers. Pungs are powerful because you can seize it even if it isn’t your turn, and everyone before you will lose their turn.
A kong is a four-of-a-kind.
Kong is like a special type of pung, and can also be grabbed even if it’s not your turn. However, you have to also grab an extra tile from the wall. This is necessary for you to have enough tiles to complete a winning hand.
A chow is a three-tile straight of the same suit.
Unlike pung and kang, you can only chow when it’s your turn. This makes chows harder to get since you can only get it from the person right before you. The only exception to this is if the chow would result in you winning.
Generally you cannot claim a discarded tile to form a pair. The only exception is if you are waiting for one more tile to win. You might be waiting to complete a pung, a chow, or an eye in order to win. No matter what you’re waiting for, you can seize it if somebody discards it, anytime. Winning using a discarded tile is called mahjong or hu.
FAQ: What Happens If Two People Want to Call a Discarded Tile?
In general, priority is given based on what the tile is being called for: winning takes precedence over pungs/kongs. If more than one player needs the discarded tile for mahjong, it goes to whoever is closer in turn after the person who discarded the tile.
Arranging your Tiles
Remember, the goal of mahjong is to have all of your tiles arranged into four melds and one pair. After getting a tile, you should arrange your tiles and attempt to incorporate your new tile into your hand.
As discussed above, kong is a four-of-a-kind, which may be formed from a discarded tile. Related to kong is a concealed kong when you have four-of-a-kind that’s hidden in your own hand, which means that you drew it yourself and did not complete it using a discarded tile. In this case, because it’s concealed, the identity of the tile is valuable information and should not be displayed. But because it is a four-tile meld, you must declare it and get a tile from the wall. Turn the outside tiles facedown to mark it as a concealed kong. Just like with open meld, your secret tiles will be out of play the rest of the game with no changes permitted.
Another related concept is open melded kong. Open melded kongs are generally locked in and cannot be changed. If you created a pung from a discarded tile, and later on, somebody throws the fourth matching tile, you will not be able to kong the discarded tile, because your pung was already open. However, there is a special exception: if it’s your turn and the tile that you draw from the wall happens to be the fourth matching tile, then you can add it to your completed pung. Declare the open melded kong and set the matching tile on top of the middle tile of the pung. Since this is now a four-tile meld, you must draw a replacement tile from the wall.
Discarding a Tile
Generally you want to discard tiles that do not go with any of the other tiles in your hand to help you form appropriate melds. If you can figure out what other players need, you should try to avoid discarding those tiles.
Arranging you Called and Discard Tiles
Unlike most Chinese Mahjong variants in Hangzhou Mahjong, called tiles (those obtained through Chow, Pung, or Kong) and discarded tiles are arranged systematically to maintain clarity and fairness during gameplay. Called tiles are placed in front of the player, separate from concealed tiles, and their arrangement indicates how they were claimed. For a Chow (Chi - 吃), the three-tile sequence is placed face-up with the claimed tile rotated 90 degrees to show the source of the discard. For a Pung (Peng - 碰), the triplet is also placed face-up, with the claimed tile rotated: left-rotated if discarded by the player to the left, right-rotated for the player to the right, and unrotated for the player across. A Kong (Kang - 杠) varies by type: a concealed Kong is placed face-down, an exposed Kong has the claimed tile rotated among three face-up tiles, and an added Kong places the fourth tile on top of an existing triplet.
Discarded tiles are placed face-up in front of each player in an orderly grid format. Tiles are arranged in rows of six, starting a new row after each sixth tile. This neat arrangement ensures that all players can track the progression of the game and strategize accordingly. In Hangzhou Mahjong, neatness is emphasized to differentiate it from other regional Mahjong styles that allow more random discard placement. For special tiles like Fortune Tiles (Caishen - 财神) discarded during a Cai Piao maneuver, some players may set them slightly apart to indicate their strategic use.
Fortune Tiles
In Hangzhou Mahjong, the Fortune Tile, also known as the Wildcard (Caishen (财神)), is a special tile that can substitute for any other tile in a player's hand, making it highly versatile for forming winning combinations. At the start of the game, after all players receive their initial tiles, the dealer rolls two dice to determine the Fortune Tile. The total dice roll is used to locate a specific tile from the back of the wall, which is then flipped face-up to act as the Fortune Tile indicator. The three remaining tiles of the same type as the indicator become the Fortune Tiles.
In some variations, the White Dragon (Bai Ban (白板)) is universally designated as the Fortune Tile to streamline gameplay. This allows for four wildcards instead of just three.
The Fortune Tile can be used in any combination, such as Pairs, Sequences, or Triplets, providing significant flexibility in building a winning hand. However, it comes with restrictions—Fortune Tiles do not count towards Kongs and discarded Fortune Tiles cannot be claimed for Chow (Chi), Pung (Peng), or Kong (Kang).
Fortune Gambit
In Hangzhou Mahjong, the Fortune Tiles tiles can be discarded for a special condition called Fortune Float (Cái Piāo (财飘)). Mahjong Pros localize this terms to Fortune Gambit. The Fortune Gambit provides a bonus multiplier to the final score if the player who performs the Fortune Gambit wins by self-draw the turn after discarding the Fortune Tile.
The player who initiated the Fortune Gambit can only do the following:
Note: During the Fortune Gambit, the other three players who are not in a Fortune Gambit cannot Chow, Pung, or win off a discard that round; they can only self-draw.
Winning in Hangzhou Mahjong
In Hangzhou Mahjong, a player can declare mahjong or hu when they have completed four sets and one pair or by having seven pairs through self-drawing a tile only in 1 Lao and 2 Lao (The 1st dealership and 2nd continuous dealership). From 3 Lao and onwards, a player can declare mahjong or hu when they have completed four sets and one pair by either self-drawing, claiming a discarded tile as the dealer, or claiming a discarded tile against the dealer. Non-dealer players cannot declare mahjong by claiming a discarded tile against non-dealer player ever in Hangzhou Mahjong. Only one person may declare a winning hand, and if more than one player can simultaneously win off a single discard, the order of priority is determined counterclockwise from the dealer. Whichever player is first in the that sequence wins.
TL;DR of How to Win in Hangzhou Mahjong
- Self-Draw Wins Only in 1st Dealership and 2nd Continuous Dealership
- No wins allowed between Non-Dealer Players
- Claiming a discarded tile can only occur from 3rd Dealership Onwards
- No Fan Limits or Hand Pattern Restrictions
Points and Payout Table in Hangzhou Mahjong
Initial Points
Decide in advance how long you’ll play for and what “rate” you’ll use. If you plan to play for several hours, you might, for instance, reshuffle seating every hour or so. Also agree on how many “points” each player starts with—represented by chips or some other marker.
Common values are 50 points or 100 points, however you can go as high as you like. Generally there is no fixed limit on scoring in Hangzhou Mahjong so you can cap the hand limit at either 64, 128, or 256 depending on your overall feelings.
If someone’s total points drop to zero, they no longer pay anything. If they manage to win a hand while at zero, they receive points with no penalty. Any uncollectible points (because that person cannot pay) become a loss for the winner—there is no requirement for others to cover the shortfall or repay it later.
Base Score
Also decide in advance what the base score for Hangzhou Mahjong hands will be. Since there are no additional fans or hans given for unique patterns such as Three Great Scholars or Four Big Winds, each hand regardless of composition is worth the same.
Typically hands are worth 1 point. However you can make the base score for hands worth 1, 2, 3, or even 5 points.
Payout Formula
The payout in Hangzhou Mahjong is relatively simplified. The full formula to calculate points is as following (and seems daunting):
Total Payout = (Base Score^(Number of Fortune Gambits + Number of Consecutive Kongs + 1)) x (Dealer Multiplier (If Dealer))
However you can just simplify it to:
Total Payout = Base Score x Special Hand Multipliers x (Dealer Multiplier or Dealer Self-Draw Loss)
Example: Base Score (1) x Explosive Pair (2) x Fortune Gambit (2) x 2nd Continuous Dealership (4) so the Total Payout is 8.
Special Payout Formula for 7 Pairs Hand is as follows:
Total Payout = Base Score x Seven Pairs Multiplier x Pure Seven Pair Bonus Multiplier x Special Hand Multipliers x Four of Kind Pairs (If Any) x (Dealer Multiplier or Dealer Self-Draw Loss)
Example: Base Score (1) x Seven Pairs (2) x No Fortune Tiles / Pure Seven Pair Bonus (2) x No Additional Special Hand Multipliers (1) x No Four of Kind Pairs (1) x (3rd Continuous Dealership (8) so the Total Payout is 32.
Who Pays in Hangzhou Mahjong?
|
Type |
Who Pays? |
|
Self-Draw Win |
All other players pay. If applicable, Dealer pays double. |
|
Discard Win |
Discarding player pays (Only Applicable 3 Lao and Onwards) |
Dealer Multipliers
|
Round or Condition |
Multiplier |
|
1st Dealership (1 Lao) |
x2 |
|
2nd Continuous Dealership (2 Lao) |
x4 |
|
3rd Continuous Dealership Onward (3+ Lao) |
x8 |
| Dealer Self-Drawn Loss | x2 |
Special Winning Hand Multipliers Table
|
Hand |
Multiplier |
Description |
|
Explosive Pair (Bao Tou 爆头) |
x2 |
Self-Drawn win on a Single-tile Pair wait using a Fortune Tile. |
|
Fortune Gambit (Cai Piao 财飞) |
x2 |
Winning on a self-draw the turn after discarding a Fortune Tile |
| Continuous Fortune Gambit | x2 Per | Winning on a self-draw the urn after discarding consecutive Fortune Tiles. Multiplier can up to 4 times. |
|
Kong Blossom (Gang Kai 杯开) |
x2 |
Winning immediately after drawing a replacement tile from a Kong. |
| Continuous Kong Blossom | x2 Per | Winning immediately after drawing a replacement tile after declaring multiple continuous Kongs. |
|
Explosive Kong* (Gang Bao 杯爆) |
x4 |
Explosive Pair combined with Kong Blossom. (Does not stack with Explosive Pair and Kong Blossom) |
|
Kong Gambit* (Gang Piao 杯飞) |
x4 |
Fortune Gambit combined with Kong Blossom. (Does not stack with Fortune Gambit and Kong Blossom) |
|
Seven Pairs (Qi Dui 七对) |
x2 |
Form seven pairs instead of four sets or melds and one pair. |
| Pure Seven Pairs (Qīng Qī Duì 清七对) | x2 | Bonus for having no fortune tiles in a seven pairs hand. Stackable with Seven Pairs. |
|
Luxury Seven Pairs* (Hao Hua Qi Dui 豪华七对) |
x4 |
Seven Pairs Hand including one Four-of-a-Kind pairs. (Does not stack with Seven pairs) |
| Luxury Pairs (Hao Hua Dui 豪华对) | x2 Per | Per Four-of-a-Kind Pair in a Seven Pairs hand (Maximum 3 and does not apply to standard hands) |
*These Hands are Specific Combination of two or more Special Winning Multipliers
Special Payment Penalties Scenarios
Kong Capture (Zhuō Găng 捉杠)
If Player A declares an exposed Kong (明杠) and Player B performs a Kong-capture win (捉杠胡) on the tile Player A tries to add, Player A must pay the entire winning for all three players.
Note: This cannot happen on a direct Kong (直杠); it only applies when a player is adding a tile to a previously Ponged meld (加杠).
Three Meld Penalty (San-Tān Chéngbāo (三摊承包))
If Player A has melded (Chowed/Ponged/Konged) three times from Player B’s discards, then if Player A wins, the share of points that all players owe will be paid entirely by B multiply by 2.
Reverse Three Meld Penalty (Reverse Chéngbāo (倒承包))
If Player A has melded (Chowed/Ponged/Konged) three times from Player B, but then B wins, the share of points for the other three players is paid entirely by Player A multiplied by 2
Combined Three Meld Penalty Scenarios
If Player A has melded three times from Player B; Player C has melded three times from Player A. If Player A wins, then Player B must pay for all three players the entire amount multiplied by 2 (x2), and Player C must also pay for all three players the entire amount multiplied by 2 (x2).
Hangzhou Mahjong’s unique mechanics, including the Cai Shen wildcard and special scoring rules like Bao Tou and Cai Piao, set it apart from other regional Mahjong games. The fast-paced and strategic nature of this variation makes it an engaging game for both casual and experienced players. Mastering the rules and leveraging multipliers can lead to exciting victories and high scores.
Additional Rules for Variants of Hangzhou Mahjong
Determining When the Game Ends
You can choose between:
- By Rounds (打局): Choose 8 or 16 rounds. Game ends when the set number of rounds is reached.
- By Points (打分): Choose 40, 50, 60, 100, or whatever as the initial points for each player. After any round ends, if a player’s points drop to 0 or below and that round was not won by the dealer, the game ends.
Determining Fortune Tiles
The Fortune tiles can either be any White Dragon or a flipped Fortune Tile determined by dice roll at the beginning of the game. The difference between using one over the other is whether or not you would like three or four fortune tiles in the game.
Score Capping on Payouts
For more aggressive games, you can go with no score cap on hands. Otherwise, typical score caps on hands are either 0, 64, 128, or 256. If the payout exceeds the cap, the cap limit would be used instead.
Whether playing socially or competitively, Hangzhou Mahjong offers a refreshing twist on traditional gameplay. Gather your friends, set the tiles, and enjoy the thrill of this dynamic Mahjong variant!
