Beginner's Guide to Luzhou Ghost Mahjong

In Luzhou, a river city in southeastern Sichuan, mahjong breaks one of its oldest rules: the game does not end when one player wins. Instead, play continues after the first winner. A second player wins. Then, when a third player claims victory, the hand finally ends. This is what makes Luzhou Ghost (泸州鬼麻将, Luzhou Ghost Mahjong) different. Your losses stack across multiple rounds of the same hand, and every player at the table is both ally and rival. The variant takes its name from the Red Dragon, the ghost tile, a wildcard that you can substitute for any other tile. Like other Sichuan variants, you must discard one entire suit before you win. Unlike them, Luzhou Ghost dropped the wind-rain mechanic that randomizes many regional games. What remains is simple: strategy over luck, continuation over conclusion.

Tiles to Play Luzhou Ghost Mahjong With

You'll play with a standard 136-tile set. Three numbered suits make up the core: Characters (万), Dots (筒), and Bamboo (条). Each suit runs one through nine with four copies per rank. You also have four Wind tiles (East, South, West, North) appearing once each, and three Dragon tiles: Red, Green, and White. The Red Dragon is your ghost tile, the wildcard. All four copies of the Red Dragon in the set work as ghost tiles. Luzhou Ghost uses no Flower tiles or Season tiles.

Basic Rules of Luzhou Ghost Mahjong

The game follows this turn structure:

1. You draw one tile from the wall at the start of your turn.
2. You discard one tile from your hand face-up on the table.
3. The next player counter-clockwise takes their turn.
4. If you have a winning hand at the moment you draw or if you claim another player's discard, you declare your win immediately.

During other players' turns, you can claim their discards. When you claim a Triplet (碰, peng), you announce it, display your matching pair, place all three face-up, and discard one tile from your hand. A Sequence (吃, chi) works the same way, except you can only claim a Sequence from the player directly to your left. You cannot claim a Sequence from across the table or to your right. If you have four of a kind in your hand, you declare a Quad (杠, gang), set it aside face-down or face-up depending on how you formed it, and then draw a replacement tile from the dead wall. Winning always takes priority: if multiple players can claim a discard, the player who can win claims it instead.

How to Setup Luzhou Ghost Mahjong

Determining The Dealer

Your session begins by selecting a dealer. Four players roll dice; whoever rolls the highest total becomes the dealer (East position). After the hand ends, the first winner becomes the dealer for the next round.

Setting Up The Wall

All players work together to build the wall. Each player stacks tiles in front of them: 17 stacks tall and 2 tiles high, making 34 tiles per player's wall. All four walls form a rectangle in the center of the table.

The Dead Wall

Before dealing begins, you set aside a 14-tile dead wall. This wall sits to the side of the main wall and does not replenish during play. When you declare a Quad and need to draw a replacement tile, you draw from the dead wall, not the main wall. The dead wall remains fixed for the entire hand.

Breaking The Wall

The dealer rolls two dice to determine where the wall breaks. Say you're the dealer and you roll a seven. You count seven stacks from the right end of your wall, moving toward your right. At the seventh stack, you break the wall; that stack becomes the starting point for drawing.

Dealing The Hand

Dealing happens in two phases. First, the dealer draws four tiles from the break point. Then each other player draws four tiles in turn clockwise. This repeats three times, so each player has 12 tiles. Finally, the dealer draws one more tile, giving the dealer 14 tiles and all other players 13 tiles. The dealer then discards one tile face-up to start play.

The Ghost Tile (鬼牌, guipai)

All four Red Dragons in the set are ghost tiles. Each acts independently as a wildcard and can represent any other tile when you build Sequences, Triplets, Quads, or pairs. If your hand contains more than one Red Dragon, each substitutes separately. When you use the Ghost Tile in a meld, it counts as substituting for whichever tile completes the pattern. The Ghost Tile can be discarded and claimed like any other tile. A Ghost Tile can be used as one of your pair tiles, though this is not a good use because it locks up a wildcard that might be more valuable elsewhere. A Ghost Tile cannot substitute for a tile in the suit you have voided. For example, if you voided Dots, a Ghost Tile cannot substitute for a Dot in any meld. Winning without any Red Dragons in your hand earns a No-Ghost bonus worth 10 ke, which stacks with your base hand value. When another player adds a tile to an existing Triplet to form a Quad, you may rob that tile to win (Robbing the Kong). However, you cannot rob a Ghost Tile being added to a Quad.

Getting a Tile

You get tiles in two ways. First, you draw from the wall at the start of each of your turns. Second, you can claim another player's discard by announcing one of three actions: a Sequence, a Triplet, or a Quad.

Drawing a Tile

You take one tile from the wall at the break point. If a previous player drew a Quad, you take from where that Quad replacement was drawn. The tile becomes part of your hand.

Calling Tiles

When you claim a Triplet, you announce "Triplet," show the two identical tiles you already hold, place all three face-up on the table, and discard one tile from your hand. A Sequence works the same way: announce it, show the two other tiles of your sequence, display all three, and discard. Remember, you can only claim a Sequence from the player to your left. Quads are more flexible. If another player discards a tile matching three identical tiles you hold, declare a Quad, place all four face-up, and draw a replacement tile from the dead wall. You can also declare a Quad if you draw the fourth copy of a tile you already claimed as a Triplet, though you display this differently (often with the new tile placed sideways). If you hold four identical tiles in your hand and draw nothing useful, you can set aside a concealed Quad face-down and draw a replacement tile. Winning always takes priority over claiming for Sequences, Triplets, or Quads.

Arranging Your Tiles

Keep tiles you have not yet played concealed in front of you; other players cannot see their faces. When you claim a discard for a Triplet, Sequence, or Quad, display that set face-up on the table so all players can see it. Once displayed, you cannot change the set or use those tiles for any other purpose.

Discarding a Tile

After drawing, you choose one tile from your hand and place it face-up in the center of the table. Play moves to the next player counter-clockwise. In Luzhou Ghost, you must discard one entire suit before you can win. This is called the Voided Suit rule (打缺, daque). Your first discard of the hand determines which suit you are voiding. You do not choose before the hand begins; your first discard is your declaration. You then gradually eliminate all tiles of that suit from your hand. When you declare a win, you must have discarded every single tile of that suit. If you voided Dots, you cannot claim a Sequence containing Dots. If you do and no one stops you, you cannot declare a win. A Ghost Tile cannot substitute for a tile in the suit you have voided. If you voided Dots, a Ghost Tile cannot stand in for any Dot tile in any meld or pair. The Voided Suit rule is a Sichuan convention and is treated as a standard requirement in Luzhou Ghost.

Arranging Your Called and Discard Tiles

Most players display Triplets, Sequences, and Quads in front of them in a neat row. Discards typically go in a pile or row in the center of the table, though some groups arrange them in a grid for easier tracking.

Winning in Luzhou Ghost Mahjong

To win, your hand must form one of the valid winning structures. The simplest is three Sequences, one Triplet, and a pair, called a Basic Win. You can also win with four Triplets and a pair, or with more exotic patterns like seven pairs, pure suit hands, or hands containing multiple four-of-a-kind sets. The critical constraint is that you must have discarded all tiles of one suit before declaring your win. You win in one of two ways: by drawing a tile from the wall that completes your hand (a self-draw win), or by claiming a discard from another player that finishes your hand.

End of Hand

When you win, you settle with the other players immediately. If you drew your winning tile from the wall, each non-winning player pays you the full ke value of your hand. If you claimed a discard to complete your hand, only the player who discarded the winning tile pays you. If your discard completes winning hands for multiple players simultaneously, all of them collect from you in turn order; each winner receives their full payout rather than splitting the cost. Kong-related wins follow special rules. If you draw a replacement tile after declaring a Quad and that tile completes your hand, this is a Kong Draw win, and your hand's ke value is multiplied by 2. If another player adds a tile to an existing Triplet to form a Quad and you claim that tile as your winning tile, you are Robbing the Kong (抢杠胡, qiangganghu), and you score 10 ke. You cannot rob a Ghost Tile being added to a Quad. If a Quad draw leads immediately to another player's winning discard (the Quad declarer discards and someone wins), the Quad declarer pays a Kong Penalty, worth 10 ke in addition to the base hand value of the winner's hand.

End of Game

The game does not end after the first player wins. Instead, play continues with the remaining three players building their hands. When the first player wins, that player becomes the dealer for the next hand. When a second player wins, they settle their scores with the other players and continue playing. When a third player wins, the hand ends immediately. All three winners settle their payouts independently with the other players. Already-won players are exempt from paying subsequent self-draw winners. If a subsequent winner claims a discard, only the player who discarded the winning tile pays. The first winner becomes the dealer for the next hand. If the wall runs out of tiles and fewer than three players have won, the hand ends in a draw. In a draw, the game checks each player's hand for two conditions. First, players who declared ready to win (听牌, tingpai) are paid by players who were not ready. When you declare ready, you lock in your hand composition like Riichi mahjong. You can declare ready with an open hand (unlike Riichi, where you need a closed hand). After declaring, you cannot change your hand; you must keep your hand composition fixed. A ready player receives 1 ke from each non-ready player. Second, any player whose hand still contains tiles from all three suits is a Flower Cat (花猫, huamao). Because the Voided Suit rule requires you to eliminate one suit entirely, a Flower Cat hand can never have been in a winning position. Flower Cat players must pay all other non-winning, non-Flower-Cat players. The noten penalty and the Flower Cat penalty are both standard rules in Luzhou Ghost.

Points and Payout in Luzhou Ghost Mahjong

Before the game begins, you and your fellow players agree on a session length and how much each ke (颗, the scoring unit in Luzhou Ghost) is worth in money or chips. A common starting setup is to agree that each hand will be played for a small stake, such that a single ke is worth one point or one chip.

Scoring Opportunities

Your winning hand payout is calculated based on the hand type and how you won. Most hands are scored in ke, a tiered system where complex structures earn higher payouts.

Total Hand Ke = [Base Hand Ke × Multipliers] + Bonuses, capped at 40 ke maximum.

Example: Basic Win (2 ke) + Kong Draw (×2) + No-Ghost bonus (+10) = (2 × 2) + 10 = 14 ke.

Basic Win (平胡): three Sequences, one Triplet, and a pair. Scores 2 ke whether you draw it or claim a discard.

Gui with Self-Draw (闺自摸): one complete set of four identical tiles. Self-draw wins score 5 ke. Gui Discard Win scores 2 ke when you claim a discard to complete the hand. Each additional set of four identical tiles multiplies the ke by 2x: Double Gui is 10 ke on self-draw, Triple Gui is 20 ke.

Seven Pairs (七对): seven distinct pairs, all concealed. Scores 10 ke. Cannot be formed using exposed melds.

Pure One Suit Kong Draw (清一色杠上花): all tiles from one suit, won via a Quad replacement tile. Scores 40 ke (hardcap applied).

All-Triplet Hand or Big Pair (对对胡 / 大对子): four Triplets or Quads plus a pair, with no Sequences. Scores 40 ke (capped).

Three Dragon Seven Pairs (三龙七对): all three Dragons appear in pair structures within your seven-pair hand. Ghost Tiles count as Red Dragons for this hand type. Scores 80 ke.

Triple Luxury Seven Pairs (清龙七对): seven pairs, all from one suit, with Dragon pairs included. Scores 80 ke.

Pure Double Dragon Seven Pairs (清双龙七对): two Dragons in pair structures within one suit, seven pairs total. Scores 160 ke.

Pure Triple Dragon Seven Pairs (清三龙七对): all three Dragons in pair structures within one suit, seven pairs total. Scores 320 ke theoretical, but is capped at 80 ke as a rare hand exception.

Pure Gui Pair (清闺对): three sets of four identical tiles used as pairs, plus a pair of Ghost Tiles. Scores 80 ke.

Three-Gui Pair (三闺对): three sets of four identical tiles used as pairs, plus a pair of normal tiles (not Ghost Tiles). Scores 80 ke.

Pure Double Gui Pair (清双闺对): two sets of four identical tiles used as pairs. Scores 160 ke.

Kong Draw (杠上花): multiplies your base hand ke by 2 when you win using a tile drawn as a Quad replacement. So a Basic Win becomes 4 ke. Hand-Stick-One (手把一) also multiplies by 2. These multipliers stack: if both apply, multiply your base hand by 2 × 2 = 4.

Robbing the Kong (抢杠胡): 10 ke when you claim another player's Quad tile to win. You cannot rob a Ghost Tile being added to a Quad.

Kong Penalty (杠上炮): when a Quad declarer discards and another player wins, the Quad declarer pays a penalty. The Kong Penalty is 10 ke in addition to the winner's base hand value. This is a bonus paid on top of the hand, not a replacement value.

No-Ghost Hand Bonus (无鬼胡): adds 10 ke if your winning hand contains zero Red Dragon tiles. This bonus stacks with other modifiers.

The maximum payout for any single hand is capped at 40 ke in Luzhou games, meaning even if your hand structure would theoretically score higher, you receive payment for 40 ke only. The exception is rare hands, which can reach 80 ke before the cap. The cap is announced before the game starts.

Emerging Variations

The following rule variations are newer additions to Luzhou Ghost and may not be recognized in all game rooms. Confirm with your group before playing.

Hand-Stick-One (手把一) is an emerging rule where a player has just called a Triplet or Quad, and exactly one remaining tile completes the hand. The player must declare ready (Ting) immediately after calling the Triplet or Quad. The multiplier applies (×2) if the hand wins. Validation that the hand meets this constraint occurs when the player wins. Status: Newer variation; adoption varies by game room.

Report Tile (报牌) involves announcing or reporting your ready state. A plain announcement is worth 10 ke, and a special or named announcement (带名堂的报牌) is worth 40 ke. Status: Newer variation; adoption varies by game room.

Winning Hand Scoring Table

Who Pays Whom

Example 1: Non-dealer wins by discard

South has a Basic Win (2 ke). North discards the winning tile. North pays 2 ke to South. Total: South collects 2 ke.

Example 2: Dealer wins by self-draw with Gui and No-Ghost bonus

East (the dealer) self-draws a winning Gui hand (5 ke) using no Red Dragon tiles. Add the No-Ghost bonus (+10 ke). Total: 5 + 10 = 15 ke. South, West, and North each pay 15 ke to East. East collects 45 ke total from this hand. Note: if this hand exceeded 40 ke, each player would pay 40 ke only, and East would collect 120 ke total.

Example 3: Multiple winners from one discard

West discards a tile. Both South and North declare wins with that tile. South has a Basic Win (2 ke). North has a Gui with discard win (2 ke). West pays 2 ke to South and 2 ke to North in turn order, for a total of 4 ke. Each winner collects their full payout from the discarder.

Example 4: Kong Draw with multiplier stacking

East declares a Quad, draws the replacement tile from the dead wall, and it completes a Basic Win (2 ke). Kong Draw bonus applies: 2 × 2 = 4 ke. East also has no Ghost Tiles, so No-Ghost bonus applies: 4 + 10 = 14 ke. This is a self-draw, so each non-winner pays 14 ke. Total: 42 ke.