Malaysian Mahjong is a fast-paced and exciting variation of traditional Mahjong, played with three players instead of the usual four. It retains the core elements of the game—forming winning hands through Pongs, Chows, and Kongs—but introduces unique rules, such as the inclusion of the special tile Fly (飛) tiles (wildcards) and a faster game rhythm.
Malaysian Mahjong is known for its flexibility, often allowing local house rules to shape gameplay. With a minimum of 5 fan required to declare a win, it offers a dynamic blend of strategy and luck, making each round an engaging experience.
Malaysian Mahjong Tiles Used
In Malaysian 3-player Mahjong, only the dot tiles from 1 to 9 are used. The set also includes 4 flower tiles, 4 seasons, 4 animal tiles, 4 face tiles, and 4 fly tiles. The North Wind is removed from the honor tiles, leaving East, South, and West winds along with dragons (Red, Green, and White). Only 84 tiles are needed.
Typically Singaporean Mahjong sets will include Face and Fly Tiles to allow you to play both Singaporean and Malaysian Mahjong.
Basic Rules of Malaysian 3-Player Mahjong
The game is played with 3 players using a modified set of rules based on traditional Mahjong. Each player must form a complete hand of four sets and a pair, with a minimum of 5 fan to declare a win (Wu). Special tiles like the fly (wild tile) and flowers/seasons/animals add additional fan to the score.
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 Malaysian 3-Player Mahjong
Unlike most variants of mahjong, Malaysian mahjong is intended for four players. Rules and customs for dealing the tiles out vary from version to version and table to table.
Determining the Dealer
To determine the dealer, each player rolls two dice, and the highest roller becomes the first dealer (East). The dealer then rolls the dice again to determine the starting wall for breaking. You can more formally shuffle one each of the wind tiles face-down, then have each player turn one up and take the respective seat. After each game, the next person to the right (counterclockwise) becomes the dealer. The round wind always starts at East. After each hand, the dealer changes. After 4 hands, one complete rotation of dealers, the round wind changes in order of East, South, West, and North.
Setting up the Wall
Each player builds their section of the wall with 14 stacks (two tiles high). Since there are only 3 players, one side of the table remains empty. The walls form three sides of a square, with each player positioned at one wall.
Breaking the Wall
Once the dealer has been selected, the dealer rolls the dice to determine the starting wall. Let’s say you are the dealer and you roll a seven.
Starting with your own wall, count the walls in front of each player, moving counterclockwise around the table: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. You should now be pointing at the wall of the player to your left.
The next step is to determine where to break the wall.
Use the same number from determining the starting wall. Starting on the end of the wall segment closest to you, count out seven tiles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Pick up that seventh tile (since you rolled a seven) because it counts from the indicated player's right to his left (not players but tiles this time) the total sum of the rolls. The tiles immediately after become the draw wall.
The wall is basically like a long deck of cards wrapping around the table in a square. The draw wall is like the top of the deck where the tiles will be dealt from and where the players will draw tiles from during gameplay.
The last 8 tiles of Malaysian Mahjong forms dead wall which is like the bottom of the deck. In Malaysian Mahjong, if no one has won by the time this area is reached, each player will draw tiles as a last chance effort to win. Special rules about the dead wall are covered below.
Dealing the Hand
Starting from the break, the dealer takes the first two stacks of tiles (four tiles total), followed by the next player to the dealer’s right. This continues until all players have 12 tiles. The dealer takes an extra tile to start with 14 tiles, while the other players start with 13.
Flower Replacement
At the beginning of the game, each player reveals any flower, season, face, or animal tiles they have drawn and replaces them with tiles from the back of the wall. The game starts with the dealer discarding one tile.
Getting a Tile
Players draw tiles from the wall in turn. They may also claim discarded tiles to complete a set (meld). The main methods for claiming tiles are Chow, Pong, or Kong, depending on the tile combination needed.
Calling Tiles
Players can call tiles for a Pong or Kong, but a Fly tile (wild) may only be used for a Pong or Chow under specific conditions. If two players want to Pong the same tile, priority is given to the player without using a Fly tile.
Chow (Chī)
The next player can Chow the discarded tile from the previous player, but if someone else needs the tile to Pong or Hu, they take priority. Only dot tiles can be Chowed, and the player must discard a tile after forming the Chow.
Pong (Pèng)
If a player has two identical tiles in hand, they can declare a Pong when another player discards the third matching tile. After forming the Pong, the player must discard a tile.
Kong (Gàng)
When a player has four identical tiles, they can declare a Kong, which allows them to draw a replacement tile. Kongs are divided into concealed and revealed Kongs. A concealed Kong consists of four tiles that were never discarded, while a revealed Kong occurs when three tiles have already been shown (as a Pong), and the player draws the fourth tile.
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
Each player arranges their tiles into four sets (melds) and one pair (eye). The goal is to complete a winning hand with at least 5 fan.
Discarding a Tile
After drawing a tile, the player discards one tile to the center of the table. The next player may then choose to take the discarded tile or draw a new one from the wall.
Arranging Your Discards and Called Tiles
Discarded tiles are placed in front of the player in rows, with claimed tiles rotated to indicate the discard source. Flower, season, face, or animal tiles are revealed and replaced at the start of the game.
How to Use The Fly ( 飛) Tile
The Fly One special feature of this form of mahjong, compared with other Asian forms, is this special wild tile. The fly can be used to represent any tile in making a 3-tile set. You may use the fly...
To Pong using the Fly Tile
In case 2 player decide to pong at the same time, the one pong without the wild tile, fly, gets the pong.
In case you have already declared an open pong with the fly tile and you draw a same tile, you may replace it with the tile you just drew and return the Fly tile back into your hand.
You may use 2 fly to PONG a tile discard by other player.
To Chow using the Fly Tile
You can use one Fly to Chow other player discard tile, but you cannot use 2 Fly to Chow another player's discard tile because it will consider as a PONG in this case.
Concealed Uses for the Fly Tile
You can make a concealed sequence (chow) with 2 fly and you can you also use it make a pair (eye). Even when winning hand, you can consider 2 fly as eye. However, you cannot use the Fly tile for a four of a kind (gong) meld (open) or set (concealed).
Using the Fly Tile As a Flower
You can declare the Fly Tile as a flower at any given moment to give yourself 1 additional fan. You can use this tactic whenever you need extra points either for the minimum or for the "explosion" multiplier bonus.
The Last Chance Dead Wall Draws
In Malaysian Mahjong, when the game reaches the last 8 tiles in the wall, the game enters a special state known as the "dead wall" or "dead zone". During this phase, no player can win on discards, and conversely, players can only win on through self-draws.
This phase of the game allows players to recklessly discard dangerous tiles in a last ditch effort to win.
Winning in Malaysian 3-Player Mahjong
A player wins (Wu) by completing four sets and a pair with a minimum of 5 fan. Special tile combinations, such as using Fly tiles or specific patterns, can increase the fan value and lead to a win.
When the Game Ends
The game ends when a player declares Wu by completing a winning hand or when all tiles have been drawn from the wall without a winner (exhaustive draw).
If no one wins by the time the last 8 tiles are drawn, the game can end in a draw (Liu Ju). In this case, no points are awarded, and the dealer position passes to the next player for the following round.
Points and Payouts in Malaysian 3-Player Mahjong
Points are calculated based on fan and specific tile combinations. Each player starts with no points, and payouts are determined by the hand’s fan value.
Initial Points
There are no initial points in Malaysian Mahjong. Points are calculated only after a win is declared or the game ends.
How Points Are Determined in Malaysian 3-Player Mahjong
Fan values are used to calculate points. The minimum winning hand must have 5 fan, and higher fan values increase the points. Fly tiles, flowers, and specific tile combinations add fan to the hand.
Fan values are converted into points as follows:
- 1 fan = 20 points
- 5 fan = 100 points (minimum for a winning hand) Max fan combinations, like four Fly tiles or specific wind Pongs, double or triple the score.
Who Pays Out?
The player who discards the winning tile pays double the winning points to the winner. If a player wins by self-draw, all other players pay the winning points. Additionally, Fly tiles and flowers result in specific point payouts based on their number.
Bombs in Malaysian Majong
The Bomb Condition in Malaysian Mahjong that provides a powerful bonus for winning with very specific tile combinations or achieving something particularly challenging such as winning with a concealed hand or drawing the last tile.
What the Bomb Condition Does:
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The Bomb Condition is a special condition that doubles the base score or fan value of the hand. It indicates that winning under these specific conditions (concealed hand + discard win) is considered rare or difficult, and therefore deserves a higher reward.
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The doubling can apply to the total points earned from the hand. For example, if the hand was worth 100 points or a certain number of fan, the Bomb Condition would double it to 200 points or multiply the fan value.
How to Calculate Points
The final score is calculated by multiplying the the fan by the total number of points, including all bonuses from special hands.
Steps to Calculate:
- Start with the fan: Add all fans from all patterns
- If any Bomb conditions are achieved, multiple the fan score by 2
- Multiple Number of Fan by 20 points
Example Calculation:
If a player wins a hand with the following bonuses:
- Full Flush (+3 Fan)
- Flower matching Seat (+1 point)
- One Animal (+1 point)
Condition: Achieve 5 fan minimum
Final Score = 5 fan x (no Bomb Conditions) x 20 points = 100 Points
Scoring Payout Tables for Malaysian 3-Player Mahjong
| Name | Romanized Chinese Name | Description | Point Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kong Bonus | Gàng Shàng | Bonus for declaring a Kong. | +1 fan |
| Flower Bonus | Huā Shàng | Bonus for drawing your own flower tile or season or the #4 flower or season | +1 fan |
| Kong Robbing | Qiāng Gàng | Winning by stealing a tile used to declare a Kong. | +1 fan |
| All Ones and Nines | Yāo Jǐu Tóng | Winning with all 1s and 9s tiles. | +1 fan |
| Face Bonus | Bonus for drawing a face tile. | +1 fan | |
| Four faces | Winning with four face tiles. | 1 fan | |
| One animal | Bonus for drawing an animal tile. | +1 fan | |
| Four animals | Winning with four animal tiles. | 1 fan | |
| Four flowers | Winning with four flower tiles. | 1 fan | |
| Four seasons | Winning with four season tiles. | 1 fan | |
| North or East wind | Making a Pong with North or East wind tiles. | 1 fan | |
| Pong of Own wind | Making a Pong with your own wind tile. | 1 fan | |
| Pong of Dragon | Making a Pong with a dragon tile. | 1 fan | |
| Mix one suit | Winning with a combination of one suit and honor tiles. | 1 fan | |
| All Sequences with a pair of dot tiles | Winning with all Sequences (Chows) and a pair of dot tiles. | 1 fan | |
| Winning the replacement flower | Winning by drawing the final loose flower tile. | 1 fan | |
| Winning the replacement Gong | Winning by drawing the final loose Gong tile. | 1 fan | |
| Seven Pairs | Winning with seven pairs. | 1 fan | |
| Robbing the Gong | N/A | Winning by stealing another player’s Gong. | 1 fan |
| All Triplets or Quads | N/A | Winning with all Pongs or Kongs. | 2 fan |
| Two Triplets and a pair of dragons | N/A | Winning with two Pongs and a pair of dragons. | 3 fan |
| Full Flush | Quán Tóng Zi | Winning with tiles from the same suit only. | 3 fan |
| Small Three Dragons | Xiǎo Sān Yuán | Winning with two dragon Pongs and one dragon pair. | 3 fan |
| All Dots Seven Pairs | Tóng Zi Duì Duì Pèng | Winning with all dot suit pairs. | 5 fan |
| Straight Hand | Píng Hú 123 567 | Winning with a straight hand (sequences). | 4 fan |
| Big Four Winds | Dà Sì Xǐ | Winning with four wind Pongs. | Bomb x 10 fan |
| Small Four Winds | Xiǎo Sì Xǐ | Winning with three wind Pongs and one pair. | Bomb x 5 fan |
| Big Three Dragons | Dà Sān Yuán | Winning with three dragon Pongs. | Bomb x 5 fan |
| All Honors | Quán Dà Pào | Winning with all honor tiles (winds and dragons). | Bomb x 5 fan |
| Eighteen Arhats | Shí Bā Luó Hàn | Winning with four Kongs and one pair. | Bomb x 5 fan |
| Thirteen Orphans | Shísān Yāo | Winning with the rare hand of 13 unique tiles: 1s, 9s, Winds, and Dragons. | Bomb x 5 fan |
| Nine Gates | Jiǔ Mén Kǎi | Winning with a special 9-tile hand consisting of 1112345678999 in a single suit. | Bomb x 5 fan |
| All Self-draw | Péng Péng Hú | Winning by self-drawing every tile. | Bomb (No Additional Fan) |
| Moon Grab | Hǎi Dǐ Lāo Yuè | Winning by drawing the very last tile. | Bomb (No Additional Fan) |
| Kong Flower | Gàng Shàng Méi Huā | Winning with a Kong Flower. | Bomb (No Additional Fan) |
| Starting with Four Fly Tiles | Qǐ Shǒu Sì Fēi | Winning with four Fly tiles at the start of the game. | Bomb x 5 Fan |
| Winning with Four Fly Tiles | Sì Fēi Chī Hú | Winning by using all four Fly tiles. | Bomb x 5 Fan |
| Dirty Hand Win | Mén Qīng Chī Hú | Winning with a fully concealed hand and claiming a discard. | Bomb (No Additional Fan) |
| Heavenly Win | Tiān Hú | Winning with the first drawn tile of the game. | Bomb x 5 Fan |
| Earthly Win | Dì Hú | Winning with the first tile discarded by another player. | Bomb x 5 Fan |
