Nanning Lucky Catch Mahjong (also known simply as Nanning Mahjong (南宁麻将)) is a variation of Mahjong played in Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi autonomous region located in southern China bordering Vietnam. While the rules of Nanning Mahjong are straightforward, Nanning Mahjong introduces a fishing (Diao Yu - 钓鱼) mechanic whenever a hand is won. If a player is able to land a "lucky catch", they can double, quadruple, or even 8 times their score!
Tiles to Play Nanning Mahjong With
Nanning Mahjong can be played with 136 tiles. A standard 144-tile mahjong set that includes all suit tiles (1-9 of Characters (万), Bamboo (条), and Dots (饼), with 36 tiles per suit), honor tiles (East, South, West, North, Red Dragon, Green Dragon, and White Dragon), and flower tiles (Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter) can be used. Simply remove all the Flower and Season tiles from it for Nanning Mahjong.
Basic Rules of Nanning Lucky Catch Mahjong
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 Nanning Mahjong
Like most variants of mahjong, Nanning 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
The next step is to determine the dealer. Determining the dealer is done using a dice roll. At the start of the game, two six-sided dice are rolled by one of the players. The sum of the dice determines the starting point for distributing tiles and selecting the dealer. The counting begins with the player who rolled the dice and proceeds counterclockwise around the table. The player corresponding to the final count becomes the initial dealer. After the first round, the dealer position rotates based on the outcome of each hand. If the current dealer wins the round, they retain their role as the dealer for the next round. However, if another player wins, that player becomes the new dealer.
Setting Up the Wall
The next step is shuffling the tiles and building the wall. Start by shuffling all 136 tiles face down on the table. After shuffling the 136 tiles thoroughly, each player builds a wall in front of them by stacking the tiles into two rows of 17 tiles each, creating a double-layered wall that is 34 tiles long per player. This results in a square-shaped wall around the center of the table, symbolizing the boundaries of the playing field.
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.
Dealing The Hand
The next step is dealing the tiles starting with the dealer. dealing the tiles begins with the dealer after the wall has been properly set up and broken based on the dice roll. The dealer starts by drawing two stacks of four tiles (a total of 8 tiles) from the designated breaking point in the wall. Following the dealer, the next player in a counterclockwise direction does the same, continuing until each player has drawn 12 tiles (in three rounds of four-tile draws per player).
After these initial three rounds, the dealer draws two additional tiles (making their hand 14 tiles in total), while the other players each draw one additional tile (making their hands 13 tiles).
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 for 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.
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 sets 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.
Discarding a Tile
Generally, you should prioritize discarding isolated tiles, which are those that do not easily connect with others in your hand to form melds like Pung, Kong, or sequences. For example, a single 5 Bamboo in a hand with no other Bamboo tiles is a good candidate for discard. Similarly, honor tiles (Winds and Dragons) that lack pairs or relevance to your strategy should be discarded early, as they are less versatile and harder to integrate into a winning hand.
Edge tiles (1 and 9 of any suit) are also common discards because they can only form limited combinations, making them less valuable compared to middle-numbered tiles (2-8). If your hand has duplicate tiles that do not contribute to your current strategy, such as extra copies of a tile you are not using for a Kong, these can also be safely discarded. Late in the game, it is essential to consider dangerous tiles, which are those that might help opponents complete their hands. Paying attention to their exposed melds and discards can help you avoid giving them critical tiles.
Arranging your Called and Discard Tiles
When a player calls a tile such as declaring a Pung, Kong, or claiming a tile for a win the set must be placed face-up in front of their hand, organized clearly on their side of the table.
Discarded tiles, on the other hand, are placed in the center of the table in front of the player who discarded them. The tiles are arranged in rows of six tiles per row, usually in an orderly grid-like structure. Each player's discarded tiles remain distinct and separate from others, creating a clear visual reference for gameplay.
Pung/Kong Liability - Sealing a Player (Feng Hu - (封胡))
Sealing a Player (Feng Hu - 封胡) is a unique liability rule in Nanning Mahjong that restricts a player's ability to win if they repeatedly provide opportunities for another player to advance their hand. A player becomes sealed if they allow another player to Pung or Kong three times during a round.
A sealed player cannot declare a win (Hu Pai) for the remainder of the current round, even if they draw or receive a winning tile. This rule penalizes players who inadvertently assist their opponents too often, forcing them to be more cautious with their discards.
Payout Scenarios:
- If the Sealing Player wins via Self-Draw: The Sealed Player must pay everyone's share (Payout x 3).
- If the Sealing Player wins off a Discard from the Sealed Player: The Sealed Player must pay double (Payout x2).
- If the Sealing Player wins off a Discard from another player: The Sealed Player and the Discard will pay (Payout x1).
- If the Sealing Player wins by Kong Blossom (Drawing the winning tile via replacement from a Kong): The Sealed Player must pay everyone's share (Payout x 3)
- If anyone else wins than the Sealing Player, normal payout rules occur
- If the round ends in a draw, normal draw rules occur
After the end of the hand, the player becomes "unsealed" regardless of the outcome.
Lucky Catch Fishing (Diao Yu - (钓鱼))
Fishing (Diao Yu - 钓鱼) is a special rule in Nanning Mahjong that introduces additional scoring multipliers if the remaining number of tiles in the winning player's hand is 9 or more. If the winning player's hand contains 8 or less tiles, the fishing rule does not apply.
How to Fish
At the end of the game, the winner will flip the last three tiles from the end of the wall's remaining tiles. If there are less than three tiles remaining, flip as many as possible. If there are no tiles remaining, fishing does not occur.
Lucky Catch
The flipped over tiles will correspond to the seats of the player. If the flipped over tiles match the fisher, they received bonus multipliers to their final score. If the flipped over tiles match the discarder or the seats of the player paying on a self-draw, the losses are multiplied also. The Dealer starts as 1 and the other players are assigned numbers in a clockwise manner given below:
- East / Dealer: 1, 5, 9, East, Red Dragon
- South / Position 2: 2, 6, South, Green Dragon
- West / Position 3: 3, 7, West, White Dragon
- North / Position 4: 4, 8, North
The number of "Lucky Catches" are determined by the number of matching tiles. The Lucky Catches affect all players and for self-draws and discards.
For the If 1 matching tile is flipped, the winnings and losses with the corresponding position are doubled (×2). If 2 matching tiles are flipped: The winnings and losses are multiplied by 4 (×4). If 3 matching tiles are flipped: The winnings and losses are multiplied by 8 (×8). If the Fishing Player does not draw matching tiles, there is no penalty, but no additional points are awarded.
Lucky Catch Payout Scenarios
Scenario 1 - Person Wins off of Discard
Fishing Tiles Revealed: 1 of Characters, 6 of Bamboo, White Dragon
If the winning player was the dealer and scored a 5 point hand, and the West seat (Person across from the dealer) was the discarder. The winning player would receive 5 points multiplied by 2 for matching the 1 of Characters (The Dealer's seat) and multiplied by 2 for matching the White Dragon (The West Seat / Person Across from the dealer). West would have to pay 20 Points.
Scenario 2 - Person Self-Draws
Fishing Tiles Revealed: 1 of Characters, 8 of Bamboo, Green Dragon
If the winning player was the dealer and scored a 5 point hand but self-drew the winning tile. The winning player would receive points from everyone however the payout per player would be different.
- South Seat / Position 2: 5 Points for winning x2 (1 of Character matches the Dealer's seat) and x2 (Green Dragon matches South Seat). South would have to pay 20 Points
- West Seat / Position 3: 5 Points for winning x2 ( 1 of Character matches the Dealer's seat). West only has to pay 10 Points
- North Seat / Position 4: 5 Points for winning x2 (1 of Character matches the Dealer's seat) and x2 (8 of Bamboo matches North Seat). North would have to pay 20 Points also.
Normally Dealer would only win a total of 15 points but with the fishing tiles, the Dealer earns a total of 50 points!
This rule adds an extra layer of excitement and potential for higher rewards based on the post-win flipped tiles.
End of Game
The game will end in a draw when last tile is drawn, there is no dead wall or reserved tiles in Nanning Mahjong. If the game ends in a draw, the player who draws the last tile becomes the dealer.
Winning in Nanning Lucky Catch Mahjong
A player can win the game (Hu Pai - 胡牌) by completing a legal hand consisting of four sets and one pair. Your hand must meet the minimum point requirement (9 points in standard Nanning 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 100 points or 500 points, however you can go as high as you like. These points serve as a baseline for calculating wins and losses.
Immediate Payouts for Kong Declarations
Kongs are immediately paid out when declared.
| Type of Kong | Payment | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Concealed Kong (An Gang - 暗杠) | All other players pay 1 points | Declared when a player self-draws four identical tiles. |
| Exposed Kong ( Ming Gang - 明杠) | The person who discarded pays 1 point |
Declared when a player uses a discarded tile to complete a Kong. |
| Add-On Kong (Bu Gang - 补杠) | The person who discarded pays 1 point |
Declared when a player adds the fourth tile to an existing Pong. |
*In the event a Kong is robbed to win a hand, the immediate payout for the kong is nullified and voided.
Final Scoring Formula
The final score for a hand is calculated as:
Payout = Winning Hand Points x Lucky Catch Multiplier
Points and Payout in Nanning Mahjong
Scoring and payouts are determined by the type of winning hand and the special scoring multipliers from Fishing.
Settlement Rules
|
Winning Condition |
Who Pays? |
|
Self-draw Win |
All three opponents pay points to the winning player. |
|
Discard Win |
The player who discarded the winning tile pays the full score to the winner. |
Points and Payout Table for Nanning Lucky Catch Mahjong
| Winning Type | Description | Payout (Points) |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Draw (自摸, zì mō) | Win by drawing the winning tile yourself. | Each player pays 3 points. |
| Discard Win (放炮, fàng pào) | Win by claiming a discarded tile from another player. | Discarding player pays 2 points. |
| Concealed Hand (门清, mén qīng) | A winning hand without any exposed melds. Self-draw required for payout. | Self-draw: Each player pays 4 points. |
| All Simples (清一色, qīng yī sè) | A hand made entirely of tiles from one suit. | Self-draw: 6 points / Discard: 9 points. |
| All Triplets (碰碰胡, pèng pèng hú) | A hand consisting only of triplets and a pair. | Self-draw: 6 points / Discard: 9 points. |
| Seven Pairs (七小对, qī xiǎo duì) | A hand made up of seven unique pairs. | Self-draw: 8 points / Discard: 12 points. |
| Big Seven Pairs (大七对, dà qī duì) | Seven pairs with at least one quad (four of a kind). | Self-draw: 16 points / Discard: 24 points. |
| Thirteen Orphans (十三幺, shí sān yāo) | A hand containing one of each terminal, honor, and an additional duplicate of one. | Self-draw: 24 / Discard: 36 points |
| All Honors (字一色, zì yī sè) | A hand consisting only of honor tiles (winds and dragons). | Self-draw: 24 / Discard: 36 points |
| Heavenly Win (天胡, tiān hú) | A win achieved immediately after the dealer draws the first tile. | Self-draw: 24 / Discard: 36 points |
| Earthly Win (地胡, dì hú) | A win achieved by a non-dealer on the first tile they draw. | Self-draw: 24 / Discard: 36 points |
| Global Win (全球人, quán qiú rén) | Every set must be open, must win from discard and a single wait | Discard: 18 points. |
| Last Tile Self-Draw (海底捞月, hǎi dǐ lāo yuè) | Winning by drawing the last tile in the wall. | Self-draw: 6 points. |
| Last Tile Discard (海底炮, hǎi dǐ pào) | Winning by claiming the last discarded tile in the game. | Discard: 9 points. |
