Beginner's Guide to Tianjin Mahjong

Tianjin Mahjong (天津麻将) is a regional variation of Mahjong widely played in Tianjin, China. Some key features includes the inclusion of a wildcard tile, a pre-round challenge ante, and only being able to call triplets and win via self-draws. This variant of mahjong focuses on tile efficiency and a bit of belief in your own luck via pre-round challenge antes.

Tiles to Play Tianjin Mahjong With

Tianjin Mahjong, uses a total of 136 tiles. This includes 108 suit tiles, which consist of Bamboo, Dots, and Characters numbered 1 through 9, with 4 of each tile. Additionally, there are 28 honor tiles: 16 Wind tiles (East, South, West, North, with 4 of each) and 12 Dragon tiles (Red, Green, and White, with 4 of each). Flower and Season tiles, often used in other Mahjong variations, are not included in Tianjin Mahjong.

You will also need 2 Challenge Tokens/Indicators per player for a total of 8 Challenge Tokens/Indicators.

Basic Rules of Tianjin Mahjong

Every turn goes the same way:

1. Draw a tile from the wall or by take the tile that somebody just discarded
2. 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.
3. Discard a tile in the center of the table, officially ending your turn.
4. 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.

Pre-Round Challenge Ante

Unique to Tianjin Mahjong, the Pre-Round Challenge Ante (Zuò zhuāng (坐庄) and Lā zhuāng (拉庄)) allows players to issue a challenge to double their final score before the start of each round, adding an exciting layer of strategy and risk to the game. For each player is given 2 challenge tokens/indicators. 

Challenge The Dealer (Lā zhuāng (拉庄))

For every round (which everyone has had a chance to be dealer for at least one hand), each non-dealer has the opportunity to challenge the dealer via challenge tokens. To issue a challenge, before dealing a hand, a non-dealer player must place their challenge tokens on the table to indicate they wish to challenge the dealer. 

Whenever a non-dealer challenges the dealer and wins, the dealer must pay double to the winner but non-dealer pay the normal rate. If another non-dealer player (who did not challenge) wins, all player pay the normal rate. If the dealer wins, the challenging player must pay double to the dealer (and non-dealer players pay the normal rate).

Non-Dealer can issue two challenges per round and can even issue two challenges in one hand doubling the effect and quadrupling payout. Either way after using the challenge token, they are spent until the next round.

Challenges also affect instant Kong payouts.

Doubling Down as The Dealer (Zuò zhuāng (坐庄))

For every hand, the dealer has the opportunity to double down against the entire table. This does not expend challenge tokens. To double down, before dealing the hand, the dealer must announce they are doubling down and indicate in some way they are doubling down. Doubling Down is completely optional for the dealer for every hand.

If the dealer doubles down, then if the dealer wins, the other three players pay double. If a non-dealer wins, the dealer pays double. If the dealer doesn’t double down, everyone pays the standard rate.

Kong scoring is also doubled if the dealer chooses to double down.

FAQ: Can the Dealer double down and another player challenge the dealer simultaneously?

Yes, in this case the payout is 4x (2x Double Down + 2x Challenging the Dealer)

How to Setup Tianjin Mahjong

Like most variants of mahjong, Tianjin 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, in Tianjin Mahjong, one Wind tile each (East, South, West, North) is shuffled face down on the table. Players randomly select seats and one player rolls two dice. The total from the dice roll determines which Wind tile corresponds to the dealer's position, counting clockwise from the roller's position. For example, if the total is 5, the fifth position clockwise becomes the dealer, starting the first round as the East Wind (dealer). The dealer’s position may rotate in subsequent rounds based on the outcome of the game. If the dealer wins or the round ends in a draw, they retain their position for the next round.

Setting Up The Wall

The next step is shuffling the tiles and building the wall. All 136 tiles are shuffled thoroughly on the table. Each player then stacks tiles into rows of 17 pairs, creating a wall two tiles high in front of their position. This results in a complete square of walls surrounding the play area. The walls are aligned tightly, forming a continuous loop.

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 in front of you.

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. To deal the hand in Tianjin Mahjong, the dealer begins by rolling two dice. The total value of the roll determines the starting point for drawing tiles, counting clockwise from the dealer’s wall. From this starting point, tiles are drawn in sets of four. The dealer takes the first two sets of four tiles, followed by the other players in counterclockwise order, continuing until each player has 12 tiles. The dealer then takes two additional tiles to form a hand of 14 tiles, while the other players each take one additional tile, ending with 13 tiles per player.

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 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.

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, four-tile meld, you must declare it publicly 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 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

The choice of tiles to discard depends on the player’s strategy and hand composition. The primary goal is to discard tiles that are least useful to your own hand while minimizing opportunities for opponents to claim them.

Arranging your Called and Discard Tiles

Discards are haphazard in the center of the table and called tiles are placed to the right. You are free to arrange your discards neatly however there is no need given the lack of locked discard rules

Wild Card Selection

In Tianjin Mahjong, there is a tile known as a  Hun'er (混儿) which is a universal tile which acts as a wild card during the game. It can substitute for any tile to complete a winning hand, offering significant flexibility and strategic value. However, its use is restricted in specific contexts to maintain game balance. For localization and consistency purposes, Mahjong Pros will refer to the Hun'er as a Wild Card or Wild Card Tile.

At the start of each hand, the player opposite the dealer rolls two dice. The total dice value determines a specific position in the wall from which a tile is flipped to reveal the Wild Card. Count the tile columns from the tail of the wall, flip the top tile. The revealed tile and its sequential counterpart (based on suit, Dragon, or Wind order) become the Wild Card for that round. The Wild Card is indicated by a face-up tile which will mark that tile and the next tile in the suit as the Wild Card. For example, if the face up tile is 3 Bamboo, then 3 and 4 Bamboo are the Wild Card tiles. A 9 tile indicates the 1 tile of the same suit, so 9 Dots would indicate 1 Dot as the Wild Card. Winds are East, then South, then West, then North, and back to East while the Dragons are coincidentally in alphabetical order of Green, then Red, then White, and then back to Green.

Using the Wildcard

A wildcard can act as any tile only when completing your winning hand. You cannot use it as a substitute for a Pong or Kong. If you have four identical wildcards, you can declare a concealed Kong. However even if you have two or three identical wildcards in hand, and someone discards a matching wildcard, you cannot Pong or Kong it.

Winning in Tianjin Mahjong

Winning in Tianjin Mahjong requires forming a valid hand composed of four sets or melds and one pair. A player can only win through self-draw. Again, discarded tiles cannot be used to claim a win. Additionally, the winning hand must meet a minimum scoring requirement of 2 points (Fan) which can be achieved through specific patterns like a Wild Card Single Wait, Winning without a Wild Card, or Dragon. If a player mistakenly declares a win without meeting these criteria, it is considered a false win, and penalties apply.

The 2 Point minimum is based on the patterns in the hand prior to any Pre-Round Challenge Ante or Double Down Ante multipliers.

End of Game

The game will end in a draw when last tiles before the wild card indicator is drawn. If the game ends in a draw, you will start a new hand with the same dealer continuing.

Points and Payout in Tianjin Mahjong

In Tianjin Mahjong, points and payouts are determined by the specific winning hand and various multipliers. The game uses a base scoring system tied to the types of winning hands, which are then adjusted based on specific game circumstances.

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. These points serve as a baseline for calculating wins, losses, and any multipliers (like Pre-Round Challenge Antes).

Instant Payout Table 

Whenever a Kong is declared, the player is paid out instantly and separate from winning hand payouts. Here is the Instant Payouts used for Kongs.

Hand	Description	Value
Concealed Kong (暗杠)	Declaring a concealed kong. All other players pay.	2
Exposed Kong on Discard (Fàng Găng  放杠)	Declaring an exposed kong from a concealed triplet in hand. The discard pays.	1
Add-On Kong (Míng Găng )	Declaring an exposed kong by adding on a self-drawn tile to an exposed pung. All other player pay.	1*
Golden Kong	Declaring a concealed kong of Wild Cards. All other players pay.	8

*A player can win off of the tile from the declaration of the Add-On Kong as if it was discarded. If a player wins, the instant payment for an Add-On Kong is nullified.

Discard Chase Bonus Payout

In the first round of discards, if all three non-dealers “chase” the exact tile the dealer discards (e.g., if the dealer discards East, and each of the other three players also discards East in turn), the dealer must pay each non-dealer the equivalent of a Exposed Kong 1 points. This payment is also subject to the Challenge and Double Down multipliers.

Winning Hand Payout Formula

The payout in Tianjin Mahjong is simplified. Add all the points together minimum of two then multiply if there is a Kong Blossom or Pre-Round Challenge Antes for a final payout.

Total Payout = (Total Points from Patterns + Additional Patterns Bonus (# of Different Pattern in Hand) + Concealed Kong Bonus (If Applicable)) x Kong Blossom Bonus (If Applicable otherwise 1) x Double Down and/or Challenge Antes

For example, if you scored a Pure Hand (2) with Dragon (4) hand as the dealer and you doubled down, it would be as follows:

The score would be Total Points from Patterns (6) + Additional Pattern Bonus (2 Different Patterns) + 0 Concealed Kong Bonus x 2 for the Double Down Bonus so your payout would be 16 points from each other player for a total of 48 points.

Points and Payout Table for Tianjin Mahjong

Hand	Points (Fan)	Description
Pure Hand (Su)	2	A hand with no Wild Card tiles.
Wild Card Single Wait (Hun'er Diao)	2	A hand waiting on one tile where the pair contains a Wild Card tile.
Double Wild Card Set Wait (Double Hun'er Diao)	2	Similar to Hun'er Diao, but the last tile combines with two Hun'er to form a meld.
Capturing the Five (Zhuo Wu'er)	3	A hand completed with a 4-5-6 sequence in the Characters suit, where 5 Characters is the final tile or the wild card tile.
Dragon (Long)	4	A hand with three consecutive sets: 1-2-3, 4-5-6, and 7-8-9 in one suit.
Kong Blossom* (Kang Kai)	1*	Winning by drawing a tile after declaring a Kong.
Kong Blossom Bonus	x2	Any valid and complete hand after declaring a kong with any additional patterns
Additional Pattern Bonus	+1	Add for Each Unique Pattern in Hand.
Concealed Kong Bonus	+1	Additional Point if the declared Kong is concealed for the Kong Blossom pattern. Does not count towards 2 Fan Minimum.
Heavenly Hand (Tian He)	6x	A dealer’s starting hand is a winning hand. Score is multiplied by 6 based on the highest possible pattern. Does not with Kong Blossom Bonus. Technically Worth 1 Fan. Does not count for "Additional Pattern Bonus".
Earthly Hand (Di He)	4x	A non-dealer wins with the first tile drawn before any calls are made. Score multiplied based on the highest possible pattern. Does not stack with Kong Blossom Bonus. Technically Worth 1 Fan. Does not count for "Additional Pattern Bonus".

*Winning by Kong Blossom is technically worth 1 Point (Fan) Multiplied by 2 making it worth 2 Points (Fans)