Beginner's Guide to Zhengzhou Mahjong

Zhengzhou Mahjong (郑州麻将) is a strategic variant from Zhengzhou in Henan Province. This regional version of traditional Chinese Mahjong is characterized by its Pre-Round Side Bet mechanic and simplified scoring focuses heavily on self-drawn wins (Zi Mo, 自摸) and forming quick hands incorporating Wild Card tiles (Hùn pái, 混牌), which acts as a joker to substitute for other tiles in winning hands.

Tiles to Play Zhengzhou Mahjong With

The tile used in Zhengzhou Mahjong consists of 136 tiles, excluding flower tiles. It includes three suits: Dots, Bamboo, and Characters, each ranging from numbers 1 to 9, with four tiles for each number, totaling 108 tiles. Additionally, there are 28 honor tiles, divided into Winds East, South, West, and North, with four tiles each and Dragons Red, Green, and White, also with four tiles each. 

Basic Rules of Zhengzhou 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.

How to Setup Zhengzhou Mahjong

Like most variants of mahjong, Zhengzhou 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. For the first round, the dealer is either randomly selected by the players or assigned to the first seated player. In subsequent rounds, if the dealer wins the round, they retain their position as the dealer for the next round. If another player wins, they take over as the new dealer. In the case of a draw, the current dealer remains in their position for the next round.

Setting Up the Wall

The next step is shuffling the tiles and building the wall. To set up the wall, all 136 tiles are shuffled thoroughly to ensure randomness. Players then build the wall by stacking the tiles into four rows, each consisting of two layers of tiles. Each row contains 17 stacks, creating a square or rectangular formation with the four walls surrounding the play area.

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, add 1 to the total sum (e.g., 7 + 1 = 8). Starting at the end of the selected wall closest to the designated player, count the stacks from right to left: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. The eighth stack marks the breaking point. Pick up that eight 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 and proceeds counterclockwise around the table. After the wall is broken and the draw wall is established, the dealer starts by drawing four tiles at a time from the draw wall. This process is repeated three times, resulting in the dealer and each player receiving 12 tiles. The dealer then takes two additional tiles to complete their 14-tile hand, while each of the other players draws one additional tile to complete their 13-tile hands. 

Pre-Round Side Bet (Xià Pǎo, 下跑)

The Pre-Round Side Bet (Xià Pǎo, 下跑) is a betting mechanism in Zhengzhou Mahjong that allows players to increase the stakes before the game begins. It adds an element of strategy and risk, as players can voluntarily raise their base score multiplier, which affects both winnings and losses during the game. The Side Bet multiplier increases the value of all scoring actions, such as winning a hand, declaring a Kong, or paying penalties. For example, if a player with 1 Pre-Round Side Bet wins, all other players must pay the adjusted stake, which includes the additional multiplier. Conversely, if they lose, they must pay the enhanced amount to the winner.

Setting a Pre-Round Set Bet

Before the game starts, each player decides whether they want to participate in the Pre-Round Side Bet and, if so, how many multipliers to add. Players can choose to add 1, 2, or 3 times the base points. For example, if the base points are 10 points:

• 1 Side Bet Marker = 20 points (10 base points + 10 additional points).

• 2 Side Bet Marker = 30 points (10 base points + (2 x 10 additional points))

• 3 Side Bet Marker = 40 points (10 base points + (3 x 10 additional points))

The Wild Tile (Hun Pai 混牌)

The wild tile in Zhengzhou Mahjong is a special tile that acts as a versatile joker, allowing players to substitute it for other tiles to form winning combinations. Its inclusion adds flexibility and strategic depth to the game. The wild tile cannot be used to form a Pung or a Kong , nor can it be claimed by other players if discarded. Additionally, if a player holds four wild tiles, they can declare a win immediately, regardless of the rest of their hand.

How to Determine the Wild Tile

At the start of the round, the wild tile is identified using the 7th stack of the wall, counted from the back of the draw wall. The top tile of the 7th stack is revealed, called the "reveal tile" (Ming Pai, 明牌). The wild tile is the next tile in numerical or sequential order:

• If the revealed tile is a numbered tile (e.g., 9 Dots), the next in sequence (e.g., 1 Dot) becomes the wild tile.

• If the revealed tile is an honor tile the order would be as follows: East, South, West, North, Red Dragon, Green Dragon, White Dragon, then wrapping back to East.

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. You cannot use Wild Card tiles in your pung.

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 and there are additional points awarded for declaring a kong. However, you have to also grab an extra tile from the end of the wall. This is necessary for you to have enough tiles to complete a winning hand. You cannot use Wild Card tiles in your kong.

For Zhengzhou Mahjong, unlike other types of mahjong, you may only self draw your winning tile and cannot claim a discarded tile to win, call Mahjong or Hu. There are no exception in this variant of mahjong.

FAQ: What Happens If Two People Want to Call a Discarded Tile?

Generally this is a concern in other variants of mahjong however in Zhengzhou mahjong, there is no condition where two people can call a discarded 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 dead 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, players discard tiles that are least useful for forming winning combinations, such as sequences, triplets or pairs. Common discard choices include isolated tiles with no immediate connections to other tiles in your hand, such as single honor tiles (Winds or Dragons) or number tiles that do not contribute to potential sequences. However, players must be cautious, as discarding a tile that another player needs may allow them to call a Pung or Kong, advancing their hand. Additionally, while wild tiles can be played like regular tiles, they are rarely discarded unless no better options are available, given their high value in forming winning hands.

Arranging your Called and Discard Tiles

Called tiles, such as Pung or Kong, should be placed face-up in front of you. A Pung is arranged in a straight row of three tiles, while an Exposed Kong is displayed as a row of four tiles, with the fourth tile slightly offset or turned sideways to indicate it was an upgrade from a Pung. For a Concealed Kong, the four tiles are placed face down in front of you to signify they were not revealed during gameplay. Called tiles should typically be laid out in the order they were declared, from left to right, for easy tracking however there is no hard or fast rules regarding this.

Discarded tiles are placed face-up in the centre of the table, forming a shared unorganized discard pile.

Winning in Zhengzhou Mahjong

A player wins the game by completing a valid hand structure consisting of four sets and one pair, seven pairs, or by having all four wild card tiles in hand. In Zhengzhou Mahjong, victory is only achieved through self-draw (Zi Mo, 自摸), where the player draws the winning tile themselves. Claiming a discard (Dian Pao, 点炮) to complete a winning hand is not permitted in this variation, emphasizing hand speed and tile efficiency.

End of The Game

If no one wins before the last tile before the Wild Card indicator is drawn, the round ends in a draw and the dealer remains the dealer. In the event after a Kong if the replacement tile is suppose to be drawn from the wild stack, draw the last tile underneath that stack and declare a draw if the drawing player did not win.

The winner of the game becomes the new Dealer and is the East seat. Also unlike other forms of mahjong there is no fixed end point. You can arbitrarily declare the end of the game at 4 hands or 8 hands.

Points and Payout in Zhengzhou Mahjong

The points and payout structure is highly simplified and limited mainly to declared Kongs, and Pre-Round Side Bets (Xia Pao). Since players can only win by self-draw, all players pay the same amount with the exception of kong declarations.

Base Score

The base point value is agreed upon before the game begins since this base value is used for all calculations, including wins and penalties. Typically a base point value of 10 is used.

Scoring for Kong Declarations

Kongs are only paid out when a hand is won and the Pre-Round Side Bet will affect the final amount of the Kong Bonuses.

Type of Kong	Payment	Kong Bonus Amount	Description
Concealed Kong (闷豆, Mèn Dòu)	All other players pay	Base Score	Declared when a player self-draws four identical tiles.
Exposed Kong (点豆, Diǎn Dòu)	The discarder pays	Base Score	Declared when a player uses a discarded tile to complete a Kong.
Add-On Kong (爬坡豆, Pápō Dòu)	The discarder of the pung pays	Base Score	Declared when a player adds the fourth tile to an existing Pung.

Winning Hand Payout Formula

Payout Amount = (Base Score x (1 + Pre-Round Side Bet Multipliers)) + (Kong Bonuses x Pre-Round Side Bet Multipliers)

Given the formula the lowest a player can score is 10 points (assuming a 10 point base score) and the highest is 200 (assuming Winning After A Kong with 4 Kongs and 3x Side Bets i.e. 200 = ((Base Score 10 x Winning After a Kong Multiplier 2)) x 4 (1 + Side Bet Multiplier)) + ((10 Kong Points x 4 Kongs) x 3 Side Bet Multiplier)).

Points and Payout Table for Zhengzhou Mahjong