Players use the value of the hand when keeping score.Įach player takes their tiles and displays them on a rack. This indicates the score for the hand, with more difficult hands lending a higher value. Unlike a concealed or “C” hand, the “X” means the player can expose the hand by picking up a discarded tile as explained here. Next to each hand is an “X” or a “C” indicating whether the hand is exposed or concealed and a value. The white dragon/soap does not have a suit when used for as a zero. Blue, green and red require all three suits.įlowers and Winds are always blue on the card but do not have a suit. A hand in all blue indicates a single suit for all fourteen tiles, while blue and green hands require two suits.

The colors do not relate to a particular suit but instead communicate how many different suits are needed for a hand. Quints hands always require a joker, whereas a player cannot use a joker for a Singles and Pairs hand. The other three tiles can be bams, dots or cracks but must all be the same suit. Players use the white dragon/soap for the zero. There is a category for the card publication year, and all hands in this section will contain the year (ex. Return to top Understanding the Mahjong Card Categories Once the game begins, the dealer will discard a tile and each player will then have thirteen mahjong tiles. The dealer will have fourteen tiles and each of the other players will have thirteen. The dealer then gives one tile to each player in a counterclockwise fashion. Once each player has twelve tiles, the dealer takes the first and third top tiles from the wall. When the wall runs out, the dealer curtsies the next wall to the left (clockwise).

The dealer continues counterclockwise, placing two stacks in front of each player until each player has six stacks (twelve tiles). Then, slide the pusher back into place.įrom the curtsied wall, the dealer takes the first two stacks (four tiles). To curtsy the wall, use the right end of the pusher to angle the tiles forward towards the opposite player. Slide the pusher left past the last tile counted, and break the wall by curtsying out the leftover wall. The dealer counts down the stacks on the wall, starting from the right, to the number rolled. The roll represents the number of stacked tiles that will remain on the dealer's wall. The dealer is also referred to as “East”. Each player rolls the dice and the highest roller becomes the dealer.

Mahjong scoring simple