Hong Kong Mahjong Guide Library — Rules, Faan & Strategy

Find the Hong Kong mahjong guide you need: beginner rules, 25 hand patterns, flower tiles, scoring, strategy, terms and history. Choose a topic or follow the learning path.

Find an answer or follow a learning path

New players can work from tile names to turns and scoring. If you are checking a hand, go straight to the scoring table or a pattern below. Each guide states the rules it uses.

Start the 12 beginner lessons →Look up a faan value →Translate a mahjong term →

The browser game and its worked examples use our house rules. Named references and other table conventions are identified separately; compare the conditions before combining faan values. Compare table rules →

Hong Kong mahjong rules

Start with the tiles, turns, claims and winning conditions.

Hong Kong mahjong rules How to play Mahjong glossary Flowers: identify, replace and score

Faan and scoring

Check the winning minimum, pattern combinations and point payments.

Faan scoring table Mahjong tools Four rounds and continuing a match

Six patterns to learn first

Start with complete hands and learn how the basic bonuses combine.

All chows All pungs Half flush Full flush Self-draw Concealed hand

Honours, events and other patterns

Check winds, dragons and the source of the winning tile. Every page has a worked hand and a practice question.

Little Three Dragons Dragon Pungs and Kongs Seat Wind Round Wind Terminals and Honours Winning on a Kong Replacement Last-tile Self-draw Winning on the Last Discard Chicken Hand and the Winning Minimum

Our browser’s 8-faan limit hands

Recognise the exact shape and compare the cited reference with our browser cap. Other tables can use different limit values.

Little Four Winds Thirteen Orphans Big Three Dragons All Honours Big Four Winds Pure Terminals Nine Gates

Table rules and differences

Separate the name of a hand from what it scores at this table.

Compare rules and try custom assumptions All Kongs: what our rules actually count Voided Suit: a table-rule difference Heavenly and Earthly Hands: opening-win rules

Go further at the table

Work through tile availability, big-hand decisions and the computer opponents.

Waits, claims and defence Big hands and fallbacks Meet the computer opponents

Strategy and history

Learn why a tile is useful, then explore the craft and history behind the game.

Beginner strategy: tiles, claims and risk Hong Kong mahjong history

A few things to know

Which guide should a complete beginner read first?

Start with How to Play for the turn sequence, or the interactive lessons to practise tiles and sets. Then read Rules and Scoring before trying a standard 3-faan hand.

Why can two guides give different faan values?

Tables can differ in pattern definitions, bonus combinations and caps. Check the named rules and the full example rather than comparing a number alone.