Mahjong Lessons for Beginners

Recognizing the 34 tile types by their designs

Before learning their names, sort the tiles into four groups by design: Chinese numerals with the “man” character, circles, bamboo-like patterns, and the seven honor symbols East, South, West, North, White, Green, and Red.

The first three groups are the numbered suits, collectively called number tiles (suupai); the final group is the honor tiles. The numbered suits are manzu, identified by Chinese numerals and the “man” character; pinzu, identified by circles; and souzu, identified by bamboo-like patterns. The 1-sou alone features a bird.

Honor tiles have no numerical sequence, so East, South, and West cannot form a sequence.

Mahjong has 34 types of tiles, and standard four-player mahjong uses 136 tiles in total. Each numbered suit has 9 types, and the honor group has 7 types, so “9 types × 3 suits + 7 types = 34 types.” As a rule, there are 4 copies of each tile, making “34 types × 4 tiles = 136 tiles” in total.

Arrange the tiles in your hand into these four groups as well. Place numbered tiles in order from 1 to 9 and identical honor tiles next to each other to make sequences and sets of identical tiles easier to spot.

Figure 1 | The 34 types of tiles

A collective name for 1s, 9s, and honor tiles

When learning yaku, distinguish 1s, 9s, and honor tiles from numbered tiles 2 through 8. The former are terminals and honors, while the latter are simples. For your first hand, simply divide them into “1s, 9s, and honors” and “2s through 8s.”

Dora is not a type of tile, but a marker that adds points

A tile that adds to your score when held is called dora. The face-up marker is the dora indicator (dora hyoujihai), which determines the regular dora, while red fives are treated as red dora. However, dora alone cannot complete a winning hand. You need at least one other yaku, such as riichi. The indicator tile itself is not necessarily the dora, so check the game screen or table guide.

The basic winning shape is four three-tile groups plus two identical tiles

When looking for a winning hand, first divide it into four three-tile groups and one pair of identical tiles. You normally hold 13 tiles and aim to complete this shape when you draw one tile on your turn, bringing the total to 14.

In this shape, each three-tile combination is called a group (mentsu), and the pair of identical tiles is called the pair (jantou). The formal name is “four groups and one pair.” If you use another player’s discard to expose a group, the exposed groups and concealed tiles must still form the same shape together.

To check whether the shape is complete, identify each completed three-tile group one by one. If two identical tiles remain after separating out four groups, the basic shape is complete. If any tile does not fit into a group, you are still missing a necessary tile.

In the following diagram, find the four three-tile groups separated by spaces, then the pair of East tiles on the right.

Figure 2 | Completed four-group-and-one-pair shape

On your turn, repeat: draw one tile, then discard one tile

A hand begins with 13 tiles dealt to each player. These first 13 tiles are called the starting hand (haipai). Only the dealer, who acts first, starts with 14 tiles and discards one. After that, everyone repeats the following four actions.

1. Draw one tile from the wall (tsumo)You now have 14 tiles
2. Choose one unwanted tile from the 14Keep completed groups and tiles likely to form groups
3. Discard one unwanted tileThe act of discarding is called dahai, and it returns your hand to 13 tiles
4. The turn passes to the next playerNormally, play continues counterclockwise from the first player

“Tsumo” refers both to drawing a tile and to declaring a win. You do not say it aloud when simply drawing from the wall. Declare “tsumo” only when the drawn tile completes your hand.

Chii, pon, and kan change the sequence of play, but first learn the normal flow: draw one tile, then discard one tile.

Figure 3 | Draw one tile, discard one tile

When the wall runs out without anyone winning

If nobody wins after the regular wall is exhausted, the hand ends. This outcome is called a draw.

At a draw, points may be exchanged between players who are one tile from completion and those who are not. The conditions for the dealer to continue and exceptions that end a hand early vary by ruleset. Before breaking up your hand, check the table guidance; if unsure, ask an experienced player to inspect it as is.

Three-tile groups are made from a sequence of numbers or identical tiles

A three-tile group is made from three consecutive numbers in the same suit or three identical tiles. The former is a sequence, while the latter is called a triplet. Declaring four identical tiles according to the prescribed procedure forms a four-tile group called a quad.

For example, 234m and 678p are sequences. A mixed-suit 234, a wraparound 891, and the honor tiles east, south, and west cannot form sequences. Two identical tiles can form a pair or become a triplet by adding one more identical tile.

Figure 4 | Basic group terminology

Sequence

Triplet

Quad

Pair

A two-tile group that needs one more tile to form a sequence

A two-tile group that needs one more tile to form a sequence is called a taatsu. 45m becomes a sequence with 3m or 6m, 46m with 5m, and 12m with 3m. Shapes with more possible tiles are easier to complete, but which shape you keep depends on the tiles visible on the table, yaku, dora, and safety.

A pair of two identical tiles can develop into a triplet or serve as the head (pair). When organizing your hand, divide the tiles into completed groups, taatsu, pairs, and isolated tiles. For detailed counting using shanten and tile acceptance, see Introduction to Mahjong Tile Efficiency.

Riichi, tsumo, and ron when one tile from completion

Once your hand is one tile from completion, learn how to win. This state is called tenpai. A hand with no groups exposed through chii, pon, open kan, or added kan is called closed (menzen), and a concealed kan does not break the closed status. When your closed hand is in tenpai, you can declare riichi, which is itself a yaku.

When you can declare riichi

To declare riichi, you generally place one discard sideways and put a 1,000-point stick on the table. After declaring, you generally cannot change your hand; if a drawn tile does not complete it, you discard that tile unchanged. Before declaring, check which tiles you are waiting for and whether you have discarded any of them yourself.

Rules vary on whether you can declare with fewer than 1,000 points or when few tiles remain in the wall, and whether you can kan after declaring. At first, do not decide on your own; follow the table or app instructions.

Tsumo: winning on a tile you draw yourself

If you complete your hand with a tile drawn from the wall, declare “tsumo.” If your hand is closed, menzen tsumo is the yaku you gain. Even with an open hand, you can win by tsumo if you have another yaku, such as yakuhai or tanyao.

Winning on another player’s discard: ron

If another player’s discard completes your hand, declare “ron.” With ron, the player who discarded the tile pays the points; with tsumo, the other three players generally pay different point totals based on their seats. In either case, you need not only a complete hand but also at least one yaku.

Figure 5 | From closed tenpai to riichi

The first five yaku beginners should learn

You can start playing without memorizing every yaku. With a closed hand, look for riichi; if you complete it with your own draw, check for menzen tsumo. Making a triplet of white dragons, green dragons, red dragons, the wind for the current hand, or your seat wind gives you yakuhai. If the whole hand can be made using only numbered tiles from 2 through 8, consider tanyao; if it contains many numerical sequences, pinfu may also be an option.

At first, choose one yaku to aim for with your current hand, then check its requirements in the table below. Learn the finer exceptions after you can use these five yaku.

Riichi guarantees a yaku, but after declaring it, you generally cannot change the shape of your hand. A value-tile yaku still applies after pon. All Simples uses no 1, 9, or honor tiles, but whether open All Simples is allowed depends on the table rules. Pinfu has several conditions, so learn it after becoming comfortable with numbered sequences and two-sided waits.

Once you are familiar with these five yaku, use the Riichi Mahjong Yaku Guide to learn the next ones. It lists each yaku’s han value and whether it remains valid in an open hand.

Player and tile positions from your seat

At first, it is enough to identify the other three players as left, right, and across. In mahjong, the player to your left is kamicha, the player to your right is shimocha, and the player across is toimen. You can call chii only on a tile discarded by your kamicha.

In each hand, there is one dealer (oya) who acts first, and three non-dealers (ko). The dealer sits East, followed counterclockwise by South, West, and North. When the dealer changes, each player's seat wind also changes.

The prevailing wind (bakaze) is the wind used throughout a round: East in the East round and South in the South round. The seat wind (jikaze) is the wind of your seat. A triplet of tiles matching either the prevailing wind or your seat wind forms the yakuhai yaku.

A dora indicator is revealed by turning part of the dead wall face up. For example, if 3m is shown, the next tile, 4m, is dora. After 9m comes 1m, after North comes East, and after Red Dragon comes White Dragon. Calling kan reveals another indicator, so follow the on-screen instructions or guidance from an experienced player during the game.

Choosing chii, pon, or kan when calling

Using a tile discarded by another player to form and expose a group is called calling. Because you do not have to wait to draw the tile yourself, your hand may progress faster.

However, calling chii or pon, or calling kan using another player's discard, means your hand is no longer closed, so you cannot use riichi or menzen tsumo. Before taking the tile, check that you will still have another yaku after calling.

Chii uses only a tile discarded by the player to your left to make a sequence of three consecutive numbers. Pon can use a tile discarded by the player to your left, right, or across from you to make a set of three identical tiles. Kan is a declaration that treats four identical tiles as one set. There are three types:

You can also call pon on wind tiles (kazehai) to make a triplet. However, a wind triplet that is neither the prevailing wind nor your seat wind is not a yaku by itself. Before calling, check whether the resulting hand will have yakuhai from a dragon, the prevailing wind, or your seat wind, or whether another yaku will remain.

• Concealed kan: Declared when you have four identical tiles in the concealed part of your hand. A concealed kan alone keeps the hand closed.
• Open kan (daiminkan): Add the fourth matching tile discarded by another player to the three in your hand. The set is revealed, so your hand becomes open.
• Added kan (kakan): Add the fourth matching tile you draw to a previously revealed pon. Your hand remains open.

Figure 6 | Check which yaku remain before calling

Chii

Yakuhai with pon

How to use another player’s discard

For chii, pon, and open kan, take another player’s discarded tile in the following order.

1. Immediately after the tile you want is discarded, say “chii,” “pon,” or “kan” aloud. The “kan” call here applies to an open kan.
2. Reveal the tiles from your hand used in the set, then take the discarded tile.
3. Place the set to your right, rotating the called tile to show who discarded it.
4. After chii or pon, discard one unwanted tile from your hand. After an open kan, draw one additional tile before discarding an unwanted tile, following the screen or facilitator’s instructions.

Declare a closed kan or added kan on your own turn. These do not use the previous player’s discard, so you do not need to rotate a tile to indicate a discarder.

If multiple players call the same discard, do not proceed on your own; wait for the screen or facilitator’s ruling. Until you are comfortable with the procedure, announce your call before moving any tiles to avoid mistakes.

Furiten and having no yaku are separate rules

You cannot win by ron while furiten, but you can still win by tsumo

Furiten prevents you from winning by ron on another player’s discard. If you draw the tile you need yourself, you can still win by tsumo.

The first type beginners should learn is furiten caused by their own discards. If you have already discarded any tile that could complete your hand, you cannot declare ron even when another winning tile is discarded. For example, if either 3-man or 6-man completes your hand and 3-man is in your discard area, you cannot declare ron on 6-man either. Before declaring ron, compare all your waits against your own discards.

If you pass on a winning tile discarded by another player, you also temporarily cannot declare ron until you next draw and discard a tile or make a call. If you pass after declaring riichi, you cannot declare ron until the hand ends. First master furiten caused by your own discards, then learn these two rules about passing on a winning tile. The Mahjong Defense and Push-Fold Guide explains how to read discards and identify genbutsu.

Having no yaku prevents both ron and tsumo, unlike furiten

Even with a complete hand, you cannot win by ron or tsumo without at least one yaku. After calling, you can no longer use riichi or menzen tsumo, so before calling chii or pon, check that another yaku, such as yakuhai or tanyao, will remain.

Dora increase your score but are not yaku. No matter how many dora you have, you still need at least one yaku. Check whether you have a yaku separately from whether furiten prevents ron.

Order for checking the score

Check the score one condition at a time. First, identify the yaku and dora, then total the han that determine the score.

Next, use the wait and group shapes to determine the fu. At first, you do not need to calculate fu yourself. You can select the conditions as guided by a score table or calculator, or ask an experienced player.

Then check whether the winner is the dealer or a non-dealer, and whether the win was by ron or tsumo. Finally, use the han, fu, dealer/non-dealer status, and ron/tsumo conditions to look up the score in a score table or app. With ron, the one player who discarded the winning tile pays; with tsumo, the other three players pay. For the same han and fu, a dealer win scores more than a non-dealer win.

For example, even a 2-han hand such as “riichi, dora 1” scores differently depending on the fu, whether the winner is the dealer or a non-dealer, and whether it is won by ron or tsumo. First, learn to distinguish the four payment patterns in the table. You can learn later about bonus points for consecutive dealer hands and how to collect riichi sticks on the table.

In your first game, enter the han, fu, dealer/non-dealer status, and ron or tsumo into a scoring table or calculator in that order. You can learn the calculation order involving fu and common scores step by step in the Riichi Mahjong Scoring Guide.

Keep the score for each hand separate from the final game result

Separate from the score for each hand, some rules adjust the final game points based on placement at the end of the game. In casual games, chips, entry fees, and similar items may also be recorded separately. To avoid confusion, first determine the score for each hand, then calculate the overall game result. For details, see How to Calculate Riichi Mahjong Results.

Rule differences to check before playing

In addition to the basics explained above, some settings vary by table. Beginners do not need to memorize them: ask an experienced player in person, or check the rules screen online.

If unsure, show these six items and ask before the initial deal

Confirm these six items before the initial deal to ensure everyone uses the same settings.

Game length

Confirm whether you play an East-only game (tonpuusen) or an East–South game (hanchan).

Starting and ending points

Confirm how many points each player starts with and how the final placements are determined.

Yaku and dora

Confirm whether open tanyao is allowed and whether red 5s are used as dora.

Dealer and drawn hands

Confirm the conditions under which the dealer continues, known as renchan, and the point payments when no one wins.

Conditions for ending the game

Confirm what happens when a player runs out of points or when the dealer wins the final hand.

When declarations overlap

If calls of ron or another call overlap on the same discard, follow the screen or the facilitator’s ruling.

After each game, record whether it was four-player or three-player and whether it was an East-only or East–South game. Keeping games with the same settings separate lets you compare results under the same conditions.

Checklist for your first hand

In your first hand, focus on following the process rather than finding the single best discard. When your turn comes, check the following items from top to bottom. Until you are comfortable, you may focus on just two questions: “How many sets do I have?” and “Which yaku am I aiming for?”

1. Is the tile count correct? If you have not made a kan, you should have 14 tiles immediately after drawing and 13 after discarding.
2. How many complete sets do you have? First look for three-tile sequences and triplets of identical tiles.
3. Which yaku are you aiming for? If you have not called yet, consider riichi; if you have two White, Green, or Red tiles, consider yakuhai.
4. What draws would add another set? For each two-tile group, check which number or identical tile would turn it into a three-tile set.
5. What should you discard? Consider isolated tiles that are not needed for a complete set or your yaku.
6. Has an opponent declared riichi? When someone declares riichi, consider not only attacking but also choosing a tile that opponent has already discarded.
7. Can you ron? Check that none of your waits are among your own discards and that you have at least one yaku.

After the hand ends, record one thing to check next time, such as “I forgot my yaku after calling” or “I overlooked my wait.” Once you are comfortable, also compare the number of possible draws, points, and defense.

10 Common Beginner Mistakes

For a hand where you made a mistake, write just one sentence describing what happened, such as “I thought South was a yakuhai even though it was neither the round wind nor my seat wind” or “I failed to notice that I had discarded 6m.” Instead of judging yourself as “bad,” record an action you can check next time.

For a hand where you were unsure about defense, review it using only the information visible during the match. A method for comparing tile safety using your opponents' discards and number patterns is explained in Push-fold Decisions and Defense in Mahjong.

Proper Procedures for In-Person and Online Play

In person, make your declaration before moving any tiles

• Clearly declare tsumo, ron, riichi, chii, pon, or kan before moving any tiles.
• Keep the tile you draw separate from the 13 tiles in your hand until you have finished checking it.
• Place each discard in order in your own discard area, and do not change your choice after letting go of the tile.
• Until the hand is over, do not criticize other players’ choices or tell them the correct play.
• If you are unsure of the score, say, “Please check,” and confirm the yaku and whether the winner is the dealer or non-dealer together.
• Follow the venue’s rules on food, drinks, smartphones, and other matters.

How mistaken declarations are handled varies by venue and tournament. Before starting, say that you are a beginner, and if unsure, ask without moving any tiles. If everyone can confirm the situation, misunderstandings about how to proceed can be avoided.

Check the time limit and automatic settings online

In online games, the interface handles score transfers and many procedures. Before entering a room, check the time allowed per turn, the auto-tsumo setting, and the setting for confirming calls. If you choose three-player mahjong, also check how its rules differ from four-player mahjong.

Even when chat is available, avoid hurtful language and deliberately delaying the game.

When reviewing a game afterward, whether in person or online, check the information visible during play and the tiles you chose. Recording why you hesitated will make similar situations easier to judge in the next hand.

A gentle 7-day practice plan

The goal for these 7 days is not to win, but to understand what to do on your turn. Once you can ask specific questions about situations you did not understand, move on to yaku, score calculation, efficient hand building, and defense.

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