Home / Rules compared Side by side
American vs Hong Kong vs Japanese mahjong
The same tiles, very different games. Here is how the American (National Mah Jongg League), Hong Kong, Japanese Riichi
and Chinese Official (MCR) rules handle each part of play. House rules vary, especially for Hong Kong scoring.
Equipment The deal Making sets Winning Scoring Payment Strategy & feel Equipment
Rule American Hong Kong Riichi MCR Number of tiles 152 144 136 144 Flowers and seasons Eight 'flowers', kept in the hand and usable in card hands Set aside when drawn; score bonus faan Not used Set aside; one point each, not counted toward the minimum Jokers Eight, wild in groups of three or more None None None Bonus tiles in play Jokers Flowers and seasons Dora indicators, red fives, ura-dora Flowers Racks Standard and almost essential Optional Not used; tiles stand on the table Optional
The deal
Rule American Hong Kong Riichi MCR Wall length per side 19 stacks 18 stacks 17 stacks 18 stacks Starting hand 13 tiles (East 14) 13 tiles (East 14) 13 tiles (East 14) 13 tiles (East 14) Before play The Charleston: passing tiles right, across and left Flower replacements Dora indicator revealed Flower replacements Dead wall No separate dead wall Replacement tiles drawn from the back of the wall 14-tile dead wall with dora indicators Replacement tiles drawn from the back of the wall
Making sets
Rule American Hong Kong Riichi MCR Runs (chows) Only as single tiles in card hands; never called Called only from the player on your left Called only from the player on your left (chi) Called only from the player on your left Triplets and quads Pungs, kongs, quints and sextets (with jokers) Pungs and kongs Pungs and kongs (pon, kan) Pungs and kongs Calling a discard Only for an exposure of 3+ identical tiles, or to win For pung, kong, chow or to win For pon, kan, chi or to win (ron) For pung, kong, chow or to win Concealed requirement Hands marked C on the card must be concealed Concealed hands often worth an extra faan Riichi and several yaku need a closed hand Some patterns require concealment
Winning
Rule American Hong Kong Riichi MCR What counts as a win Only a hand printed on the current card Four sets and a pair (or special hands), meeting the faan minimum Four sets and a pair, seven pairs or thirteen orphans — with at least one yaku Any legal hand worth at least 8 points (excluding flowers) Minimum value None beyond matching the card Usually 1–3 faan by house rule At least one yaku 8 points Ready declaration None None Riichi: 1,000-point deposit, locks the hand None Furiten-style restriction No No Yes: cannot ron on a tile in your own discards No Multiple winners on one discard Next in turn wins Usually next in turn wins (house rules vary) Allowed in many rules (double ron) Next in turn wins
Scoring
Rule American Hong Kong Riichi MCR Scoring units Fixed values printed on the card Faan Han and fu Points (fan) from 81 patterns How value grows Fixed per hand Roughly doubles per faan Doubles per han up to mangan, then fixed tiers Additive Limit / maximum Highest card values Table limit, often 8–13 faan Yakuman (32,000 non-dealer) 88-point patterns Self-draw bonus Everyone pays double +1 faan; all opponents pay Menzen tsumo yaku if closed; all opponents pay 1 point; each opponent pays hand value + 8 Bonus for no jokers / flowers Jokerless hands paid double No-flower bonus at many tables — —
Payment
Rule American Hong Kong Riichi MCR Win on a discard Discarder pays double; others pay single Discarder pays all or more than others (house rule) Discarder pays the whole amount Discarder pays hand value + 8; others pay 8 Dealer No special dealer multiplier Dealer continues on a win; bonuses vary Dealer wins and loses 1.5× No dealer multiplier Drawn hand (wall game) No payment No payment; deal usually passes or repeats by rule Non-ready players pay ready players 3,000 in total No payment
Strategy & feel
Rule American Hong Kong Riichi MCR Main skill Choosing and switching card hands; using jokers Fast set-building and faan management Efficiency, defense and expected value Planning patterns to reach 8 points Defense Reading exposures; avoiding hot tiles Reading discards in a shared pool Furiten, ordered discards, folding against riichi Reading exposures and discards Where it is played United States: clubs, community centres, homes Hong Kong, southern China, diaspora worldwide Japan, online worldwide, university clubs International tournaments
Equipment
Number of tiles
American
152
Hong Kong
144
Riichi
136
MCR
144 Flowers and seasons
American
Eight 'flowers', kept in the hand and usable in card hands
Hong Kong
Set aside when drawn; score bonus faan
Riichi
Not used
MCR
Set aside; one point each, not counted toward the minimum Jokers
American
Eight, wild in groups of three or more
Hong Kong
None
Riichi
None
MCR
None Bonus tiles in play
American
Jokers
Hong Kong
Flowers and seasons
Riichi
Dora indicators, red fives, ura-dora
MCR
Flowers Racks
American
Standard and almost essential
Hong Kong
Optional
Riichi
Not used; tiles stand on the table
MCR
Optional The deal
Wall length per side
American
19 stacks
Hong Kong
18 stacks
Riichi
17 stacks
MCR
18 stacks Starting hand
American
13 tiles (East 14)
Hong Kong
13 tiles (East 14)
Riichi
13 tiles (East 14)
MCR
13 tiles (East 14) Before play
American
The Charleston: passing tiles right, across and left
Hong Kong
Flower replacements
Riichi
Dora indicator revealed
MCR
Flower replacements Dead wall
American
No separate dead wall
Hong Kong
Replacement tiles drawn from the back of the wall
Riichi
14-tile dead wall with dora indicators
MCR
Replacement tiles drawn from the back of the wall Making sets
Runs (chows)
American
Only as single tiles in card hands; never called
Hong Kong
Called only from the player on your left
Riichi
Called only from the player on your left (chi)
MCR
Called only from the player on your left Triplets and quads
American
Pungs, kongs, quints and sextets (with jokers)
Hong Kong
Pungs and kongs
Riichi
Pungs and kongs (pon, kan)
MCR
Pungs and kongs Calling a discard
American
Only for an exposure of 3+ identical tiles, or to win
Hong Kong
For pung, kong, chow or to win
Riichi
For pon, kan, chi or to win (ron)
MCR
For pung, kong, chow or to win Concealed requirement
American
Hands marked C on the card must be concealed
Hong Kong
Concealed hands often worth an extra faan
Riichi
Riichi and several yaku need a closed hand
MCR
Some patterns require concealment Winning
What counts as a win
American
Only a hand printed on the current card
Hong Kong
Four sets and a pair (or special hands), meeting the faan minimum
Riichi
Four sets and a pair, seven pairs or thirteen orphans — with at least one yaku
MCR
Any legal hand worth at least 8 points (excluding flowers) Minimum value
American
None beyond matching the card
Hong Kong
Usually 1–3 faan by house rule
Riichi
At least one yaku
MCR
8 points Ready declaration
American
None
Hong Kong
None
Riichi
Riichi: 1,000-point deposit, locks the hand
MCR
None Furiten-style restriction
American
No
Hong Kong
No
Riichi
Yes: cannot ron on a tile in your own discards
MCR
No Multiple winners on one discard
American
Next in turn wins
Hong Kong
Usually next in turn wins (house rules vary)
Riichi
Allowed in many rules (double ron)
MCR
Next in turn wins Scoring
Scoring units
American
Fixed values printed on the card
Hong Kong
Faan
Riichi
Han and fu
MCR
Points (fan) from 81 patterns How value grows
American
Fixed per hand
Hong Kong
Roughly doubles per faan
Riichi
Doubles per han up to mangan, then fixed tiers
MCR
Additive Limit / maximum
American
Highest card values
Hong Kong
Table limit, often 8–13 faan
Riichi
Yakuman (32,000 non-dealer)
MCR
88-point patterns Self-draw bonus
American
Everyone pays double
Hong Kong
+1 faan; all opponents pay
Riichi
Menzen tsumo yaku if closed; all opponents pay
MCR
1 point; each opponent pays hand value + 8 Bonus for no jokers / flowers
American
Jokerless hands paid double
Hong Kong
No-flower bonus at many tables
Riichi
—
MCR
— Payment
Win on a discard
American
Discarder pays double; others pay single
Hong Kong
Discarder pays all or more than others (house rule)
Riichi
Discarder pays the whole amount
MCR
Discarder pays hand value + 8; others pay 8 Dealer
American
No special dealer multiplier
Hong Kong
Dealer continues on a win; bonuses vary
Riichi
Dealer wins and loses 1.5×
MCR
No dealer multiplier Drawn hand (wall game)
American
No payment
Hong Kong
No payment; deal usually passes or repeats by rule
Riichi
Non-ready players pay ready players 3,000 in total
MCR
No payment Strategy & feel
Main skill
American
Choosing and switching card hands; using jokers
Hong Kong
Fast set-building and faan management
Riichi
Efficiency, defense and expected value
MCR
Planning patterns to reach 8 points Defense
American
Reading exposures; avoiding hot tiles
Hong Kong
Reading discards in a shared pool
Riichi
Furiten, ordered discards, folding against riichi
MCR
Reading exposures and discards Where it is played
American
United States: clubs, community centres, homes
Hong Kong
Hong Kong, southern China, diaspora worldwide
Riichi
Japan, online worldwide, university clubs
MCR
International tournaments