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Mahjong Decoded
The directory

Mahjong variants of the world

17 rule sets, from Hong Kong parlours and Japanese professional leagues to Sichuan teahouses, Singaporean animal tiles and the American card — how many play, how many tiles, how big the hand, and how it scores.

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Rule sets

Want the three biggest styles side by side? See Rules compared.

Japanese

2
A heap of Japanese mahjong tiles Japanese

Japanese Riichi

Japan and worldwide online

Japan's modern game, with a mandatory scoring pattern, a ready-hand declaration and deep defensive play. Professional leagues and huge online ladders.

Players
4
Tiles
136
Hand
13 (14 to win)
Scoring
Han and fu
Signature
Yaku requirement, riichi, furiten, dora
Read the full guide →
Tile illustration for Three-Player Mahjong (Sanma) Japanese

Japanese Three-Player (Sanma)

Japan

A faster, swingier three-player form of riichi with its own parlours and online ranks.

Players
3
Tiles
108
Hand
13 (14 to win)
Scoring
Han and fu
Signature
Characters 2–8 removed; North as bonus
Read the full guide →