Hong Kong Mahjong
The Cantonese game from Hong Kong tea houses and family tables: 13 tiles, flowers, and three fan to win. Three computer opponents, fan counted for you.
Grandma will show you how!
One more tile to win!
Classic Hong Kong rules
144 tiles with eight flowers, 13-tile hands, chow only from the player on your left, 3 fan to win and a 10-fan limit — like the table at home.
Fair computer opponents
Beginner, normal and expert. The computer never sees your tiles or the wall; every hand is shuffled fairly. No cheating.
Waits with their fan
See what you are waiting on, how many are left and how many fan each one is worth — and which waits are not enough to win.
Free, no download
Nothing to install, no account, no annoying ads. Your game and stats are saved on this device.
How to play Hong Kong mahjong
Learn Hong Kong mahjong with Grandma in four easy steps.
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1Draw a tile
Your turn — draw a tile!On your turn, draw a tile from the wall, then discard one — your hand always stays at 13.
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2Flowers
A flower? Lay it out, draw again!Drew a flower or season? Lay it out at once and draw a replacement from the end of the wall. Flowers can add fan.
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3Chow · Pung · Kong
I’ll pung that one!Use a discard to finish a set: chow a run from the player on your left, or pung or kong a matching tile from anyone.
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4Win!
Mahjong!Four sets plus a pair worth at least 3 fan, and you win — the fan are counted for you.
The rules in full
- Everyone gets 13 tiles; the dealer takes one more (14) and discards first.
- On your turn, draw one tile and discard one. Flowers are laid out at once and replaced from the end of the wall.
- Claim a discard to make a set: pung (three alike) and kong (four alike) from anyone, chow (a run) only from the player on your left. A win beats a pung, a pung beats a chow.
- Four sets plus a pair is a winning hand (Thirteen Orphans also counts) — but it must be worth at least 3 fan.
- Fan turn into points on the half-spicy table: a discard win is paid in full by the discarder; a self-drawn win is paid by all three.
- If the wall runs out with no winner, the hand is a draw and the dealer stays on.
Play as long as you like
From a three-minute single hand to a full four-round game.
- Beginner — Plays loosely and claims a lot. Good for learning.
- Normal — Plays for quick wins that still reach 3 fan, and counts the visible tiles.
- Expert — Builds bigger hands and defends once you look close to winning.
Fan table
The fan most Hong Kong tables use. In each family only the highest counts. Limit hands score the maximum (10 fan).
| Hand | Fan |
|---|---|
| No flowers (無花) | 1 |
| Own flower (正花) | 1 |
| Flower set (一台花) | 2 |
| Concealed hand (門前清) | 1 |
| Self-drawn (自摸) | 1 |
| All chows (平糊) | 1 |
| Dragon pung (三元牌) | 1 |
| Round wind pung (圈風) | 1 |
| Seat wind pung (門風) | 1 |
| Terminals & honours (混么九) | 1 |
| Last tile (海底撈月) | 1 |
| Win on a kong (槓上開花) | 1 |
| Robbing a kong (搶槓) | 1 |
| All pungs (對對糊) | 3 |
| Mixed one suit (混一色) | 3 |
| Small three dragons (小三元) | 5 |
| Hand | Fan |
|---|---|
| Pure one suit (清一色) | 7 |
| Great three dragons (大三元) | 8 |
| Thirteen orphans (十三么) | Limit |
| Nine gates (九子連環) | Limit |
| Four concealed pungs (坑坑糊) | Limit |
| Four kongs (十八羅漢) | Limit |
| Great four winds (大四喜) | Limit |
| Small four winds (小四喜) | Limit |
| All honours (字一色) | Limit |
| All terminals (清么九) | Limit |
| Heavenly hand (天糊) | Limit |
| Earthly hand (地糊) | Limit |
| Human hand (人糊) | Limit |
| All eight flowers (八仙過海) | Limit |
| Seven flowers rob one (七搶一) | Limit |
The tiles
Characters, dots and bamboo, 1 to 9, four of each; East, South, West and North winds; Red, Green and White dragons; plus eight flowers (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum). 144 tiles in all.
Beginner tips
- Lay out flowers as soon as you draw them and take a replacement — you always keep 13 tiles in hand.
- Start by building runs (chows): they are easier to complete and keep your hand flexible.
- Later in the hand, watch what the others have discarded and play safe tiles so you don’t feed anyone a win.
- You need at least 3 fan to win, so keep an eye on your fan as you build your hand.
FAQ
How is Hong Kong mahjong different from Taiwanese or Japanese mahjong?
Hong Kong mahjong uses 13-tile hands (Taiwanese uses 16) and needs a minimum of 3 fan to win. There is no riichi and no dora as in Japanese mahjong; fan come from flowers, concealed hands, self-draws, honour pungs, one-suit hands and so on.
Is it really free? Do I need to sign up?
Completely free, no sign-up. The game runs in your browser and saves progress on your device.
Does the computer cheat?
No. The computer only knows its own tiles and what is on the table, just like you. The wall is shuffled once at the start of each hand and never touched again.
Why can’t I win with a complete hand?
A hand worth fewer than 3 fan cannot win (a “chicken hand”). Keep it concealed, aim for honour pungs, a one-suit hand or all pungs, or hope for a self-draw. The wait hint shows the fan for each wait.
What is the limit (爆棚)?
Fan are capped at 10 by default (you can choose 8 or 13). Special hands such as Thirteen Orphans or Great Winds score the limit straight away.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes — phone, tablet or computer. Turn your phone sideways for the biggest, easiest-to-tap tiles.
New to Hong Kong mahjong?
The beginner guide walks you through the tiles, winning hands, every fan and how points are paid, with tile pictures.