Hong Kong Mahjong · 1 fan

Own Flower (Jing Fa) in Hong Kong Mahjong: Fan, Seat Chart and Odds

In Hong Kong mahjong, each Own Flower (正花) is worth 1 fan: the flowers come as four seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) and four plants (Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum), and each set of four maps onto the four seats East, South, West and North. A flower that matches your seat is your own flower.

Every seat has two own flowers — one season and one plant. Draw both and you score twice.

Which flowers are yours

Flowers are numbered 1 to 4, matching East, South, West and North:

• It's your seat this hand (seat wind), not the round wind: the dealer is always East
• One own flower is 1 fan; two own flowers score twice
• Any flower ends No Flowers; flowers of other seats score nothing
• When one set of four is complete it scores Flower Set (2 fan) instead, and that set's own flower isn't counted again

How Own Flower is scored

The fan below are computed live by the same scoring code the game uses.

Common combinations:

How it relates to other hands

• No Flowers: no flower at all scores 1 fan. Drawing your own flower just swaps No Flowers for Own Flower — same fan; drawing someone else's flower costs you 1 fan.
• Flower Set: one full set of four scores 2 fan, which already includes that set's own flower.
• Seat Wind: also based on your seat. Sitting South with a South Wind pung plus Summer or Orchid scores both.
• All Eight Flowers: all eight flowers are a limit hand.

Own Flower odds

Do you start with your own flower?

After the opening flower replacement, a seat holds at least one flower of its own about 18% of the time, and two or more flowers of any kind about 18%.

Source: 400,000 deals on this site (144 tiles with flowers; each seat counted after the opening flower replacement).

How many wins have Own Flower

Over 100,000 computer hands on this site, Own Flower appeared in 49% of wins — more than No Flowers at 27%: by the time someone wins, most players have drawn a few flowers.

• Wins with Own Flower averaged 3.4 fan.
• Like No Flowers, it depends only on what you draw, not on how you play, so a human table should look similar.

Playing with your own flower

• One own flower: you already have 1 fan, just like No Flowers — a concealed all-chows discard win reaches 3.
• Two own flowers: 2 fan already; any one more fan (self-draw, concealed, a scoring pung) is enough, so play for speed.
• Only other seats' flowers: the hand itself must find all 3 fan — watch scoring pairs and Mixed One Suit.

To try it, open a table of online Hong Kong mahjong — the computers play with you, replace flowers and score Own Flowers automatically.

Own Flower in other mahjong styles

Sichuan mahjong has no flower tiles. Taiwanese mahjong also has eight flowers and an "own flower" idea, but scores them in its own tai system — see the Taiwanese mahjong tai list.

FAQ

How many fan is Own Flower?

In Hong Kong mahjong each Own Flower is worth 1 fan. Every seat has two own flowers, and having both scores twice.

Which flowers belong to the dealer?

The dealer always sits East, so Spring (1) and Plum (1). South has Summer and Orchid, West Autumn and Bamboo, North Winter and Chrysanthemum.

Do I still get No Flowers with an Own Flower?

No. No Flowers needs no flowers at all; with an own flower you score Own Flower instead — never both.

Does Own Flower follow the round wind or the seat wind?

Your seat — the seat wind. The round wind only matters for wind pungs, not flowers.

Related hands

No Flowers 1 fan No flowers at all is worth 1 fan: how it differs from Own Flower, why someone else's flower costs you, and how often it happens. Flower Set 2 fan All four flowers of one set are 2 fan: how it combines with Own Flower, when it becomes All Eight Flowers, and how rare it is. Seat Wind 1 fan 1 fan for a pung of your own seat's wind: dealer East, then South, West, North — plus another fan when it's also the round wind.