Bamboo η΄’ / ζ‘
1 to 9, four copies each
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
01 Β· The tile set
Meet all 148 tiles
Numbered suits make sequences. Winds and Dragons make matching sets. Flowers, Seasons, and Animals are bonus tiles that are exposed and replaced.
108numbered suits
+
28Honors
+
8Flowers & Seasons
+
4Animals
=
148total
Circles η
1 to 9, four copies each
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Millions / Characters θ¬ / δΈ
1 to 9, four copies each
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Honor tiles
Winds ι’¨η
No sequences. Use matching pairs, Pongs, or Kongs.
East ζ±
South ε
West θ₯Ώ
North ε
Honor tiles
Dragons δΈε η
Every Dragon Pong or Kong is worth 1 Fan.
Red δΈ
Green ηΌ
White η½
Bonus tiles
Flowers and Seasons θ±η
Expose immediately. Draw a replacement from the back of the wall. Match the number to your seat wind. On common sets, Season numbers are red; Flower numbers are blue or black.
1 Β· East ζ±
Flower 1
Season 1
2 Β· South ε
Flower 2
Season 2
3 Β· West θ₯Ώ
Flower 3
Season 3
4 Β· North ε
Flower 4
Season 4
Singapore signature
The four Animals ε¨η©η
Each Animal is worth 1 Fan. Expose it and draw a replacement. Artwork differs between physical sets, so recognise the label, not just the picture.
CatPairs with Mouse
MousePairs with Cat
RoosterPairs with Centipede
CentipedePairs with Rooster
02 Β· Achieving Mahjong
Four sets and exactly one Eye
A normal win is four Chows, Pongs, or Kongs plus one matching pair called the Eye. With no Kongs that is 14 physical tiles; each declared Kong adds one extra physical tile.
SET3 or 4 tiles
+
SET3 or 4 tiles
+
SET3 or 4 tiles
+
SET3 or 4 tiles
+
EYE2 matching tiles
=
θ‘Mahjong!
ε
Chow
chΔ« Β· sequence
5
6
7
Three consecutive numbers in the same numbered suit. No Winds, Dragons, Flowers, or Animals.
η’°
Pong
pèng · three alike
4
4
4
Three identical numbered or Honor tiles. Flowers and Animals cannot form a Pong.
ζ
Kong
gΓ ng Β· four alike
Four identical numbered or Honor tiles. Declare it and take a replacement tile from the back.
ηΌ
Eye
pair Β· two alike
Two identical numbered or Honor tiles. A normal win has one Eye, no more and no less.
Complete example
This hand can call Mahjong θ‘
It has four sets, one Eye, and 1 Fan from the Red Dragon Pong.
Chow
Chow
Chow
Pong Β· 1 Fan
Eye
Optional physical setupWall layout and first deal
Shuffle all 148 tiles. Build four walls two tiles high: East and the opposite player make 19 stacks each; the other two players make 18.
Each player starts with 13 concealed tiles. Expose every Flower, Season, or Animal and take a replacement from the opposite end of the wall.
The banker is East. East draws a 14th playable tile and discards first. Exact dice and wall-break customs vary by table.
03 Β· How to play Mahjong
Start the game, then follow the turn loop
Each player begins with 13 concealed tiles. Expose and replace bonus tiles; East takes a 14th playable tile and discards first.
Banker and Player Winds
Banker is East; players to the right are South, West, then North. After a winβor a wall draw where someone declared a Kongβthe banker moves right. Otherwise East stays.
Prevailing Wind
It begins at East and advances to South, West, then North after each full banker rotation. The round ends after North.
Ending the game
A game ends on a win or with 15 tiles left. The final playable tile may win, Kong, or complete a bonus set, but no replacement or discard follows.
Draw
Take one tile from the live wall.
Replace bonuses
Expose any Flower, Season, or Animal and draw from the back.
Check
Declare a win or Kong if your tiles allow it.
Discard
Place one tile face-up. Your turn ends.
When one tile gets many calls
Claim priority
Resolve the strongest legal claim first. A win also goes to the eligible winner closest to the discarder in counterclockwise order.
- 1Win θ‘Any eligible player
- 2Kong ζ Any eligible player
- 3Pong η’°Any eligible player
- 4Chow εNext player only
θ‘
Win
Use a self-drawn tile or anyone's latest discard to complete a legal hand that meets the minimum Fan.
η’°
Pong
With two matching concealed tiles, claim anyone's latest matching discard. Expose all three, then discard.
ε
Chow
Only the player immediately to the discarderβs right may claim the latest discard for a same-suit sequence. Expose it, then discard.
θΏ
Pass
old discard becomes dead
If nobody claims, play continues to the right. Once the next player draws, the old discard is dead.
Three ways to make four alike
The three Kongs ζ
Kong-3
Claim a discard
You hold three concealed copies. Another player discards the fourth. Claim it, expose all four, then draw a replacement from the back.
Default here: 2 points from each opponentKong-1
Upgrade an exposed Pong
You draw the fourth tile matching your exposed Pong. Add it to the set and take a replacement. The added tile can be stolen for a win, called Robbing the Kong.
Default here: 2 points from each opponentKong-4
Four concealed copies
After a draw leaves you holding all four matching tiles concealed, declare them together, expose the set, then take a replacement tile from the back. If you can declare more than one Kong, choose which to declare.
No default immediate payment is listed for Kong-4; agree before play04 Β· Types of Mahjong combinations
Normal combinations and special wins
Most wins still need four sets and an Eye. 13 Wonders and the Flower wins below can bypass that shape. Treat automatic Dragon and Wind wins as a house-rule choice and agree before play.
1 Fan
All Chow
Four Chows and an Eye. The Eye cannot be a Dragon, prevailing Wind, or your Seat Wind. A discard win needs more than one possible winning tile.
4 Fan total
Ping Wu
An All Chow hand with no exposed Flowers, Seasons, or Animals. Its 4 Fan replaces rather than adds to the 1 Fan for All Chow.
2 Fan
All Pong
Four Pongs and/or Kongs, plus one Eye.
2 Fan
Half Color
One numbered suit mixed with Honor tiles.
4 Fan
Full Color
Only one numbered suit, with no Honors. Under this ruleset, an Honors-only hand also qualifies.
9 Fan
All Terminal
A valid hand using only 1 and 9 tiles.
2 Fan
Half Terminal
A valid hand mixing terminal tiles (1s or 9s) with Honors, with no numbered tiles from 2 to 8.
0 Fan
Chicken Hand
A valid four-sets-and-an-Eye hand that earns none of the other patterns. It cannot win under the default 1-Fan minimum.
Instant and irregular wins
Ways to win without the normal hand
8 FanεδΈ
13 Wonders
One 1 and one 9 from each numbered suit, one of every Wind and Dragon, plus a duplicate of any one of those 13 tiles as the Eye.
+ pair
12 / 10 Fanθ±
Eight Flowers
All eight Flowers and Seasons is an automatic 12-Fan win. If you have seven and another player draws the eighth, you take it and win for 10 Fan.
7 Fan patternιΎ
All Dragons
Pongs and/or Kongs of Red, Green, and White Dragons score 7 raw Fan in a completed legal hand. Agree separately whether completing these three sets wins instantly without the normal hand shape.
12 Fan patternι’¨
All Winds
Pongs and/or Kongs of East, South, West, and North score 12 raw Fan in a completed legal hand. Agree separately whether completing all four sets wins instantly without the normal hand shape.
05 Β· How to earn Fan / Tai
Fan are doubles; many tables say Tai ε°
Only the winner's hand is scored. Add every Fan the winner earned; each Fan doubles the base score. Around Singapore you may hear Tai for hand value. Ask whether your host uses this same 1β32 ladder, because household payout tables vary. This guide caps payout at 5 Fan by default.
needed to declare a normal win
higher raw values pay as 5 unless agreed otherwise
base points before win-type doubling
0 Fan1base point
1 Fan2base points
2 Fan4base points
3 Fan8base points
4 Fan16base points
5+ Fan32default capped base
Hand patterns
Fan for the shape of the winning hand
Chicken Hand0
All Chow1
All Pong2
Half Color2
Half Terminal2
Ping Wu (replaces All Chow)4 total
Full Color4
13 Wonders8
All Terminal9
Honors
Dragons and valuable Winds
Each Dragon Pong or Kong1
Prevailing Wind Pong or Kong1
Your Seat Wind Pong or Kong1If it is also the Prevailing Wind, the same set earns both: 2 Fan total.
Little Dragons: two Dragon sets + third Dragon Eye3 totaltwo set Fan plus the 1-Fan combination bonus
Little Winds: three Wind sets + fourth Wind Eye4 totalthree Wind sets plus the fourth Wind as the Eye
All Dragons Β· table-dependent automatic win7
All Winds Β· table-dependent automatic win12
Bonus tiles
Animals, Flowers, and Seasons
Each Animal tile1
Complete four-Animal set+15 total including each Animal
Each Flower or Season matching your Seat Wind number1
Complete Flower set+1
Complete Season set+1
Eight Flowers automatic win12
Seven Flowers, then take the eighth10
How the win happens
Event bonuses
Win on a replacement tile1
Win on the final playable tile1
Robbing a Kong1
06 Β· How do you score?
Who pays how much?
First find the base points from Fan. Then apply the win type. These are points or chips, not a currency.
Count Fan
Add every valid source of Fan, then apply the table's cap.
Find base points
1 point doubled once per payable Fan.
Apply win type
Discarder or all players may owe double.
Win on a discard
Discarder pays double
Discarder2Γ base
Each other player1Γ base
Self-drawn win
Everyone pays double
Each of three opponents2Γ base
13 Wonders is paid like a self-drawn win even when the winning tile was discarded.
Example
A 3-Fan win has 8 base points
Win on a discard
Discarder pays 16. Each other player pays 8.
Self-drawn win
Each opponent pays 16.
Paid immediately
Side payouts during the hand
Kong-1 or Kong-3
Receive 2 points from each of the three opponents when declared.
Complete Animal set
CatMouseRoosterCentipede
Receive 4 points from each of the three opponents for all four Animals.
Complete Flower or Season set
Receive 4 points from each of the three opponents for either complete four-tile set.
Cat + Mouse
CatMouse
Receive 2 from each opponent, or 4 from each if both were in your initial 13 tiles.
Rooster + Centipede
RoosterCentipede
Receive 2 from each opponent, or 4 from each if both were in your initial 13 tiles.
Both seat-matching bonus tiles
same seat number
Your matching Flower-and-Season pair earns 2 from each opponent, or 4 from each if both were in your initial 13.
07 Β· Pay All situations
Bao ε or βpay allβ means one player covers the table
Bao is the local table warning for liability. Some dangerous discards make the discarder responsible for the full table payment when the exposed opponent completes the threatened pattern and wins under the conditions below.
Before discarding, scan exposed tiles
Look for two Dragon sets, three Wind sets, visible Fan near the cap, or three same-suit sets. Late in the wall, check whether your tile is fresh.
01
The third Dragon
An opponent shows Pongs or Kongs of two Dragons. You discard the missing Dragon and they use it to complete the full Dragon set by Pong, Kong, or Win.
Danger tileWhichever Dragon is missing
02
The fourth Wind
An opponent shows three Wind Pongs or Kongs. You discard the missing Wind and they use it to complete the Wind set by Pong, Kong, or Win.
Danger tileWhichever Wind is missing
03
Visible Fan at the limit
At 5 exposed Fan, feeding a Dragon, prevailing Wind, or Seat Wind used for Win, Pong, or Kong establishes liability. At 4 exposed Fan, the tile must be used for a Pong or Kongβincluding a winning Pongβthat reaches 5.
Dragon or valued Wind
At 3 exposed FanOnly the shared prevailing-and-Seat Wind, worth 2 Fan, can reach 5.
04
Exposed Full Color
An opponent shows three or four sets from one numbered suit. You discard a tile from that suit and it directly completes their Full Color win.
Danger tilesAny same-suit tile that directly completes their Full Color win
05
Fresh tile at the end
Fewer than four playable tiles remain. You discard a tile not already present in the discard pool and another player wins with it.
not seen in the discards
Danger tileAny βfreshβ tile not seen among discards
08 Β· Rule variations
Agree before you shuffle
Use the left column for this guide's defaults. Turn on an optional variation only when all four players agree.
This guide's defaults
Common optional variations
First game tip: Keep the defaults, skip optional variations, use chips instead of money, and ask one experienced player to supervise the first wall break.
Local table language
Singapore Mahjong terminology
Different groups may use English, Mandarin, Cantonese, or household shorthand. These are the terms you are most likely to hear.
Fan ηͺ / Tai ε°
The value of the winning hand. This guide counts Fan as doubles; confirm whether your host's Tai table uses the same ladder.
Self-draw / Zi Mo θͺζΈ
You draw your own winning tile from the wall. Under the default payout, all three opponents pay twice the base.
Discarder / shooter
The player whose discard completes the win. That player pays twice the base; the other two opponents pay the base once.
Bao / Pao ε
Pay-all liability: one player's dangerous discard can make that player responsible for the table's payment.
Half Color / half flush ζ··δΈθ²
A legal hand using one numbered suit together with Winds and/or Dragons. It scores 2 Fan here.
Full Color / pure suit ζΈ δΈθ²
A legal hand using one numbered suit and no Honors. It scores 4 Fan here.
13 Wonders / Thirteen Orphans εδΈεΉΊ
The six numbered terminals, all seven Honors, and one duplicate. It scores 8 Fan and is paid like self-draw.
Quick answers
Singapore Mahjong FAQ
Short answers to the questions beginners ask most often at a Singapore table.
How many tiles are in Singapore Mahjong?
148 tiles: 108 numbered suit tiles, 28 Winds and Dragons, 8 Flowers and Seasons, and 4 AnimalsβCat, Mouse, Rooster, and Centipede.
What is the difference between Fan and Tai?
This guide uses Fan ηͺ for doubles. Many Singapore players say Tai ε° when talking about a hand's value. Some households use their own Tai payout table, so confirm whether the host follows the same 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 point ladder shown here.
What do I need to win?
A normal win needs four sets, exactly one Eye, and at least 1 Fan under the default rule. 13 Wonders and certain automatic bonus-tile wins are exceptions to the normal shape.
Can I Chow any player's discard?
No. Only the player immediately to the discarderβs right may Chow. Any eligible player may call Win, Kong, or Pong, subject to claim priority.
What does Bao ε mean?
Bao means one player becomes liable to cover the table's payment. It can follow a dangerous discard involving exposed Dragon or Wind sets, visible Fan near the cap, an exposed Full Color hand, or a fresh tile late in the wall.
When does the wall run out?
The game ends when 15 tiles remain in the wall. The final playable tile may win, make a Kong, or complete a bonus set, but there is no replacement draw or following discard.
What do I do with an Animal, Flower, or Season?
Expose it immediately and draw a replacement from the back of the wall. Every Animal earns 1 Fan; a Flower or Season earns 1 Fan when its number matches your Seat Wind.
Can a Chicken Hand win?
Not with this guide's default 1-Fan minimum. A Chicken Hand has a legal four-sets-and-an-Eye shape but earns 0 Fan, so the table would need to agree on a 0-Fan minimum before play.
What does the 5-Fan cap mean?
Keep counting and naming the hand's raw Fan, but calculate the payout as 5 Fanβ32 base pointsβunless the table agrees on a higher cap.
Learn one topic at a time
Focused Singapore Mahjong guides
Use the full rules above for your first game, or open a shorter guide when you only need one answer.
148 tilesSingapore Mahjong tiles
Recognise every suit, Honor, bonus tile, and Animal.
Winning shapesHands and combinationsSee four sets and an Eye, normal patterns, and special wins.
Fan Β· Tai Β· payoutsSingapore Mahjong scoringCount doubles, apply the 5-Fan cap, and settle a win.
ε Β· pay allBao danger guideSpot the five discard situations that can make one player liable.
Printable PDFDownload the one-page cheat sheetKeep the compact rule summary beside the table.
Quick reference
Singapore Mahjong playing cheat sheet
Defaults: 1 Fan minimum Β· 5 Fan cap Β· 15 tiles left in wall
1Your winning hand
4 sets + 1 Eye + at least 1 Fan
- Chow ε: 3 consecutive, same numbered suit
- Pong η’°: 3 identical tiles
- Kong ζ : 4 identical + replacement draw
- Eye ηΌ: 2 identical tiles
2Your turn
- Draw from the live wall.
- Expose Flowers, Seasons, Animals.
- Replace each from the back.
- Check for Win or Kong.
- Discard one tile face-up.
Next player is seated to the discarderβs right.
3Claim priority
Win θ‘βΊKong ζ βΊPong η’°βΊChow ε
ChowPongKong
- Win, Kong, Pong: any eligible player
- Chow: next player only
- Win: the hand ends immediately
- Chow / Pong: expose the set, then discard
- Kong: expose, draw a replacement, then discardβexcept on the final playable tile
- Passed same tile resets after your next draw, Chow, Pong, or Kong
- You cannot Win, Pong, or Chow your own most recent discard
4Fast Fan
Each Dragon set+1
Prevailing Wind set+1
Your Seat Wind set+1
Each Animal / matching bonus1
All Chow1
All Pong / Half Color / Half Terminal2
Ping Wu / Full Color4
Replacement / last tile / rob Kong win+1
If the Prevailing Wind is also your Seat Wind, that one set earns both: 2 Fan total.
5Base points
0F11F22F43F84F165F+32
Animal3 Fan β 8 base
- Discard win: discarder pays 2Γ, others 1Γ
- Self-draw: all three opponents pay 2Γ
- 13 Wonders: paid as self-draw
6Instant payouts
Cat + Mouse
- Kong-1 / Kong-3: 2 each
- All 4 Animals: 4 each
- Full Flower or Season set: 4 each
- Animal pair: 2 each, or 4 if initially dealt
- Both matching seat bonuses: 2 each, or 4 if initially dealt
!Pay-all scan before discarding
- Two Dragon sets showing β do not feed the third Dragon
- Three Wind sets showing β do not feed the fourth Wind
- Visible Fan at 4 or 5 β beware Dragons and valued Winds
- Three same-suit sets β beware that suit
- Under 4 playable tiles β beware any fresh tile
θ±Bonus reminder
Expose every Flower, Season, and Animal, then replace it from the back.
Animals
1 East ζ±2 South ε3 West θ₯Ώ4 North ε
Each Animal = 1 Fan. Each Flower or Season matching your seat number = 1 Fan.
Setup reference
Physical wall-building reference
The wall layout is cross-checked against a separate Singapore competition reference. Household rules can still vary.
Setup reference checked 29 August 2026. If your host teaches a different local convention, agree on it before play.