Hong Kong Mahjong Lesson 5 Special Hands

[@2wenty4frames]

Just want to say thank you for sucha thorough guide to the game! No one else on youtube has done anything near as comprehensive. As someone who wants to start playing, this is so useful.

[@MAHJLIFE]

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement. My mission is to bring awareness of this wonderful game to Westerners so it is my pleasure!

[@jordanjennings1375]

I have been trying to understand the scoring for weeks! Thank you!

[@MAHJLIFE]

Happy to help!

[@naailkhan883]

Wow Michele this work is so amazing and concise! Thanks so much for your work, you've been stimulating so much of my interest for Mahjong. One question, when playing the 2 Gates hand, do they all have to be the same set? Like all dots or all characters?

[@MAHJLIFE]

Nine Gates is with one suit only.

[@PELVIS361]

Hello There Michelle! Thank you for your amazing work on the subject of Mahjnog ! I subscribed to your channel, and I am slowly getting acquainted with the game. Everything seems to be falling into place except scoring part. This is my question? To simplify the explaining process to other people that I am trying to teach myself (friends LOL) how can I explain the object of the game except scoring Mahjong ? What is the number someone is trying to achieve to actually win the game? Do you add or subtract to a certain number agreed ? Like a 100 or something like that? How many turns are there exactly until the game is officially won? And how do others who are playing actually keep the score How many points does scoring the Mahjong bring ? And how do the rest of players fall into the row behind the winning hand. If no Mahjong is scored, do the highest valued hand declares victory of that turn? And from what number is that amount being added to or subtracted from.. like I mentioned above.. When I practice on Mahjong Time, after a Mahjong is declared, I see people getting negative points ( different values ) but I have no idea where is the game actually leading to and how those points are counted .. Appreciate your response ( if I am making sense  ) All the best, and keep up the great work!

[@MAHJLIFE]

Hi Pavle! Thanks for your kind words about my work :) QUESTION 1: The object of the game is to complete a valid hand of 14 tiles before your opponents. The hands need to have four sets and a pair, with two exceptions, and the components of your hand determine your score. QUESTION 2: Most groups establish minimum points as a qualifier (i.e., 1 fan, 3 fan). QUESTION 3: The game ends when a player declares mahjong or the tiles in the wall have been depleted. QUESTION 4: The method of payment depends on the scoring you choose to play by. If you play using Hong Kong Old Style per the quick reference below the video, you could use poker chips or cash currency and coins. QUESTION 5: Only the winning player scores and receives payment. When there is a draw (no winner, tiles in the wall are depleted; wall game), some groups create a side pot for the next winner where the anti is decided by the group. QUESTION 6: Answered previously. QUESTION 7: If the win is by self-pick, all players pay double the value of the hand. If the win is by discard, the discarder pays double the value of the hand and the other two players pay the value of the hand.

[@MAHJLIFE]

I forgot to tell you that I release Hong Kong mahjong videos on Friday's. Look for the jade thumbnails :)

[@PELVIS361]

Thank you for the updates... I appreciate it... If I have any more questions... I will feel free to let you know 😁 your videos ROCK

[@lynneorlando4561]

Hello, Michele! Love your videos and have a question about the dead wall and the “unpicked tiles” (face down). If there are no more tiles to pick in either one of these is it a Wall” game?

[@MAHJLIFE]

The game ends in a draw (i.e., wall game) when the tiles are depleted in the wall up to the dead wall (i.e., Flower wall, kong box).

[@lynneorlando4561]

@@MAHJLIFE what if the dead wall ends first?

[@lynneorlando4561]

@@MAHJLIFE Do. It know if I replied properly in my previous “reply” to you, sorry. You said “up to” the dead wall. If the dead wall is depleted, does the game stop?

[@lynneorlando4561]

After searching more I read that the dead wall is replenished from the live wall. So I would assume when the live wall tiles are depleted the game stops. Correct?

[@DesolationPhoenix]

Couple questions: The seven pair looks like the only hand that isn’t strictly worth the fan stated in the guide, as you can earn 3 additional fan (7 total) from a half flush. Are there any other special hands that aren’t strictly worth the amount stated in the guide and can earn additional fan? Also, if you have seven pairs and all one suit, then is that 4+6=10 fan? Thanks!

[@MAHJLIFE]

Seven Pairs is 4 fan but you can add 3 fan if the pairs are in one suit with any combination of Winds and Dragons or 6 fan if the pairs are in one suit.

[@aaronchan1088]

got the gates of heaven just three times... the thirteen unique wonders is by far the most common special hand i've won. there's the jade, pearl and ruby dragons, and the ones and nines pongs... which is ultra-rare.... in hong kong mahjong, there's also seven pairs

[@MAHJLIFE]

KUDOS I love playing special hands!

[@ericritenour9002]

Excellent videos. I downloaded the guide and was following along, and there is one set you didn't cover (unless you did and I spaced out in that moment, which is entirely possible) - and that is the All Kongs hand. While it sounds simple enough, it doesn't sound mathematically possible, as it is described in the pamphlet as 4 kongs and a pair (which would require 18 tiles). Was it supposed to read 3 kongs, or is there another rule that I am misunderstanding in the game? Thanks!

[@MAHJLIFE]

Thanks, Eric. Any time a player declares a kong, they take a replacement tile from the Flower wall (back of the wall if no Flower wall) and they count it as a pung thereafter.

[@ericritenour9002]

@@MAHJLIFE got it, thanks!

[@shellie60]

Michele, When you play a nine gates.... from what I was watching, do the nine gates have to be all in one suit?

[@MAHJLIFE]

Nine Gates is one suit only.

[@ansem4u]

Hi Michele , this is a very nice playlist of tutorials for me as a beginner to learn regular HK mahjong. But do u know there’s a 3 player version of Mahjong because my grandparents usually play 3players(mostly played in Malaysia/Hong Kong/Singapore) instead of regular 4players and they always play without bamboo tiles sets(?) Just wondering if you know how to play the 3 players mahjong as well! I really need tutorials for 3 players mahjong since Chinese New Year is around the corner and I need to play with my grandparents soon! Keep up on ur videos :)!!!

[@MAHJLIFE]

It sounds like your grandparents played Korean style mahjong.wikidot.com/rules:korean-overview. Besides playing without Bams and Seasons, the game has elements of both Hong Kong and Japanese/Riichi styles (no Dora). I'd recommend watching those videos for strategy and study the scoring on the link above. Will you be playing with a point minimum?

[@ansem4u]

Michele Frizzell thanks for the link Michele. I see that’s the version my grandparents were playing, but the points were still based on the Hong Kong style with 4 pong/ chow and a pair to win a game . As the north wind and 4th flowers gets bonus points(fan) for everyone because there isn’t four player. Minimum winning point is 5 and above. Thank you again :)!

[@ansem4u]

Also there’s only a few special hands for bonus points unlike regular hk mahjong which has multiple special hands strategy to win. From my grandparents words they said 3 players will be easier to win a match and earn those few special hands.

[@MAHJLIFE]

Interesting... I'd love to hear about the special hands!

[@shaniquawildshylove]

The gates you can. The two or the eights it will work out better that way

[@udomoody7094]

So I looked at the Quick Reference which is GREAT btw, but I wondered what does the C and X behind the special hands mean ?

[@MAHJLIFE]

Thanks! Special hands with an "X" means you can claim a discard to meld or make an exposure to complete a Chow, Pung, or Kong. Special hands with a "C" that means it's concealed and you have to draw it to get it to a ready shape. When you are ready to win, you can claim a discard to win.

[@udomoody7094]

Michele Frizzell Ah ok that makes sense. Thank You for your answer and all your videos. They helped me a lot.

[@rw42000]

I still don't get how kongs factor in, do they just function as a pung but you have a larger hand because of it?

[@MAHJLIFE]

When you make a Kong, you get a replacement tile from the Flower Wall (aka Dead Wall) at which point the Kong is counted as 3 tiles. That's why in many games, you see people make a pyramid of the tiles with one on top. So, if you have a kong, count it as 3 tiles. Great observation! With only one exception, Kongs don't bring extra score to your hand though so many times, I try to make a chow out of the 4th tile if I draw it myself. There is a hand called All Kongs but it's really hard to get. I've played with friends before where there was a table rule where you get 25 points ($0.25) as an immediate payout for a Kong so it could be lucrative that way.

[@rw42000]

Hi Michele, Thanks! That's very helpful. I was wondering also if you knew of any good mahjong apps, I just want something really simple where I can just play against computer players to just try to get a hang of it (or where I at least have the option to do so). A lot of apps seem to be really centered around the competitive nature and have like in-app purchases or pop-up adds. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!

[@hhanh01]

local HK players do not consider 7-pair to be a valid hand. Only the 13-orphan does not follow the usual pattern 4 melds + 1 pair.

[@MAHJLIFE]

I understand. We choose to use version 1 mahjong.wikidot.com/rules:hong-kong-old-style-scoring

[@hhanh01]

@@MAHJLIFE yeah, there are a lot of different rules.

[@RaveGamingCommunity]

WOW I am lost.. Ok here is the way I understood it tell me if I'm wrong Chow is worth 1 pair of suit is worth 2 pair of honors is worth 3 pong of suits is worth 4 kong of suits worth 5 Pong of Honor is 6 Kong of Honor is 10 The only way you can get a chow is if the person to your left has discarded the tile. Ok if I am playing live then you would have to show the meld to the table. But you would not have to if you draw the tile. I'm new to the mahjongg world so I am trying to understand it fully I'm looking for the Japanese Version The China Version and the American version.

[@MAHJLIFE]

Here is a link to a quick reference for scoring with instructions: www.mahjongcentral.com/uploads/Cantonese_QuickReference.pdf If you are interested in all styles... Hong Kong mahjong is the easiest to learn so it's the best place to start (lesson: kzbin.info/aero/PLLk097vMqukb95mvL8tIK162v7NPlDa09). Japanese style is complex (tutorials: kzbin.info/aero/PLLk097vMqukZyzR-RY-gV8XV4S1lGFwNl) so I'd master Hong Kong mahjong first. American style is really different so I'd attempt to learn that one last (lesson: kzbin.info/aero/PLLk097vMqukbWDFJq-Q1MYPd3ewMWgTux).

[@MAHJLIFE]

The scoring listed above is not accurate although I appreciate your attempt at understanding it! Download the quick reference (link above).

[@theUserdudex]

Hmmm, just curious why the half and half? I mean the tutorial is in English but you maintain the 'fan'? Why not say points?

[@MAHJLIFE]

A "fan" is a scoring element that is attributed to the value of a hand. A hand can have multiple fan. The total fan converts to points for payout. Here is a link to the player reference so you can see the conversion goo.gl/RB4kRB

[@theUserdudex]

Michele Frizzell Ah okok if that's how you see it then cools. Was just curious coz I speak Cantonese and 'fan' literally means points in Cantonese. 😂 So just found it odd that you were using Cantonese just for that specific word. You do you then. 😁

[@MAHJLIFE]

Interesting. I was taught how to play and score by a player from Hong Kong. So, it sounds like fan and point are the same thing then.

[@vickimurray3810]

H E L P playing mahjong time, how to you exchange a tile for a joker? I'm playing the school games against robots.

[@MAHJLIFE]

Jokers in exposures should "glow". Hover your mouse over the joker tile and click to exchange it for the natural tile in your hand. I hope that helps.

[@kb9102]

This video is exactly what I was looking for. And so well explained and easy to follow. Thank you