๐ Hongzhong Mahjong
Popular in Hubei and Hunan. Uses only three suits plus Red Dragon (Hongzhong) as a wild card. Extremely low winning threshold โ perfect for absolute beginners.
Learn Hongzhong โ๐ฏ Choose a Variant to Learn
๐ Guangdong Mahjong
Popular in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. Features Chicken Hu rules, fast-paced gameplay, and the exciting Bao Hu (capped scoring) mechanic.
Learn Guangdong โ๐ Sichuan Mahjong
Popular in Sichuan and Chongqing. Must discard one entire suit, with Blood Battle to the End โ play continues after the first winner. Strategic and thrilling.
Learn Sichuan โ๐ Tuidaohu Mahjong
The most casual nationwide variant. No complex rules, no minimum fan requirement. The standard "4 melds + 1 pair" formula โ ideal for family fun.
Learn Tuidaohu โ๐ Guobiao (Official) Mahjong
China's official competitive Mahjong. Requires a minimum of 8 fan to win, with 81 recognized scoring patterns. The ultimate challenge for serious players.
Learn Guobiao โ๐ Recommended Learning Path
๐ Step-by-Step Order
- Step 1: Start with Tuidaohu Mahjong โ the simplest rules, learn the basic winning formula
- Step 2: Try Hongzhong Mahjong โ understand wild card mechanics
- Step 3: Move to Guangdong Mahjong โ learn scoring, dealer/non-dealer concepts
- Step 4: Challenge Sichuan Mahjong โ master suit restriction and Blood Battle rules
- Step 5: Conquer Guobiao Mahjong โ competitive play with the full fan system
๐ก Mahjong Basics for Complete Beginners
- Tile Types: Wan ไธ (Characters 1-9), Tong ็ญ (Dots 1-9), Tiao ๆก (Bamboo 1-9), Wind tiles ้ฃ (East, South, West, North), Dragon tiles ็ฎญ (Red, Green, White), Flower tiles ่ฑ (Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, Bamboo, etc.)
- Core Actions: Chi ๅ (claim a tile from the player to your left to form a sequence), Pong ็ขฐ (claim any player's tile to form a triplet), Kong ๆ (claim for a quadruplet), Hu ่ก-winning!
- Winning Formula: Standard win = 4 melds (sequences or triplets) + 1 pair (eyes), totaling 14 tiles
- Sequence ้กบๅญ: Three consecutive tiles of the same suit (e.g., 3-4-5 Wan)
- Triplet ๅปๅญ: Three identical tiles (e.g., three 5 Tong)
- Pair ๅฐ็: Two identical tiles (e.g., two 8 Tiao)
๐ Why Learn Chinese Mahjong?
Strategic Depth
Every hand is a puzzle. Reading opponents, managing risk, and optimizing your hand combine into endlessly fascinating gameplay.
Social Connection
Mahjong brings people together. It's THE social game across Chinese communities worldwide โ learn it and you'll connect with millions.
Multiple Variants
From casual family games to high-stakes competition, there's a variant for every skill level and mood.
Cultural Experience
Understanding Mahjong opens a window into Chinese culture, traditions, and daily life in ways nothing else can.