Chinese Mahjong – classic rules against three computer players
Hand
1
Wall
0
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Quick answer
4-Player Mahjong is a free four-player tile game against three computer opponents that plays instantly in your browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no download, sign-up or ads. Complete a winning hand first: four sets and a pair, or a hand from the card in American Mahjong.
4-Player Mahjong at a glance
What it is
Four-player tile game against three computer opponents
This page
Chinese rules: 136 · Not used · No · Yes · Any four sets and a pair (no minimum)
Goal
Complete a winning hand first: four sets and a pair, or a hand from the card in American Mahjong
Modes
Hong Kong (flowers, 3-faan minimum), Chinese Classic (no flowers, no minimum) and American (jokers, Charleston, an original hand card)
Controls
Tap or click tiles to discard; buttons for calls; keyboard arrows and Enter
Players
1 player against 3 computer players
Price
Free, no ads, no sign-up, no download
Works on
Phones, tablets and computers, in any modern browser
An exact hand from the card; Charleston before play
The easiest way into Mahjong
Classic Chinese Mahjong is played with 136 tiles: Dots, Bamboo and Characters from 1 to 9, the four winds and the three dragons, four of each. Every player starts with 13 tiles, the dealer with 14, and the first to complete four sets and a pair wins.
Because there is no minimum score here, any complete hand is a win. That makes it the best table for learning: focus on building sets, and let the scoring come later.
Sets you can build
Chow: three tiles in a row in one suit, such as 4-5-6 of Bamboo. Only from your own tiles or the left player’s discard.
Pung: three identical tiles. Call it from any discard.
Kong: four identical tiles. Declare it from your hand or call it from a discard, then draw a replacement tile.
Pair: two identical tiles, the “eyes” of the hand.
Strategy tips
Get rid of loners first. Single winds and dragons that nobody pairs are rarely useful; discard them early.
Keep connected tiles. 3-4 or 5-7 of the same suit can become a chow in more ways than two unrelated tiles.
Count what is left. Tiles already discarded or exposed will not come back, so do not wait for them.
Use the hint. It shows the discard that keeps your hand closest to complete with the most ways to improve.
How to play Mahjong
1
Know the goal
Make four sets plus a pair. A set is a pung (three identical tiles), a kong (four) or a chow (three in a row in one suit).
2
Draw and discard
On your turn you draw a tile and discard one. Press Hint on your turn to see which discard the bots would choose.
3
Call discards
Call Pung or Kong on anyone's discard, or Chow on the discard of the player on your left. Mahjong beats every other call.
4
Win with any complete hand
There is no minimum, so press Mahjong! as soon as your hand is complete. Patterns still add faan and points.
Classic four-player Mahjong with flowers and faan scoring. You need 3 faan to win.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from Hong Kong Mahjong?
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It uses the 136 tiles without flowers and seasons, and any complete hand can win, even one worth 0 faan (a "chicken hand"). Scoring patterns are the same, so bigger hands still win more points.
Is this the Chinese Official (MCR) ruleset?
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No. The Official rules use 81 scoring patterns and an 8-point minimum. This page plays the older, simpler classic rules that most families learned first.
What is a chicken hand?
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A complete hand with no scoring patterns at all, usually mixed chows and pungs in several suits. It wins here, but pays the least.
Can I call a chow from anyone?
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No. A chow can only be made from the discard of the player on your left, the one who plays just before you. Pungs and kongs can be called from anyone.
What happens when the wall runs out?
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The hand is a draw, nobody pays, and the same dealer deals again.
Prefer to play alone?
Mahjong Solitaire uses the same tiles: match free pairs to clear the board, with six layouts and solvable deals.