01The wall & the deal
Four players build a square wall, the dealer breaks it, and tiles are dealt around until everyone holds 13 — the dealer takes a 14th to begin.
There is no Charleston in Hong Kong mahjong (that's an American ritual). Play simply begins: the dealer discards, and turns pass to the right.
02Flowers & seasons
A Hong Kong set includes eight bonus tiles — four flowers and four seasons. They're never part of your 13-tile hand: the moment you draw one you set it aside face-up and draw a replacement from the back of the wall. Matching flowers/seasons to your seat earns a little extra at scoring.
Flowers & seasons (set aside, draw again)
03The calls & their priority
On another player's discard you may claim a tile to complete a set:
Chow
Run of three — only from the player on your left.
Pung
Triplet — claim from anyone.
Kong
Four of a kind — draw a replacement.
!Priority when two players want the same discard: a win beats everything; a pung/kong beats a chow; and a chow can only ever be taken from your left neighbour.
04Kongs & replacement draws
A kong (four identical tiles) is special: whenever you declare one — concealed, or by adding a fourth tile to an exposed pung, or by claiming a discard — you immediately draw a replacement tile from the back of the wall, because a kong "uses up" four tiles instead of three. Win on that replacement tile and many tables award a bonus.
05Seat winds & the round
Each player has a seat wind (East, South, West, North), and the table plays through a prevailing wind round. A triplet of your seat wind or the round wind scores extra. The deal passes to the right when the dealer loses; if the dealer wins, they keep the deal and the hand repeats.
06What counts as a win
You win when your 14 tiles form four sets and a pair, completed either by self-draw or by claiming a discard. Note one common house rule: many tables set a minimum of 3 faan to declare a win — a bare hand with no scoring patterns can't go out. How those faan add up is the subject of scoring.
07Frequently asked questions
Is there a Charleston in Hong Kong mahjong? +
No — the Charleston (passing tiles before play) is American mahjong only. In Hong Kong, play begins immediately after the deal.
Can I claim a chow from any player? +
No. A chow (run) can only be claimed from the player on your left. Pungs and kongs can be claimed from anyone.
Why do I draw an extra tile after a kong? +
A kong uses four tiles instead of three, so you take a replacement from the back of the wall to keep your hand the right size.
Do I need a minimum score to win? +
On many tables, yes — a common rule requires at least 3 faan. See
Hong Kong scoring for how faan add up.
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