These are the rules of Western MJ from Shanghai Dynasty's in-game "Rules & Strategies" files, in text format. The HTML version can be seen at Martin Rep's website.
Mah-Jongg
Mah-Jongg is the original centuries-old Chinese game for which the Mah-Jongg
tiles were created. Mah-Jongg requires four people to play, and is similar to
the card
game Rummy. Players are dealt a hand of 13 tiles. The goal of the game is to go
out (declare Mah-Jongg) first, with a winning hand comprised of 14 tiles. Play
progresses counter-clockwise around the table. Simply put, each player in turn
draws and discards a tile, in an attempt to build a 14-tile hand comprised of
four groups of three tiles plus a pair of tiles. A group of three tiles can be
either three-of-a-kind or three-in-a-row.
Because each tile in the Mah-Jongg set has three identical mates, "three-of-a
kind" means three identical tiles (unlike Rummy, in which you could form a
group
with, for example, a Four of Spades, a Four of Hearts, and a Four of Clubs, in
Mah-Jongg all three of your Fours would normally have to be from the same
suit).
Three-in-a-row groups of tiles have to be in the same suit.
Suits
Mah-Jongg tiles are comprised of three suits of One through Nine: Craks (also
called Characters, Wan, or Ten Thousand), Bams (also called Bamboos or Sticks),
and Dots (also called Balls or Circles) - and other tiles known as Winds, Dragons, and Flowers (in Mah-Jongg, Seasons are referred to as Flowers). As in Shanghai, there are four of each tile (the exception being the "Flower" tiles and the Jokers - there are eight different Flowers and there are eight Jokers). Winds and Dragons are collectively referred to as "Honors." The suit of Craks (Characters, Wan, Ten Thousand). There are four of each tile.
The suit of Bams (Bamboo, Sticks).
There are four of each tile.
The suit of Dots (Balls, Circles).
There are four of each tile.
Honors
(East, South, West, and North Wind; White, Green, and Red Dragon).
There are four of each tile.
When Arabic Numerals are turned off in the Mah-Jongg game, the White Dragon is
shown as a plain white tile.
Flowers (including Seasons).
There is one of each tile.
Joker (Western game only).
There are eight Jokers.
Terminals
The Ones and Nines of the suit tiles are special (because they are harder to
use
in three-in-a-row combinations), and are referred to as "Terminals."
Terminals
(Ones and Nines)
Simples
That leaves us with the Twos through Eights of the suit tiles - these are
collectively called "Simples."
Simples
(Twos through Eights)
Groupings
Suit tiles (Craks, Dots, and Bams) can be used to make three-of-a-kind
combinations or three-in-a-row combinations. Honors can only be used to make
three-of-a-kind combinations (they cannot be used to make three-in-a-row
combinations). These groupings can be either in the player's hand (concealed)
or
melded (exposed) on the table face-up, for all players to see.
Pong
In Chinese Mah-Jongg parlance, a three-of-a-kind is called a "Pong." Many
Western Mah-Jongg players call this simply a "Triple."
Pongs (Triples).
A Pong of South Winds and a Pong of Three Dots.
Chow
In Chinese Mah-Jongg parlance, a three-in-a-row is called a "Chow." Many
American Mah-Jongg players call this simply a "Sequence" (or "Run" or
"Straight"). A Chow can only be made from suit tiles (Craks, Bams, or Dots).
Chows (Sequences).
A Chow of Craks and a Chow of Dots.
Kong
It is also possible to make a four-of-a-kind combination (normally these count
the same as a Pong or Triple), which is called a "Kong." Many American players
call this simply a "Quad."
Kong (Quad).
A Kong of Red Dragons.
A Complete Mah-Jongg Hand
Putting all of this together, a typical complete Mah-Jongg hand might look like
the illustration below.
Example of a Complete Mah-Jongg Hand
Four Groups-of-Three Plus a Pair
This hand contains a Chow (Sequence) of Craks, a Pong (Triple) of Craks, a Chow
(Sequence) of Dots, a Pong (Triple) of Green Dragons, and a Pair of West Winds.
Four groups-of-three plus a pair, for a total of 14 tiles. The groupings in a Mah-Jongg hand can either be exposed or concealed, depending
on the rules and the kind of hand you're trying to build. A player may also choose to build a Special Hand which is a defined combination of tiles which is
given a special name.
The Wall
The Wall is an arrangement of the Mah-Jongg tiles in the form of a square. A
straight line of tiles stacked two-high forms each side of the square. Part of
the transparent process of dealing the tiles includes "breaking the Wall" which
decides, by rolls of the dice, where the Wall is broken, and where the deal of tiles starts. Tiles are dealt from this break in the Wall in a counterclockwise
manner. The "front" of the Wall is where the tiles are being drawn from, the
"back" of the wall is the opposite end. In Shanghai: Dynasty, the Wall is not
displayed onscreen. Look at the lower right corner of the screen to see the
number of tiles remaining in the Wall. In the Chinese game, play continues
until
the Wall has 14 tiles left. In the Western game, play comes to a halt when
there
are no tiles left in the Wall.
To Play Mah-Jongg
The goal of Mah-Jongg is essentially to build a complete hand before anybody
else at the table does. (There's more to it than that, but this will do for
starters if you are a novice to Mah-Jongg.)
Shanghai: Dynasty includes both the classical Chinese game of Mah-Jongg and the
Western game of Mah-Jongg (as it is played in Australia and North America). The
rules for these two games differ in some important respects (described later in
this Help file).
When you select Mah-Jongg from the Games menu, you will play against three Artificial Intelligence ("A.I.") opponents. To play against real people (over the Internet, a Local Area Network, or modem).
When you select Mah-Jongg from the Games menu, a dialog box appears. In this
dialog box you can select Chinese or Western Mah-Jongg, you can set up the
optional rules for the game (by clicking Options), and you can select the
difficulty settings of your A.I. opponents (you must play against A.I.
opponents
when you select a Mah-Jongg game from the Games menu). When you have finished
making your selections, click on OK to begin playing.
When the Mah-Jongg game begins, the game table is displayed. Each player is assigned a wind. The player who is East is the "dealer" and he/she gets to go first. If the East player loses the hand, the deal moves on to the next player around the table. If the East player wins that hand, then he/she remains the dealer in the following hand. Your name is at the bottom left corner; your opponents' names are arranged across the top of the screen. The computer builds
the Wall, rolls the dice, and deals the tiles. In a real life game of
Mah-Jongg,
quite an elaborate process surrounds these events; but in Shanghai: Dynasty the
computer handles these proceedings automatically and "transparently" so that
you
can play quickly.
When the initial deal is complete, if Flowers are used in the game, the
computer
automatically arranges them off to the side. The Flower tiles are replaced from
the back of the Wall. (If another Flower tile is drawn from the back of the Wall, it joins the others for even more bonus points!) The computer then automatically sorts the tiles in your hand, and play can begin. If playing Western rules, three Charleston passes occur. (See the explanation of the Charleston in Western Mah-Jongg section.) East plays first. At the beginning of
the game, East is dealt 14 tiles (all other players are dealt 13), so East
starts by discarding a tile. To discard a tile, click once on the tile to
select
it. Then either click again or select the Discard button in the Action bar. The
tile will then be moved from your hand to the center of the table and laid down
face-up. The discarded tile is highlighted with a flashing highlight so all players can easily see it.
When a discard is not claimed by anyone (including the next player in turn),
then the next player in turn draws a tile from the Wall. Draw a tile by
pressing
the Draw (Pass) button. A new 14th tile appears in your hand, raised and
highlighted. The previous player's discard is now no longer highlighted (that
tile is now dead, and can never be used by anyone). On your turn your name is
highlighted so all players know whose turn it is (and who's holding things up,
if you think too long).
Claiming Discards
If the discarded tile can be used by any player to form a Pong, Kong, or a win,
that player can claim the discarded tile now. (The only player who can claim
the
discarded tile to form a Chow is the next player to play in turn,
counter-clockwise). If a player other than the next player in turn claims a
discard for a Pong or Kong, the order of play is interrupted - the player who
claimed the tile discards, and play proceeds counter-clockwise from that player
(skipping the turns of any players in between).
Conflicting Claims
When two different players want to claim a discard, there are rules for how
such
a conflict is resolved. A claim for a Pong or Kong always takes priority over a
claim for a Chow. A claim for a win always takes priority over a claim for a Pong or Kong. A tile claimed by two different players for a win goes to the player who would be "in line" to take it. The computer handles these conflicts automatically.
The Action Bar
The Action bar at the bottom of the screen allows you to perform all of the
actions you will need to make in a game of Mah-Jongg. The Action bar can also
be
used as a "hint" for what actions you need to take. If you are new to Mah-Jongg
and aren't sure what to do, just watch the buttons in the Action bar: they'll light up when you can claim a tile, when you need to discard, and whenever you can take an action. The buttons may be labeled in Chinese or Western style. To change the labels on the buttons, go to the Preferences menu and select Button Labels, then select either Chinese or English.
Pass/Draw
The Pass/Draw button allows you to "tell" your opponents that you are passing
on
a discarded tile and will not claim it. If the discarded tile comes from the
player on your left, the Pass button changes to Draw. So if you don't want to
claim that tile, you will draw a new tile from the Wall by pressing Draw. (Once
you press Draw, you can't change your mind.) When you play against A.I.
opponents, you don't need to press Pass after each player discards, except in
these two situations: (1) if the discarded tile could be used in your hand
(check what other buttons are highlighted) and (2) to stop the three second
timer after you have discarded, so that play can continue sooner. When you are
playing against human opponents, you will need to press Pass each time a tile
is
discarded.
Discard
When you have 14 tiles in your hand, this button lights up. Highlight the tile
you wish to discard (by clicking on an unhighlighted tile or by using the arrow
buttons to move the highlight,) and either click on the highlighted tile or on the Discard button. If you regret having discarded that particular tile, you have three seconds to click on the tile, taking it back into your hand. Your turn will then end.
Urge
This button is only available when you play online (Windows 95 only) against
real people (this button is not available when playing against A.I. opponents).
Sometimes one of your opponents may take too long to think about his/her move. Pressing this button causes "your" voice to urge that opponent to make his/her move.
Pong/"Trip"
This button lights up when you have two identical tiles in your hand and the
discarded tile can be used to meld a Pong (Triple). Press the button or click
on
the tile to take the discard; the tile will be taken and your matching pair
will
be moved from your hand, and the three matching tiles will be melded face-up on
the table for all to see. If you don't want to claim the discard, press Pass to
signal to other players that you are not interested in claiming that tile. Note: When you have a concealed Pong (three identical tiles contained in your hand, not visible to the other players), you do not need to meld that Pong - it
is to your advantage to keep it concealed in your hand - thus the Pong button does not light up in this circumstance.
Kong/Quad
This button lights up when you can make a Kong. There are a couple of different
ways you can make a Kong.
When you have a concealed Pong and you obtain the fourth matching tile (either
by someone's discarding it, or by drawing it yourself from the Wall), you may
meld the Kong. The four tiles are laid down on the table, with the two middle
tiles face-down. This is a special case called a "concealed Kong" because you
already had the Pong of tiles in your hand - although everyone knows you have
melded a Kong, the meld is made only so that you can keep the required number
of
tiles in your hand. The Kong does not disallow you from otherwise going out
with
a concealed hand (which is worth extra points).
The Kong button also lights up when you have a melded Pong (face-up on the
table
where all can see it) and you draw the fourth matching tile from the Wall. You
can add the tile to your meld and draw again (you cannot claim a player's
discarded tile for this).
Chow/"Sequ"
This button lights up when the player to your left discards a tile you can use
to meld a Chow (Sequence). Just press the Chow button to claim the discard; if
you have to use the Arrow buttons to move the highlights (see Left/Right Arrows
below), press Chow again after the desired tiles are raised and highlighted.
Left/Right Arrows
These buttons can be used to move the highlight(s) to the left or right within
the tiles in your hand. You can use the arrow to select potential discards, and
to tell the computer how you want to use a discarded tile. For example, if you
had a One, Two, Four, and Five of Dots, and the player to your left discards a
Three Dot, and you claim the discard for a Chow, the computer cannot know if
you
want to meld the One and Two or the Four and Five (or the Two and Four) with
the
Three Dot. The computer raises two tiles in your hand - you can use the Left
and
Right Arrow buttons to move the highlight to the left or right. Similarly, when
playing Western rules with Jokers, you can use the arrow buttons to tell the computer which tiles you want to use in a Pong or Kong.
X-Ray
This button only lights up when the discard area in the center of the table is
full, and subsequent discards are placed atop earlier discards. Press B>X-Ray
to
look underneath the later discards. Especially during the later portion of a
hand, it becomes important strategically to see what was discarded before (you
don't want to be the first to discard something that an opponent needs in order
to win!).
Win
When you have drawn a tile which completes your hand (giving you the required
four groups-of-three and a pair) or when someone has discarded a tile which
completes your hand and your hand meets the required minimum score (if
applicable), this button lights up. Simply press the Win button to claim the
tile and proclaim "Mah-Jongg" (also called "going out").
Be careful, though - make sure you are aware of the rules in effect in the game
you are playing. If the Minimum Score option is not set at zero Points
("Chicken
hand") and the False Declaration Penalty is on, the Win button is always lit
up!
You should only declare a win if your hand will score enough points, otherwise
you may incur a penalty!
When any player goes Mah-Jongg, the Mah-Jongg Results box is displayed. Study the Results to learn more about how hands are scored, and you'll be on your way
to developing your own strategy for playing.
Mah-Jongg Scoring
Shanghai: Dynasty will automatically score winning Mah-Jongg hands. However,
players who play games where the Minimum Score option is not set at zero points
(Chicken Hand) need to know how to score their own hands. If the False Declaration Penalty option is on, and you go out with a hand that does not meet
the necessary minimum score, you will not only fail to win the hand, but you
will be penalized and some of your points will be taken away.
To score your own hand as you play, simply add up the points shown below for
the
Pongs and Kongs in your hand.
Here is a summary of Mah-Jongg scoring:
WESTERN GAME
Note: in Western Mah-Jongg, all players are scored when one player goes out. Points:
Mah-Jongg - 20
Exposed Pong of Simples - 2
Concealed Pong of Simples - 4
Exposed Pong of Terminals - 4
Concealed Pong of Terminals - 8
Exposed Pong of Honors - 4
Concealed Pong of Honors - 8
Exposed Kong of Simples - 8
Concealed Kong of Simples - 8
Exposed Kong of Terminals - 16
Concealed Kong of Terminals - 32
Exposed Kong of Honors - 16
Concealed Kong of Honors - 32
Flower - 4
Season - 4
Pair of Terminals - 2
Pair of Dragons - 2
Pair of Winds - 2
Sweep - 2
Bouquet of Flowers - 1000
Bouquet of Seasons - 1000
Doubles:
Rounding before Doubles - Yes
Pong of Dragons - 1
Pong of Winds - 1
Pong of Prevailing Wind - 1
Own Flower - 1
Own Season - 1
Clean Hand - 1
Pure Hand - 3
Going Out on Loose Tile - 1
Fully Concealed Hand - 1
Concealed Hand - 1
Prevailing Flower - 1
Prevailing Season - 1
Limit: - 500 (East pays and receives double)
Opening stake: - 10000
Definition of Scoring Terms
- Prevailing Wind - Wind of the Round (look at the Round Wind marker on screen
to see which wind is prevailing). First round is East, then South, West, and
North (same as order of play).
- Own Wind - Your own Wind (look at the compass direction written after your
name on screen to see which one is your own).
- Own Flower (Own Season) - Winds correspond to the numbers on the Flower and
Season tiles thusly: E=1, S=2, W=3, N=4. E-S-W-N (the order of play). So if
your
own Wind is South, and you get a Flower or Season with a 2 on it, you earn a
Double if you go Out.
- Sweep - Making a Pong or Kong or Chow from East's first discard.
- Loose Tile - Tile drawn from the back of the wall (to replace a tile lost
from
the hand to meld a Kong, Season, or Flower).
- One Chance Chow - Filling a Chow with the one possible tile. For example, if
you have a 6 and an 8, and you go Out on a 7, or if you have an 8 and a 9, and
you go Out on a 7.
- Non-Scoring Hand - If you get 20 points for going Out but no other points at
all, and no Doubles, you get 10 points added to the 20.
- Bouquet of Flowers - Having all four Flowers, 1, 2, 3, 4. Same points for all
four Seasons. You will see a neat row of four tiles when this happens (it's
very
rare).
- Clean Hand - One suit with Honors. To qualify for the Double, there must be
no
more than one Chow in the hand.
- Pure Hand - One suit (no Honors). To qualify for the three Doubles, there
must
be no more than one Chow in the hand.
- Robbing the Kong - If a player draws a tile which he adds to a melded Pong,
and another player can use that tile to go Out immediately, that player can
claim the tile, go Out, and double his score.
- Limit - If your hand scores more than 300 points in the Chinese game or 500
points in the Western game, your score tops off at the limit. Unless East is
involved: East can receive double the limit (and East has to pay double the
limit).
- Rounding Before Doubles - If a player's score is not divisible by ten, then
the score is rounded up to the next multiple of ten (if the score is 48, it's
rounded up to 50). Then that number is doubled as applicable.
- Concealed Hand - When you have 13 tiles in your hand (no melded groupings)
and
go Out on a discarded tile.
- Fully Concealed Hand - When you have 13 tiles in your hand (no melded
groupings) and go Out on a self-drawn tile.
When the Score Display is visible, you can use the Up and Down buttons (when highlighted) to scroll up and down the list, to see how the winning hand is scored. When the Payments Display is visible, you can use the Next and Prev buttons to see how other hands in the game were paid.
Special Hands for Mah-Jongg
This section illustrates the special hands recognized by Shanghai: Dynasty.
There are many other special hands recognized by players around the world; we
wanted to allow for the most widely recognized or most "logical" patterns. And
we have also added one new special hand in recognition of the history of Hong
Kong, which has been very important to the history of Mah-Jongg.
Special hands are used most widely in the Western game. The Chinese game
recognizes a small number of special hands. In the West, some players require
special hands - that is to say, a normal legal hand of chows and pongs and a
pair does not qualify for a win. When playing "special hands required," it is
recommended to play with the Jokers (otherwise, most players believe that
Jokers
make the game too easy). Some players prefer to play without special hands.
Most
players allow their use and just award bonus points when one is attained.
Sometimes you can find a special hand described one way in one book, and find a
different description of that hand in a different book - or find the same hand with two different names. And sometimes even different spellings. Sometimes "honors" are considered as including only Winds and Dragons - sometimes as including Winds and Dragons and Terminals. Mah-Jongg players have to be flexible! The hands are shown here in their natural state (without Jokers). By their very nature, many special hands must be concealed. It is not possible to meld (expose) a pair or a single "unconnected" tile during the course of play, and "knitted" pongs or pairs also cannot be melded. Each of the hands below is marked as to whether it is Concealed or Exposed, and how much it earns.
Jewel Hands
To understand the "jewel" hands it is important to keep two concepts in mind. Firstly, the Bams suit is comprised of "green" tiles (2, 3, 4, 6, 8) and "red" tiles (1, 5, 7, and 9) - for the purposes of the Jewel hands, the other suits also are broken into identical groups.
The Green Bams
The Red Bams
Secondly, in Western Mah-Jongg each suit is associated with a dragon. The Red
Dragon is associated with the Craks (and, in the case of Ruby hands, with the
Red Bams), the Green Dragon is associated with the Bams, and the White Dragon
is
associated with the Dots.
Craks
Red Dragon
Bams
Green Dragon
Dots
White Dragon
The concepts of "player's own wind" and "round wind" are significant. Each player (seat) is associated with a wind, and each round is associated with a wind. The associations change as the game progresses (always in the order ESWN).
Jade Hand - Exposed - Limit - Western game
Pongs (or Kongs) and/or Chows of green Bams with a pair of Green Dragons.
Note: Some players require this hand to contain no more than one Chow, but
Shanghai: Dynasty allows multiple Chows in the Jade Hand. Keep in mind that
when
you have multiple Chows concealed in the hand (the same hand as seen above),
the
sorting does not separate the Chows as seen above.
Imperial Jade - Exposed - Double Limit - Western and Chinese games Pongs or Kongs (many include no more than one Chow) of Green Dragons and Green Bams, with a pair of Green Bams.
Pearl Hand - Exposed - Limit - Western game Pongs or Kongs or chows of 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 of Dots, with a pair of White Dragons.
Pearl Dragon - Exposed - Double Limit - Western and Chinese games
Pongs or Kongs (many include no more than one Chow) of White Dragons and 2, 3,
4, 6, 8 Dots with a pair of Dots (those numbers only).
Ruby Hand - Exposed - Limit - Western game Pongs or Kongs of Red Bams with a pair of Red Dragons.
Imperial Ruby - Exposed - Double Limit - Western and Chinese games Pongs or Kongs of Red Dragons and Red Bams, with a pair of Red Bams.
Ruby Jade - Exposed - Limit - Western game Pongs or Kongs of Red Dragons, Green Dragons, Red Bams and Green Bams, with a pair of any Bams.
Ruby Crack - Exposed - Limit - Western game Pongs or Kongs (Chows allowed) of 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 Craks and Red Dragons. Pair of any of those particular tiles.
Pair Hands
Dirty Pairs - Concealed - Half Limit - Western and Chinese games
Seven pairs of anything.
(Also called: Small Seven Pairs)
Clean Pairs - Concealed - Limit - Western and Chinese games Seven pairs in one suit (Winds or Dragons allowed).
All Pair Honors - Concealed - Limit - Western game Seven pairs of Terminals, Winds, and/or Dragons only.
All Pair Terminals - Concealed - Limit - Western game Seven pairs of Terminals only (Kong is counted as two pairs if fully concealed in the hand).
Honorable Twins - Concealed - Limit - Western game A pair of each Wind and each Dragon.
All Pair Jade - Concealed - Limit - Western game Pairs of Green Bams and Green Dragons (Kong is counted as two pairs if fully concealed in the hand).
All Pair Ruby - Concealed - Limit - Western game Pairs of Red Bams and Red Dragons (Kongs are counted as two pairs if fully concealed in the hand).
All Pair Ruby Jade - Concealed - Limit - Western game Pairs of Green Dragons, Red Dragons, Green Bams, and Red Bams.
Gertie's Garter - Concealed - Limit - Western game
1-7 in any two suits. This can also be thought of a 7 sequential "knitted"
pairs
in any two suits. "Knitting" refers to the matching of identical numbers across
multiple suits.
Knitting - Concealed - Half Limit - Western game Any seven "knitted" pairs in any two suits. No Winds or Dragons. Shown here as it might look in the hand.
Dragon's Breath - Concealed - Limit - Western game
Five pairs in any one suit, plus one of each Dragon, plus any one Dragon
(making
for one Dragon pair).
Sequence Hands
Wriggly Snake - Concealed - Limit - Western game 1-9 in one suit plus NEWS plus any Wind (making for one paired Wind). (Also called: News Hand, News Line-up)
Grand Sequence - Concealed - Limit - Western game
1-9 in one suit plus a Pong of any Dragon plus any other 2 tiles from the same
suit (making for two paired tiles in the suit). Here it's shown as it might
look
in the hand.
Greta's Garden - Concealed - Limit - Western game 1-7 in one suit plus NEWS plus one of each Dragon.
Dragon's Tail - Exposed: Half Limit - Concealed: Limit - Western game 1-9 in one suit plus a pair of Dragons and a Pong of Winds (or a pair of Winds and a Pong of Dragons).
Five Odd Honors - Concealed - Half Limit - Western game 1-9 in one suit plus five single Dragons and Winds in any combination (must not
be any pairs). Shown above as it might look in the hand.
Run, Pung, and a Pair - Concealed - Limit - Western game 1-9 in one suit plus a Pong and a pair in the same suit (effectively making for
a Kong and a Pong in the grouping). Shown above organized as a run, a Pong
(also
called a "pung"), and a pair.
Gate Hands
Confused Gates - Concealed - Limit - Western game Pong of ones in one suit, 2-8 in another suit, and a Pong of nines in the third
suit.
Heavenly Gates - Exposed: Half Limit - Concealed: Limit - Western and Chinese
games
Pongs of ones and nines, plus a run of 2-8 (all in one suit), plus any one tile
of that suit.
(Also called: Nine United Sons, Nine Connected Sons, Nine Gates)
Dragon Gates - Concealed - Limit - Western game Pong of any terminal, 2-8 of same suit, and Pong of associated Dragon (see previous discussion of how Dragons are associated with suits).
True Gates - Concealed - Limit - Western game Pong of ones, Pong of nines, plus pairs of 2, 4, 6, 8 all in one suit only.
Number Hands
Chop Suey - Concealed - Limit - Western game Chows of 1-2-3 in all three suits, plus NEWS plus any Wind (making for one pair
of Winds).
Sukiyaki - Concealed - Limit - Western game Chows of 4-5-6 in all three suits, plus NEWS plus any Wind.
Chow Mein - Concealed - Limit - Western game Chows of 7-8-9 in all three suits, plus NEWS plus any Wind.
Numbers Racket - Exposed - Double Limit - Western game Pongs of the same number in all three suits, plus a Pong of Winds and a pair of
Dragons (or a Pong of Dragons and a pair of Winds).
Lil - Concealed - Limit - Western game
1-2-3 in one suit, 4-5-6 in another suit, and 7-8-9 in the third suit, plus
NEWS
and any Wind.
Down You Go - Concealed - Double Limit - Western game Kong of twos, Pong of fours, pair of sixes, and one eight all in one suit, plus
NEWS.
(Also called: Descending Even)
Up You Go - Concealed - Double Limit - Western game One two, pair of fours, Pong of sixes, and Kong of eights all in one suit, plus
NEWS.
(Also called: Ascending Even)
Honor Hands
All Winds and Dragons - Exposed - Limit - Western and Chinese games Pongs or Kongs and a pair of Winds and Dragons only.
All Honors - Exposed - 3 Doubles - Western and Chinese games Pongs or Kongs and a pair of Winds, Dragons, and Terminals.
Heads and Tails - Exposed - Limit - Western and Chinese games Pongs or Kongs and a pair of ones and nines (Terminals) only.
Unique Wonders - Concealed - Double Limit - Western and Chinese games
A one and nine of each suit (effectively, "knitted Pongs" of ones and nines)
plus NEWS plus one of each dragon plus one additional tile of any of the above
(effectively
Tom Sloper, Activision
Senior Producer, Shanghai
tsloper@activision.com (wkdays)
Actsearch@aol.com (wkends)
The opinions expressed herein are those of the writer, not of Activision.
http://www.activision.com/games/dynasty
Unique Wonders - Concealed - Double Limit - Western and Chinese games A one and nine of each suit (effectively, "knitted Pongs" of ones and nines) plus NEWS plus one of each dragon plus one additional tile of any of the above (effectively making one pair in the hand).
Windy Dragons - Exposed - Limit - Western game A pair of each Wind plus two Pongs of Dragons.
Big Three Dragons - Exposed - Limit - Western and Chinese games
Pongs of all three Dragons, plus any Pong or Chow plus a pair in the same suit
(or a pair of Winds).
(Also: Three Great Scholars)
Big Four Winds - Exposed - Limit - Western and Chinese games Four Pongs of Winds plus a pair of anything. (Also: Four Blessings)
Gone With the Wind - Exposed - Double Limit - Western game Pongs or Kongs of all four Winds plus a pair of Dragons.
Windy Chows - Concealed - Half Limit - Western game A Chow in each suit plus NEWS plus any Wind tile (making a pair of that Wind).
Odds & Ends
Triple Knitting - Concealed - Half Limit - Western game
Four "knitted" Pongs plus a knitted pair. As described previously, "knitting"
is
the practice of matching numbers in different suits.
(Also called: Crochet)
Christmas - Exposed - Double Limit - Western game
Pongs of twos and fives (for "25") in one suit, a Pong of Red Dragons, a Pong
of
Green Dragons, and a pair of White Dragons.
Civil War - Concealed - Double Limit - Western game 1861 in one suit, 1865 in another suit, plus Pongs of North Winds and South Winds.
Hong Kong - Concealed - Double Limit - Western game
1842 in one suit, 1997 in another suit, plus Pongs of East Winds and West
Winds.
Note: This is a new special hand, created just for Shanghai: Dynasty.
All Kong - Exposed - Limit - Western and Chinese games Four Kongs of anything plus a pair of anything. Note: Some players require that
all four Kongs be in the same suit, but Shanghai: Dynasty isn't quite so strict.
Playing a Complete Game of Mah-Jongg
A complete game of Mah-Jongg consists of four rounds. Each round has its own special wind, and all four winds must be played for a hand or a round to be complete. A round is complete when the deal has passed completely around the table. The deal passes around the table only if the dealer (East at the beginning of the game) does not win that hand. So a complete game of Mah-Jongg normally consists of sixteen or more hands. This should give you enough information to begin playing Mah-Jongg. There are many fine points you'll need to learn (all described hereafter), but if you are just starting, you should jump right in and play against A.I. players and observe what goes on. When you have questions, consult this Help file or the manual.
When playing offline (against A.I. opponents only), you can save an unfinished
game and continue again at a later time. When playing online (against other
people), you will most likely play as many hands as the four of you can manage
-
saving is not possible when playing online.
Strategies For Playing Mah-Jongg
- Keep a Pair. It's harder to make a pair if you have only one tile than it is to make a Pong if you have a pair. So if you have a pair, don't be too quick to
claim a matching tile to form a Pong.
- Have Patience. When first learning to play, it's typical to grab every
opportunity to meld a Pong or Chow. In the early stages of a game, you should
instead keep in mind that there are a lot of good tiles available for drawing
from the Wall - and by not melding your tiles, you don't clue everyone as to
what you're doing, and you stand a chance to get a Concealed Hand.
- Be Flexible. As you build your hand, be ready to abandon your earlier
thinking
about how to build it as you see what kind of tiles others are discarding. If
you are playing Western Mah-Jongg with restrictions on winning hands, don't be
too quick to form your only Chow; there will be other chances.
- Don't Let Someone Else Win. As much as you want to go out yourself, sometimes
it's wiser to keep anybody else from winning. Especially, you don't want to
"feed" a high-scoring hand. If a player has melded three sets of all one suit,
that's especially dangerous (you might feed a Pure or Clean hand, and have to
pay a high price); thus the player announces the danger when making a third
meld
in one suit.
- Watch the discards and watch the number of tiles in the Wall (at the lower
right corner of the screen). As it approaches zero (fourteen in the Chinese
game), the tension increases - and it's more important to be careful what you
discard when there are fewer tiles remaining to be drawn. If the number of
tiles
in the Wall is getting low, don't discard any tiles which you do not see in the
discard area.
- You can vary the challenge by how you allocate the difficulty setting of your
A.I. opponents. When playing offline against A.I. opponents, A.I.#3 will always
be the player to your left (the player whose discards can be used for Chows), A.I.#2 will always be the player across from you, and A.I.#1 will always be the
player to your right. You might try setting A.I.#3 to Easy (so that player will
be somewhat friendly in discarding tiles that you might be able to use), A.I.#2
to Hard, and A.I.#1 to Medium difficulty. You can experiment with other combinations too.
Some Answers to Commonly-Asked Mah-Jongg Questions
I am new to the game of Mah-Jongg. Is there a tutorial for learning how to
play?
There are many ways that players new to the game of Mah-Jongg can learn how to
play.
- The manual: it provides step-by-step information on starting a game, options,
and strategies.
- This Help file: it contains updated step-by-step instructions and
information.
- The Status/Hint Box: once you are in the game, the Status box under the
Action
bar will display useful information on what actions have taken place in the
game
and what you need to do. If you click on the box, you will get more helpful
hints and information on what you need to do.
- The Action Bar: the buttons will light up when you can take an action, so
keep
your eye on it.
- Suggest A Move: you can either select this in the Help menu or by typing
Ctrl-M. The computer will suggest an action for you (it may not ultimately help
you win, but it will certainly keep you goingÉ).
- Context-sensitive information: right-clicking (Macintosh users:
Ctrl-clicking)
on the tiles (anywhere on the table) will tell you the name of the tile and
offer some courses of action.
- "The sink-or-swim" method: just start a game and click on anything. You'll
find out how the game moves by watching other players' actions, watching the
Action bar and what buttons light up, and by reading the messages in the
Status/Hint box.
How do I know when it's my turn?
Look on the screen to see whose name is highlighted in yellow. Also, you will
know that it's your turn if you have 14 tiles in your hand. If you're playing
online (against other human players), you will know soon enough when the other
players hit the Urge button and tell you to "Play." When playing against A. I.
opponents offline, it's your turn most of the time.
The game has started, the tiles are dealt, and I have a bunch of tiles in my
hand. What do I do next?
- First, look to see if it's your turn, by looking at your name at the bottom
of
the screen on the left. (If your name is highlighted in yellow, it's your
turn).
If it's not your turn, wait for your turn.
- If it's your turn, then you need to draw and discard a tile. Drawing happens
automatically if the player to your left discards a tile that you cannot claim.
Look at the Action bar to see which buttons are lit up (the Discard button should be lit and you should have 14 tiles, one of which is highlighted). To discard, click on a tile to select it, and then click on the Discard button or click on the tile again. After discarding a tile, you have three seconds to change your mind. Click on the discarded tile while it's flashing to take it back.
I need to discard a tile. What tile should I discard?
- Click on the Status/Hint box for additional instructions or more information.
- First, look at your hand and see what tiles you have in each suit, and which
tiles you cannot use to make a Chow, Pong, or Kong (see the explanation of
suits, terms, and examples in the manual). Discard a tile that is least useful
(that seems to be "by itself") and that you have the least chances of doing
something with. For example, if you have a 3 Dot in your hand, and there are
three 3 Dot tiles already discarded or in someone's exposed melds, then you
will
have less chances of making a Pong with your 3 Dot (unless you have Jokers) and
you will not have a chance of making a Pair with it. Discard it.
- If still not sure, click on Suggest a Move in the Help menu. The computer
will
suggest a tile that you can discard, based on what it "thinks" is a reasonable
strategy.
- When playing against A.I. opponents, you can change your mind after
discarding. There is a three-second delay during which you can click on the
tile
and take it back. To bypass the three-second delay, press Pass.
The Pass button is lit up in my Action bar, but I know it's not my turn. What's
going on?
If you're playing offline (only against A.I. players), that means you can use
the tile that has just been discarded. Check what other buttons are lit in the
Action bar, and see what action is available. If you don't want to claim that
tile, then just click Pass to let the computer know that you're not interested
in claiming that tile (see the manual for more information on Claiming
Discards)
and to let the other players take their turns.
If you're playing online (against other human players), then you need to press
the Pass button every time a player discards a tile, to signal that you are not
thinking about claiming that tile and to keep the play going. If you don't do that quickly enough, other players will hit the Urge button to tell you to hurry. If you take too long, the computer will take over for you.
Someone discards a tile and I can use it. What do I need to do? - First of all, see if it's your turn (the player whose name is highlighted). - If it's not your turn, check to see if these buttons on your Action bar are lit: Pong/Triple, Kong/Quad, or Win. If any of them are lit, then check your hand to see where you can use that tile (see this Help file for explanations of
terms and rules), then click on the button to claim the tile. - If it's your turn (if your name is highlighted in yellow), then check to see if these buttons on your Action bar are lit: Chow/Sequence, Pong/Triple, Kong/Quad, and Win. If any of them are lit, then check your hand to see where you can use that tile and click on that button to claim the tile. - If it's not your turn and none of the above-mentioned buttons are lit, then you cannot claim that discarded tile (see this Help file for more information, or check the manual).
I think I have a winning hand. What do I need to do?
It is a good idea to read the manual or these Rules & Strategies prior to
starting to play, to see what constitutes a winning hand, and what options
apply. If you have already done this, follow the steps below:
- Check if the Win button is lit up on the Action bar. (But be careful: If
you're playing the Chinese Rules and you have selected the False Declaration
Penalty option, the Win button will always be lit, regardless.)
- If the Win button is lit and False Declaration Penalty option is OFF, then
click on Win and "your" voice will declare a win, and the score box will
appear.
- If the Win button is not lit and you think you have a Special Hand, then
check
the Special Hands section to see if your Special Hand is recognized by the
game.
If it's not on the list, then the game does not support that hand.
- If the Win button is not lit, then check the tiles in your hand to see if the
hand scores the required minimum. If below the required minimum, then you can't
win (see the manual or Rules & Strategy for more information).
I'm not sure what rules I want to play: Chinese or Western. How do I know which one I want?
- Read the manual or Rules & Strategy for a description of the basic game, and
the various options offered by each rule. The Chinese game is easier to learn;
this game is the basic game from which most other ways of playing evolved. The
Western game is a little more complicated. If you want to play using actual
tiles on an actual table, against three other people, then you should probably
select the game that most closely resembles the rules used by those people.
- If you still don't know what to choose, just click OK in the Mah-Jongg Game
Set-up box and a game will start, according to the default settings. By playing
that game a little and by trying different options, you will learn about the differences in rules. The default setting is the Chinese game. - If you start playing a game offline and you change your mind about the settings you picked, go to the Games menu, select Mah-Jongg, and the Mah-Jongg Game Set-up dialog box will appear. You can select new options and start a new game.
Tom Sloper, Activision
Senior Producer, Shanghai
tsloper@activision.com (wkdays)
Actsearch@aol.com (wkends)
The opinions expressed herein are those of the writer, not of Activision.
http://www.activision.com/games/dynasty