Mahjong Conqueror’s Guide: Rules Guide From A to Z

Mahjong, an intellectual game originating from China, is not only a form of entertainment but also a cultural heritage, a symbol of sophistication and strategy. Through many historical ups and downs, it still retains its appeal, conquering players with its complex but fascinating rules. This SLVIP article will be a detailed handbook, leading you step by step to explore the rules from basic to advanced, helping you confidently enter the challenging world of this game.

A few words about Mahjong card game

Appearing since the 1870s, Mahjong has quickly gone beyond the borders of China, becoming a global phenomenon. According to information, the game is present everywhere, penetrating every corner of culture with diverse variations. Each region, each country has its own rules, ways of playing, and even decks of cards, creating an extremely rich Mahjong cultural picture.

Today, card games are not just limited to the traditional form of play. The explosion of the internet has brought the game to online platforms, attracting millions of players to compete every day. Whether playing online or offline, card games still retain their core values: a combination of luck, strategy, and keen observation.

Basic instructions for beginners

A standard online Mahjong game usually has 4 to 6 players, and each person will be dealt cards in the following directions: East, South, West, North. Each turn is likened to a “wind” and the person sitting in the East will go first, then the South, West and North doors in turn.

The dealer will keep 14 cards and play the first card. The remaining players will take turns drawing cards and playing cards, trying to arrange their 14 cards into 4 phu (each phu has 3 cards) and 1 pair (2 identical cards). The first person to complete a valid deck will “Win”.

Basic concepts in card games

To know how to play Mahjong, you need to master the following concepts:

• Pair (Pair): Two identical cards.
• Phu: Three identical cards (Phong/Phong) or three consecutive cards in the same row (Xep).
• Phông (Phính): Three identical cards, can be “eaten” from other players or drawn by yourself.
• Arrange: Three consecutive cards in the same row.
• Chiếu (Kang): Four identical cards (similar to Phông but with 4 cards).

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How to play

To start your journey to conquer intellectual card games, you need to master the following basic steps:

• Dealing cards: Each player is dealt 13 cards (or 16 depending on the variation). The dealer is dealt 14 cards.
• Drawing cards: Players take turns drawing a card from the face-down deck.
• Playing cards: After drawing (or “eating” a card), the player must play a card.
• Eating cards: Players can “eat” the card that another player has just played to create a Phu (Phông or Xép).
• Ù: When a player arranges enough 4 phu and 1 pair from 14 cards (including the card just drawn or “eaten”), the player will “Ù” and win.

Standard rules for playing cards to improve skills

After mastering the basic rules, to improve your skills and conquer the top Mahjong games, you need to delve into learning the advanced rules, the regulations on penalties, priorities as well as special “U” types and more complex scoring methods.

Penalty rules

In Mahjong, players need to pay attention to avoid the following mistakes to avoid being penalized:

• Incorrect “U”: When a player declares “U” but the deck of cards is invalid, they will have to pay the whole village and have their points deducted heavily (from 32 to 64 points).
• Nine-card report: If a player holds 9 cards in the same row, they must notify the other players. If they then play a card in the same row, they will have to pay.
• Running “U”: When a player “U” continuously for more than 3 games, they will not be allowed to “U” anymore and must continue playing.

Priority rules

Let’s learn more about these rules:

• U Priority: If many people are waiting for “U” from a card, the person sitting right after the player who played that card will have priority.
• Phong/Chieu Priority: The player has the priority to “eat” cards to create Phong (3 identical cards) or Chieu (4 identical cards).
• Place Priority: When “eating” cards to create Place (3 consecutive cards), the priority rule only applies to the person sitting right after (hand below) the player who played the card.

Special types of “U”

In card games, there are many special types of “U” that bring higher scores:

• U Muoi: The smallest type of “U”, when the player has 4 phu and 1 pair.
• U Phinh: When the player has 4 phu that are all Place (no Phong).
• U Xuyen: When the player picks up a card to “U” by himself.
• Ù Khan Khan: When the player has 4 Phongs (does not “eat” other players’ cards).
• Ù Thap Tam Thai Bao: When the player has 13 special cards (including Nhat, Cuu and Hang cards).
• Ù Dai Tam Nguyen: When the player has 3 Phongs which are Trung, Phat, Bach.

Scoring rules

Scores in Mahjong (called Phan) are calculated based on factors such as “U” type, special phu, and other factors. Here are some examples:

• 0 Phan: Normal U.
• 1 Phan: Has 4 cards of the same type, draws the last card to U, has the same seat number as another player.
• 2 Phan: Has 4 Hoa cards of the same type, draws the last card of the same door and wind, wind in the winning hand.
• 3 Phan: Has three Phong phong, three Phong rong, consecutive cards of the same type.
• 6 Phan: Has four Phong phong (Dai Tu Hy), draws all four Phong phong phong.
• 8 Phan: Has four Phong phong phong, draws the card to U and has only wind and dragon in hand.

Revealing the secrets to playing effective card games

To become a Mahjong master, you need to understand the following Mahjong instructions:

• Mastering the rules of the game: This is the most basic foundation for playing card games.
• Observation and analysis: Pay attention to the cards that have been played, from there you can make judgments about your opponent’s cards and come up with reasonable strategies.
• Determine your goals: Do you want to “Win” quickly or “Win” big? The goal will determine your playing strategy.
• Tactical thinking: Think many steps ahead, predict possible situations and flexibly change strategies when necessary.
• Practice regularly: The more you play, the more experience you gain and improve your Mahjong skills.

Conclusion

Mahjong is a challenging but also extremely interesting intellectual game. Hopefully, with the detailed instructions in this article from SLVIP, you can confidently enter the world of card games and conquer dramatic card games. Practice your skills, hone your tactics, and enjoy the fun this game brings.