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Taiwan Mahjong

Taiwan Mahjong is a four-player, 16-tile form of Mahjong. Its larger hand, eight Flower tiles, and additive Tai scoring create longer combinations than 13-tile variants.

The rules below describe MahJongo’s current Taiwan table. Taiwan Mahjong has many regional and household rules, so individual Tai values, dealer repeats, and win priority can differ elsewhere.

Rules Used on MahJongo

  • 144 tiles: 108 suited tiles, 28 Honour tiles, and eight Flowers: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, and Bamboo.
  • Starting hand: each non-dealer begins with 16 tiles; the dealer begins with 17 and makes the first discard.
  • Flower replacement: reveal a Flower immediately and draw a replacement from the back of the wall. Flowers remain outside the hand.
  • Winning structure: a normal win uses 17 tiles arranged as five melds and one pair.
  • Calls: Chow may be called only from the player on the left. Pung and Kong follow the current table rules.
  • Reserved tiles: the final 16 tiles are reserved for replacement draws. The dealer starts and play proceeds counterclockwise.
  • One winner per discard: the current table resolves a discard win by turn-order priority. Other Taiwan house rules may allow multiple winners.

Tai Used on This Table

A structurally complete hand may win with 0 Tai. The items below match the current in-game scoring guide; compatible Tai are added together.

1 Tai

  • Wind Pung: a Pung or Kong of the seat Wind or prevailing Wind.
  • Matching Flower: each Flower matching the seat: East—Spring or Plum; South—Summer or Orchid; West—Autumn or Chrysanthemum; North—Winter or Bamboo.
  • Dragon Pung: a Pung or Kong of Red, Green, or White Dragon.
  • Concealed Hand: win by discard without Chow, Pung, or open Kong; a concealed Kong is allowed.
  • Kong and wait items: Win After Kong, Robbing a Kong, Edge Wait, Inside Wait, and Single Wait each score 1 Tai when their exact condition is met.
  • Last Tile: win on the last playable tile under the table rule.
  • Dealer, Ready, and Self-Draw: dealer status, a valid Ready declaration followed by a win, and Self-Draw each add 1 Tai.

2 Tai

  • All Chows: five Chows and a numbered pair, with no Flowers, Honours, Pungs, special wait, or Self-Draw.
  • Melded Hand: all five melds are exposed and the hand wins by discard on a single wait for the pair.
  • Bu Qiu (不求): the special fully concealed substitute used with Blessing of Heaven or Blessing of Earth on this table.
  • Three Concealed Pungs: three concealed Pungs or concealed Kongs.
  • Consecutive Dealer: each dealer repeat adds 2 Tai; the separate Dealer Tai still applies.

3, 4, and 5 Tai

  • Concealed Self-Draw — 3 Tai: win by Self-Draw with no Chow, Pung, or open Kong.
  • All Pungs — 4 Tai: five Pungs or Kongs and one pair.
  • Little Three Dragons — 4 Tai: two Dragon Pungs and a pair of the third Dragon; Dragon Pung Tai are not added again.
  • Half Flush — 4 Tai: one suited family together with Honour tiles.
  • Dealing Flowers and Earth Ready — 4 Tai: the starting-Flower condition or a valid early Ready declaration under the table rules.
  • Four Concealed Pungs — 5 Tai: four concealed Pungs or concealed Kongs.

8, 16, and 24 Tai

  • 8 Tai: Big Three Dragons, Blessing of Man, Full Flush, All Honours, Seven Flowers, All Flowers, Five Concealed Pungs, and Little Four Winds.
  • 16 Tai: Blessing of Earth and Big Four Winds.
  • 24 Tai: Blessing of Heaven: the dealer wins with the initial 17-tile hand.

Base and Tai Calculation

The table uses a base value plus the total Tai. Stakes determine the value assigned to each unit.

  • Win by discard: the discarder pays one base plus the winner’s total Tai.
  • Self-Draw: each of the other three players pays one base plus the winner’s total Tai; the winner therefore receives three payments.
  • Dealer and repeats: dealer status adds 1 Tai, and each consecutive dealer repeat adds 2 Tai. Payment also reflects whether the dealer is the winner or payer.

Practical Strategy

  • Plan for five melds: a 16-tile hand needs one more meld than most Mahjong variants, so isolated tiles are more expensive to keep.
  • Replace Flowers promptly: keep Flowers outside the hand and confirm every replacement before play continues.
  • Count narrow waits carefully: Edge, Inside, and Single Wait score only when no alternative winning tile exists.
  • Balance Tai and speed: do not abandon a reliable win merely to chase a rare 8-Tai pattern.

Taiwan Mahjong FAQ

Why does a Taiwan hand use 16 tiles?

Players hold 16 tiles and normally win with a 17th because the standard structure contains five melds and one pair.

Can a 0-Tai hand win?

Yes on MahJongo’s current table. A valid five-meld-and-pair hand may win at the base value even when it has no bonus Tai.

How are Flowers counted here?

Reveal and replace every Flower. Only seat-matching Flowers add 1 Tai individually; this scoring list does not add a separate bonus merely for completing Four Seasons or Four Gentlemen. Seven Flowers and All Flowers are separate 8-Tai wins.

Can several players win on one discard?

MahJongo’s current table uses one-winner priority. Some Taiwan house rules allow multiple winners, so this is not universal.

Are all Taiwan Tai tables the same?

No. Tai values and settlement rules vary widely. This page documents the current MahJongo implementation rather than every regional ruleset.

Taiwan Mahjong Resources

Check a hand with the calculator or review the all-time leaderboard.

Special Thanks

Thank you for helping MahJongo improve its Taiwan Mahjong experience.