CODIFICATION OF TILE GAMING PRINCIPLES -------------------------------------- DEFINITION OF SOME ESSENTIAL TERMS Pung - three identical tiles Kong - four identical tiles Chow - three consecutive tiles in same suit Mah Jongg - having four sets of three (in either pungs or chows) and a matched pair for a total of 14 tiles (each kong counts as an honorary three and adds one to the total of tiles held; each flower or season is considered a bonus and not counted in the total of tiles, merely in the scoring). [The SPECIAL HANDS are also "Mah Jongg" even though they may not fit this definition.] Simples - tiles in suits numbered 2 through 8 Terminals - tiles in suits numbered 1 or 9 Honors - Winds or Dragons Limit Hand [or Limit] - anytime you exceed the limit score of 500. [You score only 500.] Open - tiles placed to the front of the rack because one of their number came from someone else's discard Concealed - tiles still on the lower part of the rack when you or someone else mah jonggs because none of them were gotten from someone else's discard Grounded - placing tiles on the front of the rack; especially used for concealed kongs which must be put out on the front of the rack with the two middle tiles face down so that the player may draw a replacement tile from the end of the wall in order to keep the hand balanced. [In this case the kong is still considered "concealed" and not "open".] POINTS FOR ALL HANDS Pung of simples open = 2 points Pung of simples concealed = 4 points Kong of simples open = 8 points Kong of simples concealed = 16 points (must be grounded or in Mah Jongg hand or counts only as pung) Pung of terminals or honors open = 4 points Pung of terminals or honors concealed = 8 points Kong of terminals of honors open = 16 points Kong of terminals or honors concealed = 32 points (must be grounded or in Mah Jongg hand or counts only as pung) Flowers and Seasons (1 through 4 of each) = 4 points DOUBLES FOR ALL HANDS Pung or Kong of Dragons = 1 double Pung or Kong of own Wind = 1 double } [The same set may score both Pung or Kong of prevailing Wind = 1 double } of these.] Own flower or season = 1 double Bouquets (all four flowers or all four seasons) = 4 doubles (including your own flower or season double) MAH JONGG HANDS ONLY Mah Jongg = 20 points All Chows = 10 points All Pungs (including but not all Kongs) = 10 points Totally concealed hand (no tile from discards) = 1 double (concealed Kong that is grounded still OK) Drawing Mah Jongg tile from head of wall = 2 points Drawing Mah Jongg tile from tail (replacement section) of wall = 10 points Mah Jongg on last possible tile (only that tile will allow hand to go Mah Jongg, and the other three of it are already visible) = 10 points Pair of own wind = 2 points } [The same pair may score both of Pair of prevailing wind = 2 points } these.] Pair of dragons = 2 points Robbing a Kong for Mah Jongg = 10 points [I'm not sure of exact meaning.] DOUBLE FOR MAH JONGG HAND Pure (all one suit) with Honors = 1 double Pure with no Honors = 3 doubles All Terminals with Honors = 1 double All Terminals with no Honors = limit All Kongs (4 Kongs and a pair) = 1 double SPECIAL HANDS Gift from Heaven - being dealt Mah Jongg (East only) = limit Gift from Earth - going Mah Jongg before your first turn is over (anyone except East) = limit Thirteen Noble Scholars - 1 each of all honors and terminals with one of those 13 paired = limit Heavenly Twins - 7 pairs of honors only (2 of each wind, 2 of each dragon) = limit Nine United Sons - pung of each terminal in one suit with the 2 through 8 of that same suit, one of which is paired (may not pair one of a grounded chow) = limit All Honors = limit All Terminals = limit (Any other special hands including all green, all red, etc. have been disallowed.) PENALTIES False declaration of Mah Jongg - exposing tiles of an inaccurately declared Mah Jongg - declarer pays half limit to all others. (As always, East pays and collects double.) False claim of discarded tile - if not noticed before next player discards - player forced to keep badly matched tiles open and will not be able to Mah Jongg. Hand short by one tile (fouled hand) - regularized at next turn by a draw of one tile from head of wall and one tile from tail of wall; if Mah Jongg occurs during this regularization, no bonuses awarded. Hand long by one tile (fouled hand) - player does not draw on next turn and may not take another's discard until after hand is regularized. Undeclared Flowers [or seasons] = 0 END OF GAME When the last tile before the block upon which the tail sits (either 7 or 8 tiles) [is drawn], the last player to draw plays out his turn and his discard may only go to a Mah Jongg hand. When a "dead round" occurs (no Mah Jongg and no tiles drawable), everyone scores against each other and East moves. EXTRA NOTES A dealt Kong is replaced on your first turn (after all flowers and seasons have been replaced).