The Rules of Online Casino Mahjong

Playing Mahjong at Casino.com

Whether you choose to play mahjong according to the Japanese or WMF scoring systems, the basic aim of the game is the same; to group tiles together by suits or sequences by eliminating and claiming tiles. If you’re familiar with the game Rummy, you’ll find mahjong easy to pick up.

Mahjong features a set of 24 face-down tiles. You will be dealt a hand of 13 of the tiles and the rest will remain on the wall. You must complete a hand of 14 tiles, by clicking on a tile on the wall. If the tile is related to any of the sets of tiles in your hand, you win.

Japanese and WMF Scoring

Japanese Scoring: To win a round of online mahjong, you must score a total of 700 points. These are awarded based on specific sets, their actions and combinations. Your score is calculated by a traditional, complex game algorithm, so the more points you rack up, the higher your score will be and the more money you’ll win.

WMF Scoring: Like the Japanese scoring system, points are rewarded for specific sets, combinations and actions; however, you need at least three points to win a round of online mahjong when playing according to the WMF scoring system.

Mahjong Suits and Sets

Suits: During a game of online mahjong, there are three numerical suits and two letter suits. The numeral suits are known as the Bars, Wons and Dots. Each has nine tiles and is marked with numbers between 1 and 9.

The two letter casino mahjong suits are known as Winds and Dragons. The Wind suit is made up of different tiles representing the North, South, East and West winds and is marked by the letters N, S, E, and W. The Dragon suit is made up of three tiles which represent the red, green and white dragons and is marked with the letters R, G and Wh.

The first and last tile in each of the suits is known as the Edge tile. These tiles, along with the letter tile, make up the Honors suit. Sets of Honors are higher in value than sets made from the Middle tiles (tiles numbered 2-8 in the number suit).

Mahjong Sets

There are fourteen tiles in a winning hand of online mahjong. Each of them can be organised into the following sets:

• Pong: A set of three tiles of identical suit and value.
• Kong: A set of four tiles of identical suit and value.
• Chee: A set of three tiles of identical suit and sequential value.
• Pair: A set of two tiles of identical suit and value which doesn't allow you any points but is necessary to complete a winning hand.

You will often encounter situations where you’ll be required to call a set. The set will then be placed on the table and set apart from the rest of the tiles. However, if you’re playing Solo Mahjong your existing hand may already contain called sets. Two examples of this are the Open Kong set (displayed as three faced-up tiles with one faced-up tile on top of them) and the Hidden Kong set (the exact opposite of the Open Kong – three faced-down tiles with one faced up tile on top of them).

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Online Casino Mahjong Terms

• Reach: Lets you see whether you have a Reach or Early Reach hand in casino mahjong.
• Seat Wind and Quarter Wind indicators: Refer to a set of wind tiles that match either the seat or quarter wind and a special hand that increases your total game score of online casino mahjong.
• The Dora tile: You will get additional points for each tile in your hand that matches the Dora tile.
• Bamboos: This refers to one of three suits containing either Bams or Sticks.
• Chicken Hand: A hand with points.
• Discard: The tile rejected by one player and claimed by another.
• Dispersed Kong: A hand with four of the same suit tiles, other than those in a Kong.
• Going Mahjong: This occurs when a player declares that he has a hand worth eight points or more.
• Reversible Tiles: A tile which looks the same when turned upside down or upright.
• Sequence: Refers to a suit of tiles that follow a numerical order.
• Wall: This refers to the tiles that are face down at the beginning of an online mahjong game.
• Wind, Own: Corresponding to your seat in online mahjong.
• Clean: An online mahjong hand which has a Hidden Kong or doesn’t consist of a Pong, Chees or Open Kong tiles.
• Self Draw: When a player selects a tile from the wall.
• Solo Casino Mahjong: This move is made for the player automatically.
• Reach: A clean hand which is completed by a tile picked up from another player.
• Seat Wind: A hand matching the Seat Wind indicator with one of two tiles, Pong or Kong of Wings.
• Picking up Last: A hand completed when a player takes the last tile found in the wall.
• All Middles: A hand that doesn’t contain any tiles found in the Honors Suit.
• One Twin: A hand that contains one Chees identical in the suit and number value.
• All Chees: A hand containing any number tile and four Chees.
• Three Hidden Pongs: A hand with three Pongs which haven’t been called.
• Linked to Honors: A hand in which all sets contain at least one tile from the Honors suit.
• Quarter Wind: A hand that is the same as the Wind indicator and has a Pong or Kong of Winds.
• Honor Streak: This is permitted when the Seat Wind is east. The player will win an additional point.
• White Dragons: Any hand that contains a Pong or Kong of White Dragons.
• Green dragons: Any hand that contains a Pong or Kong of Green Dragons.
• Red Dragons: Any hand that contains a Pong or Kong of Red Dragons.
• Picking up a Supplement: When the player completes a hand by calling a Kong and picking a tile from the wall.
• Robbing a Kong: When a player completes a hand using a tile which was used by another player to call a Kong.
• Response on Last: The hand that a player completes using tiles that are discarded when there are no tiles left in the wall.
• Sequence of Nine: When a numeral suit contains all nine tiles.
• Three Sisters: A hand of three sets that are made up of numeral suits with the same numbers but of different suits.
• Three Brothers: A hand with the same numbers but from different suits, containing three numerical Pongs.
• Three Kongs: When a hand has three Kongs which don’t have to be called.
• All Pongs: When all sets in the player’s hand are Pongs or Kongs, except for the pair.
• Seven Eyes: A hand containing seven pairs.
• Early Reach: When a Reach is called in the first turn of any round.
• One Numerals: Any hand containing only numerals that is also identical in suit.
• Small Winds: A hand with three Pongs or Kongs of Wind, as well as a pair of a different Wind. This does not include the Seat Wing or the Quarter Wind.
• Full Dragon: A hand containing three Pongs or Kongs of Dragon.
• All Hidden Pongs: Any hand with four Pongs that have not been called.
• All Kongs: Any hand containing four Kongs that have not been called.
• All Greens: When a hand is made up of tiles which only have green symbols on them.
• All Letters: A hand which contains tiles displaying letters only.
• Heaven Hand: A completed hand won in the first Self-draw in a round.
• All Edges: A hand which only contains tiles from the Edges family.
• Solo Online Mahjong: A move made for the player automatically.
• Mixed One Numerals: A hand that only consists of number tiles from one suit and any letter tile.
• Double Twins: A hand that has two blocks of two Chees in each and the Chees are the same in suit and number value.
• Linked to Five: Any set that contains at least one number tile with a 5 on it.
• Linked to Edges: Any set that consists of at least one tile from the Edge tiles.
• Mixed Edges: A hand containing tiles from the Edge or Letter tiles only.
• Small Dragons: A hand which is made up of two Pongs and Kongs of Dragons as well as a pair of different dragons.
• Thirteen Honors: A hand made up of twelve Honor tiles all from different suits and values, as well as a pair of Honor tiles with a different suit and value from the rest of the tiles.
• Full Winds: Any hand containing four Pongs or Kongs of Winds.
• Nice Treasure Lamps: A hand consisting of numerals identical in suit and consist of tiles 1 – 9 in sequence and within the ready hand’s thirteen tiles.