How to Play Hong Kong Style Mahjong – A Complete Guide

Hong Kong Mahjong is one of the most widely played and internationally recognized styles of Mahjong. Known for its fast-paced gameplay and straightforward scoring system, it strikes a balance between strategy and accessibility, making it popular among both casual and serious players. The game uses a doubling system for scoring, where hands increase in value through combinations of melds, bonus tiles, and special patterns. Its simplicity compared to other variants makes it easy to learn, yet the depth of strategy keeps it endlessly engaging. In many overseas Chinese communities—including in London—Hong Kong style remains the most commonly played version.

When we first started teaching Mahjong, we did it the way we had learned ourselves—sitting around a table, picking things up as our grandparents or friends explained the game. That worked for us, as Asians with the cultural and language background to make sense of it. But when we tried teaching our Western students the same way, we quickly saw them struggling. Many felt embarrassed that, even after hours of playing, they still didn’t fully grasp the rules or the logic behind the game.

To us, this wasn’t a problem with the learners—it was a problem with the way we were teaching.

So we put on our teacher hats and reimagined our approach. We broke the game down into clear, step-by-step instructions and adopted task-based learning methods that actively engage learners through solving real in-game situations. We don’t just teach—we guide, involve, and empower.

That’s how our Mahjong workshops were born. Since then, we’ve taught people of all ages and backgrounds, and we’ve tested and refined our method countless times. The result? We can confidently say: we never fail to teach someone how to play.

So if you’re in London and want to learn Mahjong the right way, you’re in luck—book a spot at our Newbie Workshop and get ready to play! If you can’t join us in person, don’t worry—this post will guide you through the foundations step by step. Just keep in mind, the ultimate test of learning Mahjong is actually playing it, and a full game requires four players. If you don’t have a full group, you can still try adapting it for two or three players (we’ve got blog posts to help with that too). Still, we’ll be honest—Mahjong is always more fun with a full table… sorry!

Mahjong Foundation

Suits

In Hong Kong style Mahjong, there are three main suits:

1. Dots (Circles)
2. Bamboo (Sticks)
3. Characters (Numbers)

Each suit runs from 1 to 9. In addition to the suits, there are Honor tiles—Winds (East, South, West, North) and Dragons (Red, Green, White).

Sets

A standard hand is made up of four sets and one pair. Sets can be:

Pair: Two of the same tile (only one allowed in a winning hand)

Pung: Three of the same tile

Kong: Four of the same tile (counts as a set and gives bonus points)

Chow: A straight of three tiles in the same suit (only in sequences)

Winning Hands

A winning hand usually contains 4 sets and 1 pair. Players must build their hand from drawn and discarded tiles to complete this combination.

Basic Game Play

Set up

4 players sit at a square table to build 4 tile walls in front of them.

Each player gets 13 tiles; East (the dealer) gets 14.

Basic Game Rhythm

Dealer discards one tile to start the game, then the game proceeds counterclockwise.

Each player will draw or call one tile and discard one tile as the basic rhythm.

The goal is to build a valid winning hand before others.

Call a discard tile

Players may call a discarded tile to complete a set:

• Pung: Call when you can form 3 identical tiles
• Kong: Call or reveal if you have three of the same tile.
• Chow: Call only from the player to your left, when you can form a sequence

If a player calls and uses a tile, they must reveal that set, then discard one tile from the hand.

“Mahjong”

When a player completes a winning hand, they declare “Mahjong!” and reveal their hand. The game pauses to verify validity and calculate points.

Something to note

Game Time

For experienced players, a typical game lasts around 10 minutes. For beginners, during our two-hour Newbie Workshops, most tables manage to play 3–5 games—starting with open hands (for easy learning), then progressing to closed hands. These repeated practice rounds are essential for developing rhythm and building strategic thinking. That’s why we strongly encourage learners to return for our Just Play sessions—because real improvement comes from play.

House Rules

Hong Kong Mahjong often varies by household, but one widely followed rule is the minimum winning requirement of 3 fan (points). This changes how players approach the game—bonus tiles (like winds, dragons, flowers, and seasons) suddenly matter from the very beginning, and players need a plan to build hands that can actually win. To help players step up their game, we offer a Level 2 Improver Workshop focused on scoring strategies. We also recommend coming back to our Just Play sessions, where raising the point threshold forces everyone to play smarter and adapt their style.

Scoring Rules & special hands

Wind positions

Each player takes on a wind direction—East, South, West, or North—with East always starting as the dealer. These seat winds rotate after each round, though in many households, if the East player wins, they retain the East seat for the next round. Your seat wind matters because it can earn you extra points: for example, if you are East and complete a Pung or Kong of East tiles, that scores more than doing so with West wind tiles.

In many homes and clubs, sitting down to play means committing to a full 16-round game. The game is divided into four wind rounds:\n- Rounds 1–4: East round\n- Rounds 5–8: South round\n- Rounds 9–12: West round\n- Rounds 13–16: North round. These are called the prevailing winds, and they also influence scoring. For instance, forming a set using tiles that match either your seat wind or the prevailing wind earns bonus fan points.

Special Winning Hands

The rarer the combination, the higher the score. While some hands are so rare that many players may never complete them in their Mahjong lifetime, when they do happen—you win big! For new players, it’s encouraging to know that some high-scoring hands are still very achievable, such as All Chows, All Pungs, Mixed One Suit, or even Pure One Suit. These are excellent goals for beginners starting to think strategically about their hand-building.

Bonus Tiles

If your winning hand includes any of these tiles—winds, dragons, flowers, or seasons—you’ll receive bonus points. That’s why, in our beginner workshops, many new players tend to discard honor tiles early on without realizing their value. But by Level 2, they’ve learned better: those tiles can make the difference between a hand that just wins… and a hand that wins big.

• Kong of any tiles
• Wind tiles pung or kong
• Dragon tiles pung or kong
• Flowers and Seasons

Winning Conditions

Bonus points are also rewarded to how a player wins, for example:

• Self drawn win
• All concealed hand win
• Win by Kong or by robbing someone’s Kong to win

Once Mahjong is called, the score is calculated based on the winning hand, any bonus tiles, and specific winning conditions to determine the total fan points. These points can be quickly and easily calculated using a Mahjong scoring app, which many players use to track scores round by round.

So there you have it—a complete guide to playing Hong Kong style Mahjong! Whether you’re learning just for fun or gearing up to join a local game in London, this timeless game is a brilliant way to sharpen your memory, test your strategy, and enjoy great company. Happy playing!

where to play Hong Kong Mahjong in London

Of course, you’re welcome to come and learn Hong Kong Mahjong with us! We’re located in Central London, Aldgate E1, just a minute’s walk from the tube station. As a school, we offer paid lessons, and for beginners looking for guided learning and guaranteed success, we’re your best option.

Once you’ve learned how to play, you can explore local groups such as the 3UA, which hold regular sessions. In London, there are also a couple of ESEA community centers in Dalston and Camden that host Hong Kong style Mahjong games. However, most tables there play with a 3-fan minimum rule, which may be challenging for beginners. Also, since these sessions are free or donation-based and primarily serve the ESEA community, they tend to be fully booked.