Appendix VIII - Mahjong - International Scoring
Introduction
The Qualifying Events at SIGA uses the scoring system used in World Series of Mahjong, which
was developed for international Mahjong competitions, with the goals of: rules simplicity and
ease of learning, international fairness, and game playability (competition of skill).
Basic Rules
1. Only the winning hand is scored. The winning player collects points, corresponding to the
value of the hand, from the other three players according to the “payoff scheme”.
2. The 44 “patterns” are listed below. Each pattern specifies a certain condition; for fulfilling
the specified condition, the winning hand scores the specified point value. There are no
“basic points” added for winning the hand itself; a hand scores only for the patterns it
contains.
3. The patterns are organized into categories and series. In the numbering, the first number
indicates the category, and the second number indicates the series (within that category). For
example, “3.3” indicates the “Winds” series in the “Honor Tiles” category.
4. Additive Rule: When the winning hand fulfills the conditions for multiple patterns, the value
of the hand is generally the sum of the values of the relevant patterns. (The multiplicative
“Faan” system is not used.) You can count all patterns contained in the hand (even if one of
them constitutes a necessary condition for another), provided that they belong to different
series. You cannot count multiple patterns from the same series, nor can you count the same
pattern more than once. (“3.1 Value Honor” is an exception: you can add 10 points for each
set of value honors in your hand.) As an example, a hand with “Four Concealed Triplets” is
always also a “Concealed Hand” and an “All Triplets” hand, so such hand always scores at
least 125+5+30=160 points.
5. No Minimum Requirement: Under the new tournament format for this year’s event, the
benefits (and the damages received by the opponents) of the “chicken hand” is greatly
reduced. Hence the prohibition on the chicken hand is now abolished; one may win with a
regular hand even if it contains no patterns. A “chicken hand” scores 1 point..
6. Maximum Limit: There is a “limit” of 320 points. If the hand contains multiple patterns of
which values add up to 320 or more, the hand scores 320 points (called a “Compound Limit
Hand”). But if the hand contains a pattern which has a listed value of 320 or more (called a
“Listed Limit Hand”), it scores the single highest-valued pattern in the hand. (It scores for
one single pattern only.)
7. For some basic rules on winning and scoring, please see the section on “Scoring the Winning
Hand” in the “Mahjong Rules” chapter, in particular the rule on “Freedom of Count”.
Appendix VIII - Mahjong - International Scoring
Payoff Scheme
1. Fixed Income Principle: The total income of the winning player is determined solely by the
total value of the patterns in his hand: the income is always 3 times the pattern value. It will
not fluctuate just because the player luckily self-draws. The payoff scheme here specifies
how this payment should be split among the three other players.
2. Everybody pays for self-draw: When the winner self-draws, no one is “responsible”. When
no one is responsible, the payment is split equally among the three other players: each player
pays the winner 1 time the total pattern value of his hand.
3. Discarder pays for big hands: When the winner wins on discard, in general the discarder is
“responsible” (exception explained below). 25 points is taken to be the standard score value;
for small hands of 25 points or less, the three players split the payment equally (regardless of
who is responsible), and each player pays the winner 1 time the total hand value. For a big
hand of over 25 points, each player first pays the winner 25 points, and then the responsible
player pays the rest. For example, if the winning hand is 70 points, the two non-responsible
players each pay 25 points, and the responsible player pays the remaining 160 points. The
winner gets in total 210 points, which is exactly 3 times 70 points.
4. Rule of Same-Turn Immunity: When the winner wins on discard, if in the same turn
(starting from and including the winner’s previous discarded tile, until before the win)
another player has just discarded the same tile as the winning tile, then the discarder will not
be “responsible” for having followed with the same discard. The player who first discarded
the winning tile in the same turn (after the winner’s previous discard) will be considered
responsible. But if the winner has just discarded the winning tile, then no one will be
considered responsible (and the payment split equally among the three players just like a selfdraw win).
Mahjong Tiles
Honor Tiles
Dragons and
Wind
Character
Bamboo
Dots
Appendix VIII - Mahjong - International Scoring
The Pattern List Card
There are a total of 44 patterns in 10 categories.
1.0 Trivial patterns
All Sequences
(平和)
5
Concealed Hand
(門前清)
No Terminals
(斷么九)
5
5
The hand contains 4 sequences; no triplets/kong.
(There are no other restrictions as to the eyes pair, single call, or
concealed hand.)
A regular hand which is concealed, without melding any exposed sets
before winning. Winning on discard is okay. Concealed kong are okay.
The hand consists entirely of middle number tiles (2 to 8); no terminals
or honors
2.0 One-Suit patterns
Mixed One-Suit
(混一色)
Pure One-Suit
(清一色)
Nine Gates
(九蓮寶燈)
40
The hand consists entirely of number tiles in one suit, plus honor tiles.
80
The hand consists entirely of number tiles in one suit.
480 A 9-way call hand, with “1112345678999” in one suit in your hand, and
winning on any one tile in the same suit.
(See also “Nine Gates Self-draw rule”)
3.0 Honor Tiles
Value Honor
(番牌)
Small Three
Dragons (小三元)
Big Three Dragons
(大三元)
Small Three Winds
(小三風)
10
per
set
40
A triplet/kong of Seat Wind (your own Wind) or Dragons.
Note: the Prevailing Wind is not recognized.
Two triplet/kong of Dragons, plus a pair of Dragons as the eyes.
Example:
,
,
(eyes)
(This hand always includes two Dragon triplets, so it scores at least
40+10+10=60 points.)
130 Three triplet/kong of Dragons.
30
Example:
,
,
(This hand always includes three Dragon triplets, so it scores at least
130+10+10+10=160 points.)
Two triplet/kong of Winds, plus a pair of Winds as the eyes.
Example:
,
,
(eyes)
Appendix VIII - Mahjong - International Scoring
Big Three Winds
(大三風)
Small Four Winds
(小四喜)
Big Four Winds
(大四喜)
All Honors
(字一色)
120 Three triplet/kong of Winds.
Example:
,
,
320 Three triplet/kong of Winds, plus a pair of Winds as the eyes.
Example:
,
,
400 Four triplet/kong of Winds.
,
(eyes)
Example:
,
,
,
320 The hand consists entirely of honor tiles
4.0 Triplets and Kong
Concealed Triplet: A triplet whose three tiles are all drawn from the wall by its owner. An
exposed triplet: a triplet with two tiles drawn from the wall, plus a third tile claimed from an
opponent through a “pong” or “win on discard” claim. In other words, with a two-pair call, you
make a concealed triplet if you win on self-draw, and an exposed triplet if you win on discard.
All Triplets
30 The hand contains 4 set of triplets/kong; no sequences
(對對和)
Two Concealed
5 The hand contains two concealed triplets/concealed kong
Triplets
(二暗刻)
Three Concealed
30 The hand contains three concealed triplets/concealed kong
Triplets (三暗刻)
Four Concealed
125 The hand contains four concealed triplets/concealed kong
Triplets
(四暗刻)
One Kong
5 The hand contains one kong
(一槓)
(Irrespective of whether it is exposed or concealed; same below.)
Two Kong (二槓)
20 The hand contains two kong
Three Kong
120 The hand contains three kong
(三槓)
Four Kong
480 The hand contains four kong
(四槓)
5.0 Identical Sets
Identical sets are sets in the same suit in the same numbers. Obviously, only sequences can be
identical.
Two Identical
10 Two sequences in the same suit in the same numbers.
Sequences (一般
Appendix VIII - Mahjong - International Scoring
高)
Two Identical
Sequences Twice
(兩般高)
Three Identical
Sequences
(一色三同順)
Four Identical
Sequences
(一色四同順)
60
Example:
,
The hand contains two groups of “Two Identical Sequences”.
Example:
,
,
,
120 Three sequences in the same suit in the same numbers.
Example:
,
,
480 Four sequences in the same suit in the same numbers.
Example:
,
,
,
6.0 Similar Sets
Similar Sets are sets in the same numbers across 3 different suits.
All 3 suits must be present; 2-suit patterns are not recognized.
Three Similar
35 Three sequences in the same numbers across three different suits.
Sequences
Example:
,
,
(三色同順)
Small Three
30 Two triplets/kong in the same number in two different suits, and the
Similar Triplets
eye pair in the same number in the third suit.
(三色小同刻)
Example:
,
,
(eye)
Three Similar
120 Three triplets/kong in the same number across three different suits.
Triplets
Example:
,
,
(三色同刻)
7.0 Consecutive Sets
Consecutive sets are sets in the same suit in consecutive numbers. The patterns here require
three or more such sets.
Nine-Tile Straight
40 A “123” sequence, a “456” sequence, and a “789” sequence, all in the
(一氣通貫)
same suit.
(The hand must contain exactly the three sequences listed above.)
Three Consecutive
Triplets (三連刻)
Four Consecutive
Triplets
(四連刻)
Example:
,
,
100 Three triplets/kong in consecutive numbers in the same suit.
Example:
,
,
200 Four triplets/kong in consecutive numbers in the same suit.
Example:
,
,
,
Appendix VIII - Mahjong - International Scoring
8.0 Terminals
Terminals are the 1 and 9 number tiles.
The Greater patterns consist of terminal tiles only, while the Lesser patterns include also “123”
and “789” sequences.
Mixed Lesser
40 Every of the 4 sets in the hand, as well as the pair of eyes, includes a
Terminals
terminal tile or an honor tile.
(混全帶么)
Example:
,
,
,
,
Pure Lesser
50 Every of the 4 sets in the hand, as well as the pair of eyes, includes a
Terminals
terminal number tile.
(純全帶么)
Example:
,
,
,
,
Mixed Greater
100 An “All Triplets” hand or a “Seven Pairs” hand which consists entirely of
Terminals
terminal tiles and honor tiles. (A “Thirteen Terminals” hand does not
(混么九)
qualify.)
Pure Greater
Terminals
(清么九)
Example:
,
,
,
,
400 The hand consists entirely of terminal number tiles.
Example:
,
,
,
,
9.0 Incidental bonuses
Lucky bonuses for winning on rare opportunities.
Final Draw
10 Self-draw win on the “seabed” tile (the last tile in the wall, excluding the
(海底撈月)
king’s tiles).
Final Discard
10 Winning on a discarded “riverbed” tile (the last discard by the player
(河底撈魚)
who has drawn the seabed tile).
Win on Kong
10 Self-draw win on a “supplement” tile (after declaring a kong).
(嶺上開花)
(If the supplement tile is also the seabed tile, both patterns can be
counted.)
Robbing a Kong
10 Winning by robbing a kong (when another player makes a “small
(搶槓)
exposed kong”).
Blessing of Heaven 155 East winning with his initial 14-tile hand.
(天和)
(Does not count if East has made a concealed kong.)
Blessing of Earth
155 A non-East player calling with his initial 13-tile hand, and winning on
(地和)
East’s very first discard.
Does not count if East has made a concealed kong
Appendix VIII - Mahjong - International Scoring
10.0 Irregular Hands
Irregular Hands are hands that do not consist of 4 sets and a pair. An irregular hand does not
count for “Concealed Hand”.
Thirteen Terminals 160 Among the 13 types of terminals and honors, the hand contains one
(十三么九)
pair of one type, and one tile each of the other 12 types.
Seven Pairs
30 The hand consists of seven pairs.
(七對子)
Example:
,
,
,
,
,
,
Four identical tiles can count as two pairs as long as kong is not
declared.
A Seven Pairs hand cannot count those patterns which specifically
require triplets, kong, or sequences. But it can count other patterns
which do not have such requirements.