How does Fan become points in Hong Kong mahjong?

Base points are 2 multiplied by itself once per Fan, so 3 Fan is 8 points and 7 Fan is 128. Tables set a minimum to win, commonly 3 Fan, and a cap, commonly 13 Fan, above which every hand pays the same.

What is the minimum Fan needed to win?

Most Hong Kong tables ask for at least 3 Fan before a hand can be declared. Some sessions and tournaments lower it, or allow chicken hands that score nothing but still win, so agree the minimum before the first hand.

Who pays when someone wins?

On a self-draw all three opponents pay. On a discard it depends on the table: discarder-pays-all has the thrower cover the whole amount, while discarder-pays-half has them pay half with the other two splitting the rest. The winner collects the same total either way.

Hong Kong mahjong hands and Fan

Every win is scored in Fan. You need at least 3 Fan to win, and each extra Fan doubles what you collect.

Play Count the Fan

The scoring hands

Count a hand from the top down: its pattern, its honour sets, any flowers and seasons, then how you won. A special hand replaces the first three. Hands marked Limit are worth the full 13 Fan cap, the most a hand can score.

FanOrder

All 36 hands

Hand patterns

1 to 8 Fan

What the whole hand is built from. A hand can fit more than one, such as all pongs in one suit.

All chows 平糊

Four chows and any pair.

1Fan

Four runs and a pair: 1 Fan. Other awards may add more.

Mixed terminals and honours 花幺九

Four pongs or kongs and a pair, every tile a 1, a 9 or an honour, with at least one of each kind. Counts alongside all pongs.

1Fan

Only terminals and honours: 1 Fan, plus all pongs (3) and the red dragon set (1).

All pongs 對對糊

Four pongs or kongs and any pair.

3Fan

Four triplets and a pair: 3 Fan. Exposed sets are allowed.

One suit with honours 混一色

Every tile is either one suit or an honour, with at least one of each.

3Fan

Only bamboo plus honours: 3 Fan for the suit pattern.

Little three dragons 小三元

Pongs or kongs of two dragons and a pair of the third. The two dragon awards are included in the 5 Fan.

5Fan

Two dragon triplets plus the third dragon as the pair: 5 Fan in total for the dragons.

Little four winds 小四喜

Pongs or kongs of three winds, a pair of the fourth wind and any other set.

6Fan

Three wind sets and the fourth wind as the pair: 6 Fan, plus half flush (3) and any matching wind awards.

One suit only 清一色

Every tile is from a single suit, with no honours.

7Fan

Only dots, with no honours: 7 Fan. Concealment and self-draw count separately.

Three great scholars 大三元

Pongs or kongs of all three dragons, any other set and any pair. The three dragon awards are included.

8Fan

All three dragon sets: 8 Fan in total. Do not add the three dragon-set Fan again.

Honour sets

1 Fan

Each pong or kong of dragons, of your seat wind, or of the round wind.

Dragon pong or kong 箭刻

Each pong or kong of red, green or white dragons scores separately.

1Fan

A red dragon pong: 1 Fan. Green and white dragon sets each score separately.

Seat-wind pong or kong 門風

A pong or kong of your own seat wind.

1Fan

If your seat wind is West, this set earns 1 Fan.

Round-wind pong or kong 圈風

A pong or kong of the current round wind. Scores on top of the seat-wind award when both match.

1Fan

In the East round this earns 1 Fan. Add another if your seat is also East.

Flowers and seasons

1 to 2 Fan

Bonus tiles you set aside as you draw them.

Own flower 正花

The flower numbered for your seat wind (1 East, 2 South, 3 West, 4 North).

1Fan

Flower 3 matches the West seat: 1 Fan. Match the number to your seat, not the round.

Own season 正花

The season numbered for your seat wind (1 East, 2 South, 3 West, 4 North).

1Fan

Season 3 matches the West seat: 1 Fan.

No flowers or seasons 無花

You win holding no flowers and no seasons.

1Fan

A winning hand with no flowers or seasons beside it: add 1 Fan.

Complete flower set 一台花

All four flowers.

2Fan

All four flowers: 2 Fan in total. Do not also count your own flower.

Complete season set 一台花

All four seasons.

2Fan

All four seasons: 2 Fan in total. Do not also count your own season.

How you won

1 to 8 Fan

How the winning tile came to you. Most add on top of everything else, special hands included.

Fully concealed hand 門前清

No sets were exposed before winning. Concealed kongs are allowed, and the winning tile may be drawn or claimed. Seven pairs and concealed special hands do not get this extra award.

1Fan

Every set stayed hidden in your hand until the win: add 1 Fan.

Self-draw 自摸

You drew the winning tile yourself.

1Fan

Draw the second 5 Bamboo yourself to finish the pair: add 1 Fan.

Last tile of the wall 海底撈月

Winning by self-draw with the last tile of the wall.

1Fan

The second 5 Bamboo is the last wall tile: 1 Fan, plus self-draw (1).

Kong replacement win 槓上開花

Winning with the replacement tile after a kong, flower or season. Self-draw counts as well.

1Fan

Declare the kong, then the replacement tile finishes your pair: replacement (1) + self-draw (1).

Robbing an added kong 搶槓

Winning on the tile another player adds to an exposed pong to make a kong. That player pays as the discarder.

1Fan

An opponent adds the fourth red dragon to their pong. Claim that tile to win: 1 Fan.

Kong on kong 槓上槓

Winning on the replacement for a kong that was itself declared with a replacement tile. Replaces the ordinary kong replacement award.

8Fan

A replacement tile completes a second kong, and the next replacement wins: 8 Fan plus self-draw.

Special hands

10 to 13 Fan

Rare hands with a value of their own. Each replaces the patterns, honour sets and bonus tiles; how you won still adds.

Nine gates 九子連環

1-1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-9-9 of one suit plus any tile of that suit. Concealed, no kongs, and the winning tile must be the extra one.

10Fan

Hold 1112345678999 of one suit, then win on any tile of that suit (the 5 Dots here): 10 Fan.

All honours 字一色

Only winds and dragons, as four sets and a pair (or as seven distinct pairs, where seven pairs is played).

10Fan

Every tile is a wind or a dragon: 10 Fan.

All terminals 清么九

Four pongs or kongs and a pair made only of 1s and 9s.

10Fan

Only 1s and 9s, no honours: 10 Fan.

Four concealed pongs 四暗刻

Four concealed pongs (or concealed kongs) and a pair. Self-draw, or a discard that completes the pair.

10Fan

All four triplets stay hidden. Self-draw, or claim a discard that finishes only the pair: 10 Fan.

Big four winds 大四喜

Limit hand

Pongs or kongs of all four winds and any pair.

13FanLimit

All four wind sets: 13 Fan.

Four kongs 槓槓和

Limit hand

Four kongs and any pair.

13FanLimit

Four declared kongs and a pair: 18 tiles, 13 Fan.

Heavenly hand 天糊

Limit hand

The dealer wins with the dealt hand (replacement tiles allowed).

13FanLimit

The dealer is dealt this complete hand: 13 Fan.

Earthly hand 地糊

Limit hand

A non-dealer wins on the dealer’s first discard (replacement tiles allowed).

13FanLimit

Another player completes this hand on the dealer’s very first discard: 13 Fan.

Thirteen orphans 十三么

Limit hand

One of each 1 and 9 of every suit, each wind and each dragon, plus a duplicate of any of them. Concealed.

13FanLimit

One of every terminal and honour, plus a second White dragon: 13 Fan.

Optional house rules

1 to 10 Fan

Not part of the traditional Hong Kong scoring, but many tables play them. Agree which ones count before the first hand.

Last discard 河底撈魚

Scores as a way of winning

Winning on the discard made after the last wall tile was drawn.

1Fan

Claim the second 5 Bamboo from the very last discard: add 1 Fan.

Seven distinct pairs 七對子

Scores as a hand pattern

Seven different pairs and no declared melds. Four identical tiles do not count as two pairs.

4Fan

Seven distinct pairs: 4 Fan. Four copies of a tile cannot make two pairs.

Jade dragon

Scores as a special hand

A green dragon set, three bamboo pongs or kongs and a bamboo pair.

10Fan

Green dragon set with bamboo triplets and a bamboo pair.

Ruby dragon

Scores as a special hand

A red dragon set, three character pongs or kongs and a character pair.

10Fan

Red dragon set with character triplets and a character pair.

Pearl dragon

Scores as a special hand

A white dragon set, three dot pongs or kongs and a dot pair.

10Fan

White dragon set with dot triplets and a dot pair.

How awards combine

Most awards simply add up. These are the exceptions.

When one award replaces another

A special hand replaces other hand patterns, honour sets, flowers and seasons. Winning-moment awards still add Fan. Concealed special hands get no fully-concealed bonus.
Little three dragons already includes its two dragon sets; three great scholars includes all three.
Kong on kong replaces the ordinary kong replacement award.
A complete flower set replaces the own-flower award; a complete season set replaces the own-season award.

How the tiles are grouped

Where seven pairs is played, it cannot score set-based patterns (all chows, all pongs, dragon or wind sets) but does combine with suit patterns, flowers and seasons, and winning moments.
A kong counts as one set, even though it holds four tiles.
When tiles can be grouped in more than one valid way, use the grouping worth the most Fan.

What still adds up, and the limits

Seat-wind and round-wind awards both count when the same wind matches both.
A win must reach the minimum Fan before the cap applies. Fan above the cap pays as the cap.

From Fan to points

Base points are 2 multiplied by itself once per Fan. Every table sets a minimum to win and a cap; change them to see what happens.

Tables also settle up differently. On a discard some make the thrower cover the whole payout, while others have them pay half and the other two split the rest; a self-draw is always shared. Ask which one is being used before you sit down.

Fan in the winning hand5

013

Minimum to win

Fan cap

How was it won, and who pays?

2⁵ = 32 base points

Winner collects: +128
Discarder pays: −64
Other player pays: −32
Other player pays: −32

Discarder pays half: they cover half the payout and the other two split the rest. This is the preset here.