Mahjong (HK Mahjong, Malaysian Mahjong, Singapore Mahjong, Taiwanese Mahjong) is a tile game from China for 4 players. Learn Mahjong scoring — fan tables and payment direction — then track the money and settle who-pays-who with PartyPot. Free on iOS & Android.
Mahjong
Also known as: HK Mahjong · Malaysian Mahjong · Singapore Mahjong · Taiwanese Mahjong
Players
4
Play Time
2–6 hours
Origin
China
Equipment
144 Mahjong tiles, dice, scoring sticks or chips (PartyPot for the money)
What Is Mahjong?
Mahjong is more than a game — it's a social institution across Asia. Four players build hands from 144 tiles, aiming to complete specific patterns (winning hands) that score points based on a "fan" system. The complexity lies in the scoring: different winning hands have different fan values, self-drawn wins pay differently than discard wins, and regional variants (Hong Kong, Malaysian, Singapore, Taiwanese) each have their own scoring tables. You and your table decide the values; PartyPot is the temporary wallet that tracks who owes who and settles the money across a marathon session.
How to Play Mahjong
Four players sit at a table, tiles are shuffled and walls are built
Each player draws 13 tiles; the dealer draws 14 and discards one to start
Players take turns drawing and discarding tiles to build winning hands
You can "Chow" (sequence from left player), "Pong" (triplet from any player), or "Kong" (four of a kind)
A winning hand has 4 sets (sequences or triplets) plus 1 pair = 14 tiles
Scoring is based on fan value of the winning hand — higher fan = higher payout
Self-drawn wins are paid by all 3 players; discard wins are paid by the discarding player
How PartyPot Makes Mahjong Better
A temporary wallet for the table — each player has a running balance on their phone
Pay the winner with preset-amount transfers — everyone pays on a self-draw, the discarder pays on a discard
Transaction history shows every payment — perfect for settling disputes
Smart Settlement after marathon sessions calculates the minimum transfers
Works for all regional variants and 3- or 4-player — you set the values, the app moves the money
Mahjong in the PartyPot app
Pro Tips
Agree on the minimum fan requirement BEFORE starting (e.g., 3-fan minimum)
Keep each player's balance in PartyPot as you go — no scrap paper, no end-of-night maths
For marathon sessions, use Smart Settlement at meal breaks
Log each hand immediately — memory gets fuzzy after 4+ hours
Want a deeper dive?
Read the full Mahjong guide on our blog
Play Mahjong with PartyPot
Download PartyPot free — create a room, share the QR code, and start playing Mahjong with a digital banker in under 30 seconds.
