Lesson 3 of 4
Detailed Rules & Setup
Everything from the first shuffle to the final claim.
The Setup
1. Shuffling (Mix-Mix)
Everyone joins in to mix the 144 tiles face down on the table. This is the iconic sound of Mahjong!
2. Building the Wall
Each player builds a wall of 36 tiles(18 stacks of 2) in front of them. These four walls form a square "city" in the middle of the table.
3. Rolling for Máno (Dealer)
To determine the máno, all players roll two dice. The player with the highest total becomes the dealer for the first round.
Breaking the Wall & Dealing
The máno rolls the dice to determine where the wall will be "broken" to start dealing.
- Dealing: Tiles are dealt 8 at a time (4 stacks) to each player counter-clockwise until everyone has 16 tiles.
- Dealer's 17th: The máno receives one final 17th tile to begin the game.
- Replacing Flowers:Before play begins, everyone lays down any flower tiles they were dealt and draws replacements from the "flower wall."
Special Claims
Beyond the basic Chow, Pong, and Kang, Filipino Mahjong has unique rules for four-of-a-kind scenarios:
Secret
Drawing all 4 yourself.
If you draw a four-of-a-kind in your hand, you play them face-down and draw a replacement. This triggers an instant payout!
Sagása
Adding to an open Pong.
If you already have an open Pong and you draw the 4th matching tile, you can add it to the Pong. Be careful—others can "Rob the Kang" to win!
Rob the Kang
If another player declares Sagása, but the tile they use is exactly the one you need to win the game, you can claim that tile to win! This is known as Robbing the Kang.