Four shapes you can recognize at a glance
| Shape | Example | What makes it work |
|---|---|---|
| Pung / pong / pon | 7 bamboo · 7 bamboo · 7 bamboo | Three copies of one tile. |
| Chow / chii | 2 dots · 3 dots · 4 dots | Three consecutive numbers, all one suit. |
| Kong / kan | Red dragon · red dragon · red dragon · red dragon | Four copies of one tile. |
| Pair | East · East | Two copies of one tile. |
Two common traps: 8–9–1 bamboo does not wrap into a chow, and 2 dots–3 bamboo–4 characters crosses suits. Winds and dragons can form matching groups, but they do not form numerical sequences.
How sets fit into a hand
For a common Hong Kong or Riichi hand, think of five slots: four sets and one pair. Without kongs, that is 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 14 tiles. For example: 2–3–4 dots, 4–5–6 bamboo, three 7 characters, three red dragons and a pair of Easts.
That example demonstrates the shape, not a universal scoring result. Hong Kong needs the table’s fan minimum; Riichi needs a yaku and a legal way to win. Special shapes such as seven pairs do not use the four-set structure.
Every physical tile belongs to only one group. If your rack contains just one 3 dots, you cannot use it simultaneously in 1–2–3 dots and 3–4–5 dots. Sorting helps you see competing possibilities without accidentally counting a tile twice.
Making a set versus claiming a discard
You can assemble sets privately from draws. To take another player’s latest discard for a set, you must follow claiming rules. In our Hong Kong and Riichi modes, a chow claim comes only from the player whose turn immediately precedes yours; a pung or open kong can use a discard from another seat.
A claimed set is exposed for everyone to see and limits how you can change the hand. In Riichi, opening your hand also removes some yaku possibilities. Before calling, ask both “Can I make this set?” and “Can my resulting hand still win?”
A declared kong in Hong Kong or Riichi uses four tiles but occupies one set slot. Its replacement draw keeps the hand’s structure workable. Do not apply that extra-draw rule to an American card’s four-tile group: American patterns still total 14 tiles.
American card groups need their own reading
Our American card can ask for pungs, kongs, quints, sextets, singles and pairs. Jokers may help identical groups of three or more; they cannot stand in singles or pairs. Five or six identical numbered tiles therefore need jokers because only four natural copies exist.
A run of numbers written on an American card does not give you a general chow call. Follow the exact recipe and whether the line must remain concealed. Our call lesson lets you expose a pung that fits a particular original-card hand.
A useful practice habit
When you see a new tile, name the shape it could finish. “This 4 dots completes 2–3–4” is more useful than “I like this tile.” Then check the table rule and the rest of your hand. A clear plan connects a good-looking group to a legal win.
A SMALL VISUAL DEMONSTRATION
Watch the shapes come together
Read the demonstration transcript
These examples use Hong Kong-style mahjong. A chow is three consecutive ranks in one suit, such as 2, 3 and 4 dots. A chow cannot mix suits. A pung is three matching tiles, such as three 5 dots. Matching honors can also form a pung. A kong is four matching tiles and counts as one set. Declaring a kong normally requires a replacement draw. Claiming and winning rules depend on your ruleset. American mahjong uses card patterns, not the same chow-based hand system.
Original illustrated demonstration, with captions. Not a recording of a live match.
A QUICK CHECK
Which group is a chow in Hong Kong or Riichi?
Choose an answer. You can try again.
Rules & further reading
These guides distinguish our game’s rules from the rules used at other tables. Check your group’s agreed rulebook before a real match.