The three numbered suits
Each suit runs from 1 through 9. A tile’s identity includes both its suit and its number: 5 dots is different from 5 bamboo. Within a suit, neighboring numbers can help form sequences in Hong Kong and Riichi.
| Suit | Also called | How to recognize it |
|---|---|---|
| Dots | Circles, pin | Round marks arranged to show the number. |
| Bamboo | Bams, sou | Bamboo marks; the 1 often uses a bird design. |
| Characters | Craks, cracks, man | A number character above the suit character; beginner sets may add numerals. |
The 1 and 9 of each suit are called terminals. Numbers 2 through 8 are sometimes called simples or inside tiles. Those names become useful when a scoring pattern includes or excludes particular tiles.
Winds and dragons are honors
The winds are East, South, West and North. The dragons are red, green and white. The white dragon may look blank or have a rectangular border. In table play, three matching honors can form a triplet, but East–South–West is not a numbered sequence.
Keep a tile’s name separate from your seat. An East tile is always an East tile, even when you are sitting South. In Hong Kong and Riichi, your seat wind and the round wind can affect scoring.
Flowers, seasons and jokers change with the rules
- American practice: our 152-tile set adds eight flower/season tiles and eight jokers to the 136 core tiles. Flowers and seasons serve as interchangeable flowers. Jokers can replace tiles in identical groups of three or more, but never a single or pair.
- Hong Kong here: flowers and seasons are bonus tiles, exposed and replaced when drawn. Our scoring awards one fan per bonus tile; other tables may use different flower scoring.
- Riichi here: uses the 136 core tiles, without flowers or jokers. A dora is a bonus designation determined by an indicator, not a wild card.
- Solitaire here: uses 144 tiles. Any flower matches another flower, and any season matches another season; a flower does not match a season.
A practical way to read your rack
- Separate the three suits from the honors.
- Put each suit in numerical order.
- Notice duplicates, then neighboring numbers.
- Compare those groups with your variant’s winning requirements.
For example, 4 dots and 5 dots are neighbors, not a pair. They can become 3–4–5 or 4–5–6 in Hong Kong or Riichi. Two 5 dots are a pair. A 5 dots and a 5 bamboo are neither, although an American card might ask for both in different groups.
Questions that come up early
Do colors have to match?
Recognize the suit, number or honor symbol. Tile artwork varies, so color alone is not a reliable identity. A red mark on a bamboo tile does not turn it into a red dragon.
Can a joker fix any missing tile?
No. In our American game it cannot replace a single or pair, and it cannot be passed in the Charleston. Try the joker lesson to exchange a matching natural tile for a joker already in an exposure.
A QUICK CHECK
You hold a 5 dots and a 5 bamboo. What do you have?
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.