Mahjong is a game that involves large amounts of luck, as well as some amounts of skill. You need to know how to win at mahjong before you begin to play the game. By following some basic tips and strategies you will increase your chances of success.

Learn the Rules of the Game

Mahjong can seem quite confusing if you are not familiar with the rules of the game. The Chinese characters may make the game seem difficult, but if you are aware of what each character represents and how they can be used in the game, you will be one step closer to how to win at mahjong.

It is important to be aware of the different aspects of the game – from how to select the dealer to how to create sets of tiles. It is also important to be aware of the differences between the different variants of mahjong. Subtle differences in the rules can change the strategies that you use to play the game. Knowing how to play the game and the nuances between the variants will help you with how to win at mahjong.

Discarding Tiles in Mahjong

One aspect of the game of mahjong is discarding tiles. Players need to tread a fine line between discarding the optimum tiles and trying not to let your opponents become aware of the hand that you are playing. That being said, there is an optimum order for discarding tiles that you should try to stick to if you want to get closer to how to win at mahjong.

You should discard isolated winds and special winds of the other players as early as possible in the game before your opponent is able to pung. You should discard the winds in the following order: the East wind, then the wind of the player to your left, then the wind of the player opposite you and then the wind of the player to your right. Keep your own special wind until it has been discarded twice or more by other players or until you no longer have any use for it.

Immediately after you have discarded winds, you should discard isolated dragons before other players have the chance to pung. Keep dragon pairs. Once you have discarded isolated winds and special winds, you should discard terminal tiles. Follow those with the shortest suits in your hand.

Keep the tiles 4, 5 and 6 until as late in the game as possible. These are the most valuable tiles so they should be kept as long as possible. Keep the simple tiles until last.

How to Win at Mahjong

It is important to know how to win at mahjong. The game can end in a draw or with a winner. Knowing how the game can end will help you plan your strategy from the beginning of the game. Stick to your strategy, but also be flexible enough to change your strategy if the game plays out differently to how you expected it to.