HKMA rules explained
The Hong Kong Mahjong Association (HKMA) rules are built around two numbers: a hand needs at least 3 faan to win, and no hand scores more than 10. This page explains how that works and how the values differ from VMC.
Who the HKMA is
Based on Hong Kong Mahjong Association (HKMA) rules. www.hkmahjong.org
MyMahjong follows the HKMA English Classical Mahjong manual dated 17 May 2023, with the association's permission. MyMahjong is an independent project and is not endorsed by the HKMA. The explanations here are our own.
The core rules
- Minimum: a complete hand needs at least 3 faan to win. A 1-faan hand such as All Chows alone cannot declare a win.
- Ceiling: a hand never scores more than 10 faan. An ordinary total above 10 is scored as 10.
- Ceiling hands: the hands the manual lists as ceiling hands reach 10 at once, such as Four Concealed Pungs, All Terminals, All Honours, Thirteen Orphans and Nine Gates.
- Tiles: the manual allows 136 or 144 tiles. MyMahjong plays HKMA tables with 136 tiles and no flowers.
- Chicken Hand, a complete hand worth 0 faan, cannot win under the 3-faan minimum.
How faan add up
HKMA normally adds every compatible faan item, and then applies the 10-faan ceiling. For example:
- Small Three Dragons is 3, plus 1 for each of two dragon sets, which makes 5.
- Big Three Dragons is 5, plus 1 for each of three dragon sets, which makes 8.
- Mixed Terminals and Honours is 1, plus 3 for All Pungs, which makes 4.
Conditions to watch
- Closed Hand does not allow declared concealed kongs.
- Four Concealed Pungs does not allow any kongs.
- After a kong and Self-drawn each give 1 faan, and both count when both apply.
- Last Tile from Wall needs the final tile of the wall to be drawn; there is no separate item for the final discard.
- Nine Gates needs the nine-sided wait when you win on a discard.
HKMA and VMC compared
The same pattern name can score differently in the two rule sets. Do not carry values from one into the other.
| Pattern | HKMA | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| All Chows | 1 | 1 |
| All Pungs | 3 | 3 |
| Four Concealed Pungs | 10 | 8 |
| Four Kongs | 10 | 13 |
| Half Flush | 3 | 3 |
| Full Flush | 7 | 7 |
| Small Three Dragons | 3 + 2 = 5 | 5 in total |
| Big Three Dragons | 5 + 3 = 8 | 8 in total |
| Small Four Winds | 10 | 6 |
| Big Four Winds | 10 | 13 |
| Mixed Terminals and Honours | 1 + 3 = 4 | 4 in total |
| All Terminals | 10 | 13 |
| All Honours | 10 (ceiling) | 10 plus extras |
| Thirteen Orphans | 10 | 13 |
| Nine Gates | 10 | 13 |
Matching numbers do not always mean matching rules. HKMA keeps kongs out of Four Concealed Pungs and caps All Honours at 10, while VMC lets concealed kongs count in its concealed-pung item.
Points and liability
HKMA has its own point settlement, liability and competition procedures. The VMC Classical and Modern tables are not HKMA tables, so do not apply them to an HKMA hand. MyMahjong uses HKMA settlement in its HKMA tables.