Copyright: ® Elaine & Berrie Bloem 1995
Citation: ® Elaine & Berrie Bloem 1995


Contents
© Elaine & Berrie Bloem 26 January 1995

Welcome to Mah Jongg for Windows Help. The following topics give a full explanation of the Game.

Welcome

Overview of all the Tiles

QuickStart

Rules

The Game

Tactics

Scoring

Commands and Views

History and Symbolism

Epilog

Bibliography

License Information

Ordering Information

Disclaimer

System Requirements

Error Messages

On a technical note

To select a topic click on a topic name, or use the tab key to move to a topic name and press enter.

For help on how to use help press F1.


On a technical note

The screen display has been optimized for 256 colours. If you find that the redrawing of the tiles takes a long time, try setting your system to 256 colours. You can do this with the "Setup" program which should be in your "Main" group in Program Manager.


System Requirements

Mah Jongg for Windows will run on any system that runs Microsoft Windows(TM) version 3.10 or higher.


Error Messages

If you are unlucky Mah Jongg for Windows might show one of the following error messages:

•	Can't find "TILES.DLL"

Solution:	Move TILES.DLL, MAHJONGG.HLP, MJREADME.TXT and MAHJONGG.EXE all to the same directory.

•	You are using an old version of "BWCC.DLL". Copy the version from the Mah Jongg zip file to your Windows\System directory. Mah Jongg will now exit.

Solution:	Make sure that the correct version of BWCC.DLL is loaded in memory. If the copy of BWCC.DLL that came with the Mah Jongg zip file is newer than the copy found in your Windows or Windows\System directory, then copy the version from the Mah Jongg zip file to your Windows\System directory and delete any copies found in your Windows directory. Try running Mah Jongg again. If the problem remains then you have to search all directories listed after the "PATH=" and possibly "SET PATH=" statements in your autoexec.bat file and your Windows and Windows\System directory for copies of BWCC.DLL. Close all applications except Program Manager and File Manager. Make backup copies of all versions on a floppy and include information from which directory a particular copy came from. Delete any versions of this DLL in your Windows directory and copy the newest version you can find of this DLL to your Windows\System directory. Try running Mah Jongg again. If the problem still remains, then delete all versions of this DLL on your system, except for the copy in your Windows\System directory. Mah Jongg should run now.

•	Sorry... You are using a version prior to Windows 3.1. Mah Jongg needs Windows 3.1 or higher. Mah Jongg will now exit.

Solution:	I'm afraid you'll have to install a version of Microsoft Windows (TM) newer than the version you have now. Versions onwards from 3.10 should run Mah Jongg properly.

•	Mah Jongg has a problem allocating memory. Free up memory by closing other applications. Mah Jongg will now exit.

Solution:	The memory on a computer is limited. Other applications have taken up so much of it that Mah Jongg can't get enough to run properly. Close all applications you're not working on at the moment and try running Mah Jongg again.

•	Could not Create Timer

Solution:	There are only a limited number of timers in Windows. Other applications have taken up so many of them that Mah Jongg can't get the two timers needed to run properly. Close all applications you're not working on at the moment and try running Mah Jongg again.

•	Error opening Help. Can't find "mahjongg.hlp". Make sure it is in the same directory as mahjongg.exe.

Solution:	Move TILES.DLL, MAHJONGG.HLP, MJREADME.TXT and MAHJONGG.EXE all to the same directory.

You can contact me if problems persist, see Ordering Information on how to contact me.


Welcome

Welcome to Mah Jongg, Game of the Four Winds, an oriental Game of chance and calculation, divine beauty and earthly greed, mysticism and mortality. A Game that is as old as memories or as young as the sunrise. A Game of wisdom and of luck. A Game easy to play but difficult to master. A Game of excellence and poetry, of gambling and gain. The Four Winds come together around the Great Wall of China to witness the Game unfold according to ancient rituals. Four Winds claiming and discarding, deciding and chancing. Four Winds striving to accomplish a Mah Jongg of sheer beauty or excessive value. Four Winds gaining respect for artistry or jealousy for luck.

A Game where the loser might win...


QuickStart

Before you dive right into the game, it is recommended that you read at least the following topics. These topics will tell you all you need to know to get started.

Object of the Game

Minimum Rules to get playing

Minimum mouse and keyboard commands

Explanation of screen

Setting names and speed


Rules

1.	The direction in which the Game advances is always counter clockwise.

2.	Flower and Season tiles are never discarded, but always immediately Exposed above a player's stake and the player is dealt a Loose Tile as a replacement.

3.	The tiles in the Kong Box including the Loose Tiles are only used as replacement tiles for Flowers, Seasons and Kongs. Otherwise they form no part of the Game.

4.	A Chow is always three consecutive tiles of the same suit, a Pung is always three identical tiles and a Kong is always four identical tiles.

5.	Whenever a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile, providing the tile is not a Flower or Season and the tile does not enable the player to complete a Kong, then the player does not have to show this tile to the other players. Instead the player places the tile on his or her stake and discards one of the tiles he or she has on their stake, a player can discard a tile that they have just picked up should they wish to do so.

6.	Whenever a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile, and this tile is a Flower or Season, then the player places the tile above his or her stake for all other players to see and is then dealt the next Loose Tile. If the same event happens again then the procedure is repeated until the player does not draw a Flower or Season tile. Rule 5 is then applied.

7.	Whenever a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile, or uses a discarded tile to make a Chow, Pung or Kong, then the player has to discard one tile from his or her stake.

8.	An Original Hand can only be declared by East Wind.

9.	A Standing Hand can be declared by all players.

10.	Whenever a player claims a tile discarded by any of the other players for a Chow, a Pung or a Kong, the player must show to the other players the combination of tiles he or she made using the discarded tile. That is, the player must place these tiles above their stake so they are Exposed for all other players to see. The combination that the player has achieved will be an Exposed Chow, Pung or Kong. If the discarded tile is picked up and used to make an Exposed Kong, then the player will need a replacement tile and accordingly is dealt the next Loose Tile that is available. The player then discards one tile from his or her stake and the Game continues from this player, missing out the regular turns of players if necessary.

11.	Whenever a player claims a tile discarded by any of the other players to complete a pair of identical tiles AND to go Mah Jongg at the same time, the player can keep the pair of identical tiles on his or her stake. A player cannot pick up a tile discarded by any of the other players to complete a pair of identical tiles and NOT go Mah Jongg at the same time.

12.	When two or more players claim a discarded tile to make a similar combination of tiles (for example, an Exposed Chow) and no other player claims the discarded tile for a more valuable combination (for example, Mah Jongg), then the player positioned nearest in the playing direction to the player who discarded this tile, will get the tile. See Precedences for further information.

13.	A player can't change or take back any of the combinations already Exposed on the table. There is one exception, see rule 17.

14.	A player can't use a tile discarded by any of the other players to add to any of the combinations already Exposed on the table.

15.	A player can only make a Chow in the following situations:

Exposed Chows:

a.	When the player to the immediate left of a player discards a tile the player can pick this tile up to make a Chow - that is, to make a combination of three consecutive tiles of the same suit. A player cannot make a Chow by picking up a tile that has been discarded by any other player than the player that is to the immediate left of a player. The only exception to this rule is explained in the next point.

b.	If a player wishes to pick up a discarded tile to make a Chow AND to go Mah Jongg at the same time then a player can pick up a tile that has been discarded by any player. If a player is not allowed to pick up the discarded tile under these circumstances then see Precedences for further information.

Note:
In cases where a player wishes to pick up a discarded tile to make an Exposed Chow and one of the other players wishes to use the same discarded tile to make a more valuable combination (for example, a Pung) then the other player will get the tile. See Precedences for further information.

Concealed Chows:

A Concealed Chow is a Chow that a player may keep on their stake. This is because it is made from tiles that the player has been dealt and therefore does not have to be shown to the other players.

16.	A player can claim a Pung in the following situations:

Exposed Pungs:

By claiming a tile that has been discarded by any player to complete a combination of three identical tiles.

Note:
In cases where a player wishes to pick up a discarded tile to make an Exposed Pung and one of the other players wishes to use the same discarded tile to make a more valuable combination (for example, Mah Jongg) then the other player will get the tile. See Precedences for further information.

Concealed Pungs:

A Concealed Pung is a Pung that a player may keep on their stake. This is because is it made from tiles the player has been dealt and therefore does not have to be shown to the other players.

17.	A player can claim a Kong in the following situations:

Exposed Kongs:

a.	By picking up a tile that has been discarded by any player to complete a combination of four identical tiles. The Kong must be placed above the player's stake (Exposed) and one of the tiles at the end of the Kong must be placed face downwards to indicate that it is an Exposed Kong. The player must now be dealt the next Loose Tile that is available.

b.	If a player has already made an Exposed Pung then the player can turn the Exposed Pung into an Exposed Kong if the player is dealt a tile (from either the Wall or a Loose Tile) that matches the tiles in the Exposed Pung. In such cases the tile is added to the end of the Exposed Pung and placed face downwards to indicated that it is now an Exposed Kong. The player must now be dealt the next Loose Tile that is available. This is the only exception to rule 13. If, however, one of the other players can use this tile to go Mah Jongg, then they get this tile and snatch the Kong from the player.

Note:
In cases where a player wishes to pick up a discarded tile to make an Exposed Kong and one of the other players wishes to use the same discarded tile to make a more valuable combination (for example to go Mah Jongg) then the other player will get the tile. See Precedences for further information.

Concealed Kongs:

If a player already has a Concealed Pung on their stake and they are dealt a tile (from either the Wall or a Loose Tile) that can turn this Concealed Pung into a Concealed Kong, then the player must place the completed Kong above their stake and the tiles at ends of the Kong are turned face downwards to indicate that this is a Concealed Kong. The player must now be dealt the next Loose Tile that is available.

18.	A player can claim a Mah Jongg in the following situations:

•	If a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile and this tile is the tile that a player requires to complete their Hand and go Mah Jongg.

•	By picking up a tile that has been discarded by any player to complete their Hand and go Mah Jongg. In cases where one or more players wish to use a tile that has been discarded to go Mah Jongg then whichever player can make the highest valuable combination of Mah Jongg will be given the tile. For further information see Precedences.

A completed Mah Jongg consists of:

•	Four combinations of three (Chow or Pung) or four (Kong) tiles plus a pair of identical tiles.

•	One of the Special Hands.


The Game

Starting a Game

Deciding which player is going to play as East Wind

Starting a Hand

Building the Wall

Deciding which side of the Wall is to be opened

Deciding which Tile is to be opened

Loose Tiles and the Kong Box

Dealing the Tiles to Players

Playing a Hand

East Wind Player starting a Hand

Claiming an Original Hand

Claiming a Standing Hand

Drawing Tiles from the Wall

Discarding Tiles

Picking Up Discarded Tiles

Picking Up Discarded Tiles for a Chow

Picking Up Discarded Tiles for a Pung

Picking Up Discarded Tiles for a Kong

Picking Up Discarded Tiles for a Mah Jongg

Finishing a Hand

A Dead Hand

A Player goes Mah Jongg

Scoring

Rotation of East Wind

Rotation of the Wind of the Round

Going to the next Hand

Finishing a Game

Final Winner of the Game

Starting a new Game


Tactics

The aim of this section is to give some hints on the tactics that are involved in playing Mah Jongg - remember these are guidelines only and the Game can be played with varying degrees of difficulty applied. For example, if you are a beginner then you can choose to see the hands of other players while you learn how to play. Experienced players will most certainly want to turn this option off. Likewise if you know how to play the Game then you can set yourself a lower time limit in which to respond in order to pick up a discarded tile.

Some Guidelines

•	Aim to play as quickly as possible - initially this may not be possible as you learn how to play the Game, but in time you will soon come to see just how fast Mah Jongg can be played - it's more exciting this way.

•	Aim to collect tiles that are going to give you doubles.

•	When the player to the right or opposite of you discards a tile, then you cannot pick this tile up for a Chow. The tile is therefore only of interest to you for a possible Pung, Kong or Mah Jongg.

•	When the player to the left of you discards a tile, then you can pick up this tile for either a Chow, Pung, Kong or Mah Jongg.

•	A difficult decision has to be made when you have on your stake two pairs of identical tiles of the same suit and the player to the left of you discards a tile which you could use to Chow with both a tile from each of the pairs. The decision you take must depend on the circumstances and the plans you have already decided upon for the hand. For example, it would be a good idea to remember what tiles have already gone out and base your decision on this - if you don't know turn the Quick Tip option on to see!

•	You should always try to be aware of what the other players are collecting. The object of the Game is obviously to complete your hand but at the same time you have to prevent other players from doing just this! It is helpful to know that in the program tiles are arranged on a player's stake from left to right - in highest value order, that is, from the left of the stake, the tiles are placed: first suits (Wan/Bamboo/Circles), then winds, then dragons. Depending on your level of playing experience you can choose to view where on a player's stake a tile that the player has been dealt will be placed, do this by pressing the F10 Key.

•	Keep your eye on the tile that is being discarded if you miss your chance to pick this tile up then tough - the Game keeps going and you may have to alter the strategy you have for the tiles in your hand.

•	It's not a good idea to discard Winds, Dragons or the 1 and 9 tiles of the suits early in a Game. These tiles score high points and are therefore usually sought after by most players.

•	Thought should always be given before discarding a tile that is the Wind of the Round or one's own Wind. Likewise it's often worth keeping a single Dragon tile in your hand or your own Wind tile in the hope of picking up another later, to score a pair or possibly a Pung and give yourself some double points.

•	Sometimes you can benefit from sacrificing a Concealed Pung in order to complete your Hand.

•	It is better to try to go Mah Jongg on a small score rather than hanging on to a few high scoring combinations and letting someone else go Mah Jongg first.


Scoring

The scoring in Mah Jongg in particularly complex, as you will see and has special significance - in China, Mah Jongg is played exceptionally fast and as a betting Game!

Note that it is quite possible for players to have negative total value scores (this does not apply to hand scores), this is because points are paid to the other players if you lose! It is also possible during a Game for a player's fortune to change dramatically - from being in the lead one minute to last position the next! It is also worth knowing that the player who goes Mah Jongg does not necessarily have a higher score than the other players when scores are totalled for a hand.

To calculate the scores, there are a couple of basic rules applied: first the winner's hand is calculated, then the other players' hands. Next, everybody who loses pays the winner and then the three other losers pay the difference in their scores to each other.

Note:	You may be glad to know that the program will automatically total and display all players scores at the end of a Hand.

Calculating Scores for Players Hands

Settling Scores

Scoring Exceptions

Scoring Sticks


Commands and Views

The following topics describe all possible forms of interaction with the Game and explain the parts of the Mah Jongg window.

Mouse Buttons

Keyboard

Menus

Dialog Boxes

Explanation of the Screen Display

Compass, Wind of the Round, Players and Scores

Stakes

Status Bar


History and Symbolism

Mah Jongg and the tiles that make up the Game are rich with symbolism and history relating to Chinese mythological legend and philosophy. Not only is Mah Jongg regarded as a Game, which can be played in it's own right or as a betting Game, but the Mah Jongg tiles can also be used as an Oracle. Mah Jongg as an Oracle is used In a similar way to the I Ching which is used to reveal to a querent advice relating to questions that are posed.

Both historical facts and the symbolism of Mah Jongg are explained in this section - although it must be stressed that these descriptions give you a general idea and do not attempt to present a definitive guide to Mah Jongg. If you would like to find out more, look up the Bibliography section for further information.

History

The Inverted Compass

144 Tiles

The Symbolism of Colours

Wall

Symbolism

Bamboo's, Circles and Wan

Winds

Dragons

Flowers

Seasons


Epilog

Thank you for playing Mah Jongg for Windows. We hope you have enjoyed playing the Game and also reading a little bit about it's background and history. If you have any recommendations or suggestions for improving this Game, please do not hesitate to contact us; we are most interested in hearing from you, even if it's just to say you liked it - or not! Tell us why and we'll listen.

For those of you who are seriously hooked on the Game and would like to have the full blown version with unbeatable opponents, if you don't use the cheat codes that is, we have a full version available, for more information see Ordering Information.

In the meantime continue to enjoy playing Mah Jongg and we hope to hear from you soon!

The Authors

Elaine & Berrie Bloem

We can be contacted on CompuServe and the Internet, see Ordering Information for more information.


Glossary

Chow

Concealed

Dead Hand

East Wind Player

Eight Guardians

Exposed

Game

Hand

Kong

Kong Box

Loose Tiles

Mah Jongg

Original Hand

Pung

QuickTip

Rack

Red Name

Rotation of East Wind

Round

Scoring Sticks

Snatching a Kong to go Mah Jongg

Special Hands

Stake

Standing Hand

The Suits

The Three Suits

Tile

Wait Time

Wall

Wind of the Round

Winning with a drawn Tile

Winning with a Loose Tile

Winning with the last Tile from the Wall

Winning with the only possible Tile


Bibliography

If the information in this help file is not enough to satisfy your hunger for knowledge about Mah Jongg, then you might like to consult one of the books listed below.

P.Berger et J.M.Étienne, "Le Mah-Jongg", Éditions Chiron, Paris, 1994.

S.Culin, "The game of Mah-Jongg, its origins and significance", 1924.

Éditions Kirby, Beard & Co, "Le Mah-Jongg, règle complète du véritable jeu Chinois", 1930.

Éditions Flammarion, "Le Guide complet du Mah-Jongg", 1930.

G.Headley and Y.Seeley, "Mah-Jongg", A & C Black Publishers, London, 1987.

S.Kazaï and M.Farrell, "Mah-Jongg for beginners", 1975.

A.D.Millington, "Complete Book of Mah Jongg", London, 1977.

O.Racster, "Hints on Skill and Tactics of Playing Mah-Jongg", London, 1924.

O.Racster, "Mah-Jongg", London, 1924.

M.Robertson, "The Game of Mah Jongg", New Zealand, 1974.

E.N.Whitney, "A Mah Jongg Handbook", London, 1977.

And two more books on the esoteric side of Mah Jongg:

Aquarian, Wellingborough, "Fortune telling by the Mah Jongg".

D.Walters, "The Fortune Teller's Mah Jongg", Penguin Books, London, 1988.

You can always read the manuals that come with Mah Jongg sets, they can contain valuable information.


History

Although the game Mah Jongg as it is presented here can only be traced back to the end of the last century, the line of games that evolved to Mah Jongg is long and extensive. From around 800 AD card games were played which resembled the way Mah Jongg is played, in the fact that you have to collect Chows, Pungs and Kongs. The cards used in these games resembled the money used in those days.

It was not before the turn of this century until the West got a glimpse of Mah Jongg, when it was introduced in the international colony of Shanghai and from then onwards in the USA, Japan and finally Europe. When it was introduced in the West, it was claimed that it's origins were shrouded in the mists of time, but most evidence seems to point to the game being developed in the late 1900's in the Ningpo area of China. Most books on Mah Jongg published early this century confirm this. During those first years after its introduction a real craze developed around Mah Jongg, but like all fashions it came and went. But recently a growing number of people are realizing the intellectual challenge Mah Jongg poses and the beauty and excitement of the game itself. In China Mah Jongg was decreed as illegal during the Cultural Revolution, because it is a betting game, but these days it is tolerated again.


Inverted Compass

You may notice that the winds shown in the compass are reversed. If you have and are wondering why, it is because Mah Jongg is a ritual Game that reflects Chinese philosophical principles, for example, there is a ritual of building the Wall - which mirrors the boundaries of an ancient Chinese city, with the four sides of the Wall given the name of the four winds. However the winds are named in reversed order because they do not reflect terrestrial directions but rather represent a celestial map, that is, the winds are shown in the directions that you would expect to see if you were looking from a heavenly perspective rather than an earthly one.


144 Tiles

A Mah Jongg Game set consists of tiles - of which there are 34 different types. These are the four Winds, East, South, West and North, the three Dragons, White, Green and Red, the nine tiles of Circles, numbered one to nine, the nine tiles of Bamboo, numbered one to nine, and the nine tiles of Wan, numbered one to nine. For each of the 34 different tile types there are four identical pieces provided in a Mah Jongg set. The total number of playing tiles in Game is therefore 136 tiles.

However in a set there are also 8 special tiles that are used solely for the purpose of scoring bonus points, the Flower and Season Tiles, we therefore have a total of 144 tiles in a Mah Jongg set.

See also: Overview of all the Tiles.


The Symbolism of Colours

Mah Jongg sets are mainly coloured using only three colours: Red, Blue and Green. These together represent the Three Extremities: Man, Heaven and Earth.

•	Red signifies blood and therefore Man and more generally Life.

•	Blue signifies the sky, the Heavens and therefore dignity and purity.

•	Green symbolizes the Earth and nature, fertility and natural richess.


Wall

The square Wall symbolizes the Great Wall of China or the Walls around a city and also the fourfoldness of the Three Extremities. The Heavens manifest their fourfoldness in the four Seasons, the Earth in the four directions or regions and Man in his four manifestations; Life, Death, Man and Woman.


Symbolism

The tiles in a Mah Jongg Game set can also be used as an oracle to interpret the future should you wish to do so. This is because each unique tile in the set has a symbolism or meaning - the means of using the oracle are not included fully in the scope of this program, but the symbolism of each tile is given incase you are interested.

Mah Jongg as an Oracle

An oracle naturally requires an interpreter if the meaning of it's secrets are to be divined. The person who performs this role is known as the "diviner" and the person who wishes to have a reading is known as the "querent".

To begin a reading the diviner and querent sit across a table facing each other. Ideally, and if practicable, the table should be oriented in a North and South direction, with the diviner and querent sitting facing each other in East (querent) and West (diviner) positions. If possible the table should not be placed in a direct line towards a door as this is regarded as unsympathetic to the oracle.

Next, all the Mah Jongg tiles are spread face down at random on the table and the querent shuffles the tiles until satisfied.

The diviner now asks the querent if they have a specific question in mind or whether a general reading is required. The querent may tell the diviner what the question is or not as they wish.

The querent now pushes the tiles to the sides in order to clear a central area, the tiles pushed to the sides must form a circle with no breaks. Next the querent selects 13 tiles from the outer circle and pushes these towards the center of the circle. Note: the tiles are kept face down throughout this process.

Next, the querent re-shuffles the 13 tiles that he or she selected and placed in the center. When satisfied, the querent pushes 3 tiles towards the West sector of the spread, then 3 tiles towards the East sector, then 3 tiles towards the North sector and then 3 tiles towards the South sector. Finally one tile is pushed towards the center. Again, note that the tiles are kept face down throughout this process. The querent now arranges the tiles in each sector as shown in the diagram below.

West
7 [image] 8 [image] 9

North 10 [image] 11 [image] 12 [image]     [image]     4 [image] 5 [image] 6 [image] South

1 [image] 2 [image] 3
East

The tiles are now ready to be read by the diviner.

First the diviner turns over center tile, then the tiles in the positions marked 1-3-2, then 4-5-6, then 7-9-8 and then 10-11-12.

The tile that marks the center represents the point or focus of the reading - or what is central to present problems.

The tiles in the East (Spring) sector, positions 1 and 3 represent the querent's exterior personality and factors that dominate the present situation, while the tile in position 2 reveals the querent's inner unspoken wishes.

In the South (Summer) sector, the tiles represent the near future and refer particularly to events which are already taking place or being considered.

The tiles in the West (Autumn) sector represent obstacles and objectives and their solution. The first obstacle in revealed by the tile occupying position 7, other factors or objectives are shown by the tile occupying position 9, and the solution to these problems or a means of overcoming these obstacles is given by the tile in position 8.

The North (Winter) sector represents the eventual outcome of present or future developments. The tiles in positions 10 and 11 may warn of difficulties or perhaps continue to unravel the train of events indicated by previous tiles. The tile in position 12, represents the final outcome of events.

West

North [image] [image] [image]   [image]   [image] [image] [image] South

East

To find out the symbolism of the tiles see the following sub-sections.

Note:	It must be emphasized that the tile symbolism descriptions give a general idea of the qualities expressed by the tiles, and that the symbolism of a tile can be positively or negatively aspected depending upon where the tile occurs in a reading. Likewise the significance of a tile will be emphasized if the same tile appears more than once in a spread. Tile symbolism has been included to give you a general flavour but no way does it attempt to give you a definitive guide to the meanings represented by the tiles.

In Mah Jongg there are four occurrences of each unique tile (except the Flower and Season tiles of which there will be only one occurrence) - it is therefore quite possible that a tile can appear more than once in a reading - when this happens the symbolism of the tile is emphasized.


Bamboos, Circles and Wan
Bamboo's, Circles and Wan

In a Mah Jongg Game Set there are four pieces of each of the tiles that make up these suits, as described below. For scoring purposes the 1's and 9's of the Bamboo, Circles and Wan suits are known as major tiles and tile suits that you collect of these will be assigned higher score values. The 2's - 8's of the Bamboo, Circles and Wan suits are known as minor tiles and consequently score lower value points.

For each of these suits you may collect Chows, Pungs, Kongs or a pair of identical tiles (the latter only for the purpose of going Mah Jongg).

Bamboo's

Circles

Wan


Winds

East Wind, South Wind, West Wind and North Wind.

Click on each tile in the display for more information on the symbolism of each tile.

In a Mah Jongg set there are four pieces of each of these tiles, that is, there are four East Wind tiles, four South Wind tiles, four West Wind tiles and four North Wind tiles.

For scoring purposes the Wind tiles are known as the Simple Honour Tiles and this means that Wind tile suits that you collect will be assigned higher score values.

For a Wind suit - you may collect Pungs, Kongs or a pair of identical wind tiles (the latter only for the purpose of going Mah Jongg) - Chows are not allowed.


Dragons

Green Dragon, Red Dragon and White Dragon.

Click on each tile in the display for more information on the symbolism of each tile.

In a Mah Jongg Game Set there are four pieces of each of these tiles, that is, there are four White Dragons, four Green Dragons, and four Red Dragons.

For scoring purposes the Dragons are known as the Superior Honour Tiles and this means that Dragon tile suits that you collect will be assigned higher score values.

For the Dragon suit - you may collect Pungs, Kongs or a pair of identical Dragons (the latter only for the purpose of going Mah Jongg) - Chows are not allowed.


Flowers

Plum Blossom, Orchid, Chrysanthemum and Bamboo.

Click on each tile in the display for more information on the symbolism of each tile.

The Flower and Season tiles have a special significance and only one piece is provided of each tile in a Mah Jongg set. These tiles together with the Season tiles are known as the Supreme Honour Tiles. The tiles are numbered from 1 - 4 in one of the top corners and belong to the players as shown below:

Number	Player	Flower(1)	Season(2)

1	East Wind	Plum Blossom	Spring

2	South Wind	Orchid	Summer

3	West Wind	Chrysanthemum	Autumn

4	North Wind	Bamboo	Winter

Note 1:	The number for each tile will be shown in either black or green.

Note 2:	The number for each tile will be shown in red.

Although the Flower and Season tiles are used when playing a Mah Jongg Game they are not regarded as a suit to be collected, you cannot collect Chows, Pungs, or Kongs of these tiles.

The only purpose these tiles serve is to provide bonus scoring points. For a detailed explanation of the scoring of these tiles see the Scoring section.

During a Game if a player is dealt one of these tiles then they will be given a replacement tile. For example, at the start of Game it is possible that a player could be dealt a Flower and a Season tile, for example, the Summer tile and Bamboo tile. In such a case the player will be given two replacement tiles, which are taken from the Loose Tiles that mark the end of a Wall. Similarly during a Game if a player is dealt a Flower or Season tile they will receive a replacement tile. Again this is taken from the Loose Tiles that mark the end of the Wall.

Both Flower and Season tiles are displayed in the program above a player's stake, this is because these tiles must always be Exposed.

Symbolism

The Flower tiles together with the Season tiles make up a set of tiles that are known as the "Eight Guardians". The Flowers; Plum Blossom, Orchid, Chrysanthemum and Bamboo are known in Mah Jongg as the "Four Nobles" and they were chosen not only to compliment the four Seasons but to provide an example of different kinds of plants.

Together the tiles that make up the eight guardians are representative of the Eight Guardians of Taoism - eight mortal beings who through their asceticism and pious works were transported to the celestial realms.


Seasons

Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Click on each tile in the display for more information on the symbolism of each tile.

These tiles together with the Season tiles are known as the Supreme Honour Tiles.

Number	Player	Flower(1)	Season(2)

1	East Wind	Plum Blossom	Spring

2	South Wind	Orchid	Summer

3	West Wind	Chrysanthemum	Autumn

4	North Wind	Bamboo	Winter

Note 1:	The number on each tile will be shown in either black or green.

Note 2:	The number on each tile will be shown in red.

Although the Season and Flower tiles are used when playing a Mah Jongg Game they are not regarded as a suit to be collected, you cannot collect Chows, Pungs, or Kongs of these tiles.

The only purpose these tiles serve is to provide bonus scoring points. For a detailed explanation of the scoring of these tiles see the Scoring section.

During a Game if a player is dealt one of these tiles then they will be given a replacement tile. For example, at the start of Game it is possible that a player could be dealt two Flower and Season tiles, for example, the Autumn tile and the Plum Blossom tile. In such a case the player will be given two replacement tiles which are taken from the Loose Tiles that mark the end of a Wall. Similarly during a Game if a player is dealt a Flower or Season tile they will receive a replacement tile. Again this is taken from the Loose Tiles that mark the end of the Wall.

Both Season and Flower tiles are displayed in the program above a player's stake, this is because these tiles must always be Exposed.

Symbolism

The Season tiles together with the Flower tiles make up a set of tiles that are known as the "Eight Guardians". The Seasons; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter are not only associated with the Flower tiles, but also represent the occupations - Fisherman, Woodcutter, Farmer and Scholar which are considered to be poor but noble, industrious and honest callings in life.

Together the tiles that make up the eight guardians are representative of the Eight Guardians of Taoism - eight mortal beings who through their asceticism and pious works were transported to the celestial realms.


Bamboos
Bamboo's

Tiles in this suit are numbered from 1- 9 as illustrated below.

Click on each tile in the display for more information on the symbolism of each tile.

The Bamboo suit is considered the first of the three suits (the others being Circles and Wan). It is important not to confuse the Bamboo suit with the Bamboo Flower tile, these are quite different.

Bamboo is a most versatile plant that is used for a vast range of purposes. It's leaves and shoots are used for food, and it's stems can be utilized for sewing needles, writing implements, cooking utensils, furniture to house and boat building. Thus the many uses of the Bamboo plant are signified by the virtues of strength, uprightness, integrity and service.


Circles

Tiles in this suit are numbered from 1- 9 as illustrated below.

Click on each tile in the display for more information on the symbolism of each tile.

The Circles suit is the original suit of the Mah Jongg tiles, the Bamboo and Wan suits were added later. The similarity of the circles to coins leads to the belief that the majority of the Circles suit tiles are connected to money or business.


Wan

This suit is sometimes known in English as "Characters". Tiles in this suit are numbered from 1 - 9 as illustrated below.

Click on each tile in the display for more information on the symbolism of each tile.

The third and final suit of the three suits (Bamboo and Circles being the others), it is usually known to Western players as the "character" or "signs" suit. Wan literally means "ten thousand" although it can also be taken to mean any large number. The significance of "ten thousand" is that it is taken to mean the entire universe, the entire world or eternity. The Wan suit therefore represents abstract ideals rather than everyday living.

The Chinese have three different characters to represent "ten thousand". The classical character that is used represents a scorpion, but as this is a complex character to write a second abbreviated form is also in use. The third character that is used is the swastika, this is only used in Buddhist religious texts to represent the "ten thousand things" that symbolize the heart of the Buddha.


Object of the Game

Mah Jongg is played in Hands. A minimum of four Hands make up a Round, four Rounds make up a Game. This is because each Wind must be Wind of the Round once and each player must have four turns playing as East Wind. The minimum number of Hands that make up a Game is therefore sixteen. There can however be more Hands in a Round if the East Wind player continues to win!

Each player's Hand always consists of thirteen tiles, and when it is the turn of the player they are dealt a fourteenth tile. The player can choose to keep the tile that has just been dealt or can immediately discard the tile. In this manner players always retain the correct number of tiles in their Hand.

The object of the Game is to make a complete Hand of fourteen tiles, this is called going Mah Jongg. The Hand that is needed to go Mah Jongg must consist of either:

•	Four combinations of three (Chow or Pung) or four (Kong) tiles and a pair of identical tiles.

•	One of the Special Hands.

Immediately after a player completes a Hand, they call out "Mah Jongg" - you can do this at home if you like! The players now show their Hands in order to calculate and settle the scores. The Game then continues to the next Hand.


Minimum Rules to get playing

Flowers and Seasons:	Flowers and Seasons are purely honorary tiles. You cannot use these tiles to make a Chow, Pung or Kong. When you are dealt one of these tiles you receive a replacement Loose Tile, which is taken from the Kong Box.

Chows:	You can only make a Chow by picking up a tile that has been discarded by the player sitting to your left. The exception to this is that you can pick up a tile discarded by any player if you need it to make a Chow AND go Mah Jongg. If you can make a Chow from tiles you have been dealt you can keep the Chow Concealed on your stake.

Pungs:	You can only make a Pung by picking up a tile which has been discarded by any player and if you already have two identical tiles on your stake. If you can make a Pung from tiles you have been dealt you can keep the Pung Concealed on your stake.

Kongs:	You can only make a Kong by picking up a tile which has been discarded by any player and if you already have three identical tiles on your stake. You can turn an Exposed Pung into an Exposed Kong only if you dealt the fourth identical tile from the Wall. Kongs completely collected from the Wall are displayed above your stake. Whenever you make a Kong you receive a replacement Loose Tile, that is taken from the Kong Box.

Mah Jongg:	You go Mah Jongg when you have completed four combinations of three or four tiles plus a pair of identical tiles. You can also go Mah Jongg if you have completed a Special Hand.


Minimum mouse and keyboard commands

Left Mouse Button, Enter or Spacebar:
To select a tile on your stake, to pick up a tile discarded by another player, or to undo a tile discard but only if the wait time has not expired.

Arrow Keys, Home, End, Page Up/Down, Numbers:
To move across the tiles displayed on your stake.


Explanation of screen

When you start Mah Jongg a screen similar to the one illustrated below will be displayed:

Figure 1: Screen Displayed When Starting Mah Jongg

Click or use the Tab Key to select any part of this window that you would like to see further information about.

If you are a beginner and you want to see how the Game works you can chose the menu item "Options | Show all Hands" or press F6, this will display tiles on the other players stakes so you can see how the Game is played.

Compass, Wind of the Round, Players and Scores

Stakes

Status Bar


Exposed Tiles

The tiles displayed above a player's stake are called Exposed tiles for all players to see. You have no option but to Expose Chows, Pungs and Kongs which you have made by picking up a tile that another player has discarded. You must also Expose a Kong that you have made from tiles you have been dealt (as soon as you are dealt the fourth tile) and any Flower and Season tiles. This is because you will need to be dealt a Loose Tile as a replacement tile in order to keep the number of tiles in your Hand at the required level.


Compass, Wind of the Round, Players and Scores

The compass provides a lot of information about the Game. It tells you which winds have been assigned to players for a Hand, the Wind of the Round and scores for each player. It also indicates, in red, the name of the player who originally started the Game as East Wind player. This is important as it reminds you of how many more rounds are to be played to make up a complete Game. The compass is illustrated below:

Figure 2: The Compass Display

Click or use the Tab Key to select any part of the display for which you would like to see further

information about.

You can change player names and initial scores by using the Setup Dialogbox. The Timer Bar provides a visual reminder of how much you have left in which to make your response to a tile that has been discarded.

For further information regarding the symbolism of the compass please see the Inverted Compass section.


Compass

The compass shows which wind is assigned to each player at the current moment.


Timer Bar

The Timer Bar provides a visual reminder of how much wait time is left for you to make your response and pick up a tile that has been discarded.


Wind of the Round

The wind represented by this tile is the Wind of the Round at the current moment. Collecting a Pung or a Kong of this wind will double your total score at the end of the Hand.


You

This shows your name, score and the wind you are playing as during this Hand. Collecting a Pung or a Kong of your own wind will double your total score at the end of the Hand. The name displayed in red is the name of the player who started playing as East Wind at the beginning of this Game.


Player to your right

This shows the name, score and wind of the player to your right during this Hand.


Opposite Player

This shows the name, score and wind of the player opposite you during this Hand.


Player to your left

This shows the name, score and wind of the player to your left during this Hand.


Stakes

A stake is simply a holder that a player uses to store tiles they have been dealt. In the program, tiles dealt to the East Wind player will always be shown on a red background stake. All other players tiles are shown on black background stakes.

Figure 3: A Stake Display


Status Bar

The status bar at the bottom of the screen display provides you will valuable information throughout a Game, this is illustrated below.

Figure 4: Status Bar Display at the beginning of a Hand

The left-hand box shows how many tiles are left in the Wall - this number will obviously decrease during the Game!

The right-hand box is used to display informational or status messages as the Game proceeds. The message shown in the illustration above would appear at the start of a Game and tells you that you are playing as West Wind, and the Wind of the Round is East Wind. During a Game this message box will tell you what tiles you have been dealt, what tiles other players have picked up. It can also provide hints if you are undecided, for example, on what tile to discard. You do this by switching on the Quick Tip option - this option suggests a tile for you to discard, you can take it's suggestion or not, it's really up to you!

Messages in the right-hand box will also inform you when you cannot pick up a tile and the reason why not, and when a player goes Mah Jongg.

Figure 5: Status Bar Display while playing

See also Status Bar Messages.


Status Bar Messages

Apart from the messages displayed when you change parameters using the menus or dialog boxes, you might come across messages similar to the following:

Your Wind is East Wind and the Wind of the Round is South Wind. Good Luck!

You can use 6 Circle for a Pung.

You can't pick up 3 Wan! No Chow, Pung, Kong or Mah Jongg...

You can't pick up 7 Bamboo! No Pung, Kong or Mah Jongg...

You can only Chow a Tile discarded by "Player x", unless you go Mah Jongg.

You can't use a discarded Tile to turn an Exposed Pung into an Exposed Kong.

All the tiles have been played and nobody has gone Mah Jongg...

"Player x" has gone Mah Jongg.

"Player x" has gone Mah Jongg with Tile 2 Circle

"Player x" has gone Mah Jongg with a Chow.

No settlement of scores because all hands have been visible.

"Player x" calls a Standing Hand

You've called a Standing Hand and can only take 9 Bamboo

You've called a Standing Hand and have to discard Red Dragon

Select two tiles to complete the Chow with 4 Circle.

Complete Chow 3 and 4 Circle with either 2 or 5 Circle.

For more information see Rules.


Mouse Buttons

Left Mouse Button:	To select a tile, or to undo a tile discard but only if the waiting time has not expired.

Right Mouse Button:	To bring up a floating menu, offering you the choice between undoing a discard or pausing the Game.


Keyboard

F1	Context Sensitive Help.

F2	New Game

F3	Next Hand. This is only available at the end of a Hand.

Ctrl + F3	Show Timer Bar

F4	Start Hand or restart the same Hand. This is not available at the end of a Hand.

F5	Automatic Play. To stop either press this key again or click the left mouse button.

F6	Show All Hands

F7	Show Tile Movement on Screen

F8	QuickTip

F9	Pause Game

F10	Show Tile Movement Direction

F11 or Ctrl + F4	Ask before going Mah Jongg

F12 or Ctrl + F5	Show Speech Balloons

Up Arrow / Down Arrow / Left Arrow / Right Arrow / Home / End / Page Up / Page Down / Any number from 1 to 9

To move to a tile.

Enter / Spacebar

To select a tile, or to undo a tile move, but only if the waiting time has not expired.

Key Pad + and Key Pad -

Used to set wait times, that is, the amount of time you require to make a decision on whether you want to pick up a discarded tile or not. Pressing either of these keys will result in the message in the status bar at the bottom of the screen changing, keep pressing the + key to increase, or - key to decrease and set the time you require in seconds. The default value is set to 1 second.

Ctrl plus Key Pad + or Key Pad -

Used to set the tile movement speed in pixels per move. Increasing this value will speed up the movements.

Ctrl plus Alt plus Key Pad + or Key Pad -

Used to set the text font size for messages displayed in the status bar.

Esc	Minimizes the window.


Menus

The following menu bar is displayed for the game window:

Figure 6: Menu Bar

Select a menu item for which you would like to see further information.

Note:	The menu items "Start" and "Next Hand" are not always available on the menu bar. They are available on the "Hand" popup menu and only one of these items is available at any time.

The following popup is visible when you select "Game" from the menu bar.

Figure 7: Game Menu Popup

Select a menu item you for which you would like to see further information.

The following popup is visible when you select "Hand" from the menu bar.

Figure 8: Hand Menu Popup

Select a menu item you for which you would like to see further information.

The following popup is visible when you select "Options" from the menu bar.

Figure 9: Options Menu Popup

Select a menu item you for which you would like to see further information.

The following popup is visible when you select "Help" from the menu bar.

Figure 10: Help Menu Popup

Select a menu item you for which you would like to see further information.

The following menu is visible when you click the right mouse button.

Figure 11: Floating Menu

Select a menu item you for which you would like to see further information.


Game | New

Choose this menu option to start a completely new Game. Scores will be re-set to initial starting score values that you specify.


Game | Open

Choose this menu option to display the "Open Mah Jongg Game" dialog box which allows you to open a Game that you previously saved.

This option is not available in the shareware version of this program.


Game | Save

Choose this menu option to quickly save the Game that you are currently playing. If you have not yet specified a file name to save the Game as, the "Save Mah Jongg Game As" dialog box will prompt you for a file name. If you are playing a Game which was started by choosing a saved Game using the "Game | Open" menu option, then this file name will be used to save the Game.

This menu option is not available in the shareware version and consequently is shown in "gray no-go" text.

This option is not available in the shareware version of this program.


Game | Save As

Choose this menu option to display the "Save Mah Jongg Game As" dialog box which allows you to enter a file name you would like the Game to be saved as.

This option is not available in the shareware version of this program.


Game | Setup

Choose this menu option to display the "Mah Jongg Setup" dialog box which allows you to enter players names and set timing parameters. You can choose this menu option during a Game, you can make your changes and the Game will continue after you have closed the dialog box. The screen display will apply and reflect any changes that you have made.


Game | Exit

Choose this menu option to exit from Mah Jongg for Windows. On selection of this option you will be prompted to answer whether you would like to save the Game before exiting.


Hand | Next Hand

Choose this menu option when you are ready to continue with the next Hand. Upon selection of this option a new Hand will be dealt.


Hand | (Re)Start this Hand

Choose this menu option to start playing a Hand that has already been dealt. Playing starts by the East Wind Player being dealt the first tile from the Wall. This option allows you to first look at your hand and define your strategy before you begin playing. This menu option also allows you to re-start the current Hand again.


Options | Change Rules

Choose this menu option to display the "Change Rules" dialog box which you can use to set your preferences regarding rules to be applied to a Game. When you select the "OK" button in this dialog box a new Game will start and players scores will be re-set to initial starting scores.


Options | Ask if more Chows possible

If you Chow a discarded tile and this tile can be used in more than one Chow combination, then this menu option controls the way this Chow is selected. If it is checked the program stops and waits for you to select two tiles. If it is not checked the program makes the selection for you.


Options | Ask before going Mah Jongg

This menu option controls the appearance of the "You can go Mah Jongg Dialog Box" from on and off. Allowing you to either be prompted or not when you can go Mah Jongg. You may always want to go Mah Jongg when you can, but another way of thinking is that you may want to continue with the Game to see if you can gain extra scoring points. It's really all down to your decision and your personal style of playing!


Options | Auto Play

Choose this menu option to let the computer play for you. This will continue until you interrupt the routine by clicking with the Mouse or by pressing the Enter or Spacebar Key.


Options | Show all Hands

Choose this menu option to display the tiles in all players Hands. If you use this option scores will not be settled and allocated at the end of a Hand.


Options | Show Tile Movements

Choose this menu option to toggle between floating tiles and no floating tiles. The default is "floating tiles". If you set this option to "no floating tiles" the speed of the Game will be faster and the Game will be more difficult to follow, making this an option for more advanced players. Another option to increase the speed is to increase the tile movement speed in the "Setup Dialog Box".


Options | Show Tile Movement Direction

This menu option shows you where on their stakes other players are placing tiles they have picked up. This option differs from the "Options | Show Tile Movements" feature (which shows tile movement to the center of each stake). The advantage of this option is if you know that tiles are always arranged from lowest value (left) to highest value (right) on stakes, then it is possible to have an idea of what values other players are placing on a tile that they have picked up.


Options | Show Dealing of Tiles

Choose this menu option to toggle the dealing of tiles between visible and not visible.


Options | Show Speech Balloons

This menu option toggles the speech balloons on and off.


Options | Show Timer Bar

Choose this option to toggle the display of the Timer Bar on or off.


Options | Warning Beeps

Choose this option to toggle the warning beeps on or off.


Help | Index

Choose this menu option to start this help file and display the "Contents" topic.


Help | QuickTip

Choose this menu option to toggle between QuickTip on and off.


Help | Mouse

Choose this menu option to start this help file and display the "Mouse Buttons" topic.


Help | Keyboard

Choose this menu option to start this help file and display the "Keyboard" topic.


Help | Ordering Information
Help | Ordering Info

Choosing this menu option will start this help file displaying the "Ordering Information" topic.


Help | About

Choose this menu option to display the "About" dialog box, which shows information about this program such as the version number and the author's name.


Menu bar | Next Hand
Next Hand

Choose this menu option when you are ready to continue to the next Hand. Upon selection of this option a new Hand will be dealt.


Menu bar | Start
Start

Choose this menu option to start playing a Hand that has already been dealt. Playing starts by the East Wind Player being dealt the first tile from the Wall. This option can be selected when you have first looked at your hand and defined your strategy.


Floating Menu | Undo

This menu option is only available after you have just discarded a tile and no other player has claimed this tile yet. It allows you to take the discarded tile back and discard another one instead.


Floating Menu | Pause

This menu option pauses the Game. To re-start the Game press F9.


Floating Menu | Close

This menu option closes the floating menu display.


Dialog Boxes

The following topics describe all the dialog boxes you might encounter while playing Mah Jongg for Windows.

About Dialog Box

Change Rules Dialog Box

Exit Dialog Box

Game Finished Dialog Box

Can Go Mah Jongg Dialog Box

Open Dialog Box

Save As Dialog Box

Save Dialog Box

Scores Dialog Box

Setup Dialog Box

Standing Hand Dialog Box

Total Scores Dialog Box


OK Button

Select this button to answer "yes" to a question or information displayed in a dialog box.


Cancel Button

Select this button to close a dialog box and restore the Game to the state it was in immediately prior to this dialog box appearing.


OK Button in the Scores dialog box

Select this button to close the dialog box and continue to the next Hand.


Cancel Button in the Scores dialog box

Select this button to close the dialog box and NOT continue to the next Hand. A new menu "Next Hand" will appear in the menu bar. You can choose this menu option or choose the option "Hand | Next Hand" to continue to the next Hand.


First name button in the Scores dialog box

Select this button or the underlined letter to see your own score for this hand.


Second name button in the Scores dialog box

Select this button or the underlined letter to see the score of the player to the right of you for this hand.


Third name button in the Scores dialog box

Select this button or the underlined letter to see the score of the player opposite you for this hand.


Fourth name button in the Scores dialog box

Select this button or the underlined letter to see the score of the player to the left of you for this hand.


Totals button in the Scores dialog box

Select this button to re-display players total scores.


Yes Button

Choose this button to answer "yes" to a question displayed in a dialog box.


No Button

Choose this button to answer "no" to a question displayed in a dialog box.


What, no ShareWare version?

See Ordering Information.


About Dialog Box

This dialog box is displayed when you choose "About" from the "Help" menu. The dialog box provides you with information about which version of the program you are using, who the author is, etc. Choose the OK button to close the dialog box.


Can Go Mah Jongg Dialog Box

This dialog box is displayed when you are dealt a tile from the Wall and you can use this tile to go Mah Jongg.

If you select the "yes" button you will go Mah Jongg, if you select the "no" button you will get the tile, but you must continue playing. You can dismiss the appearance of this dialog box altogether by pressing F11 or Ctrl - F4, or by using the toggle feature on the "Options | Ask before going Mah Jongg" menu option.


Change Rules Dialog Box

Click with the mouse or use the Tab Key on any part of the dialog box for which you would like to see further information.

This dialog box is displayed when you choose "Change Rules" from the "Options" menu and allows you to change some of the rules of the Game and to start a new Game when you select the OK button.


Chows are allowed

If this option is used then players are allowed to collect Chows and complete a Mah Jongg quicker.


Special Hands are allowed

If this option is used players can attempt to collect Special Hands which are difficult to achieve but very valuable.

This option is not available in the shareware version of this program.


Flowers are in Game

If this option is used Flower and Season tiles will be included in the Game. The Flower and Season tiles are purely honorary tiles and provide a player with bonus scores. These tiles cannot be used for Chows, Pungs or Kongs.


Flowers can score doubles

If this option is used the Flower and Season tiles will score double the total score of a player. Scores can be significantly higher when this option is used and so too can the losses!


Scores: Start with:

Use this option to enter a number to indicate an amount of points at the start of a new Game. All players will receive the amount of points you enter at the start of a Game.


Scores: Maximum score per Hand:

If you select "yes" then you can enter a number to represent the maximum number of points that players can score per Hand. Players cannot score higher than this limit, apart from the East Wind Player who is allowed to score twice the maximum limit. This is only relevant for scores per a Hand. Total scores can of course be greater than the limit set by this option.


Exit Dialog Box

Click with the mouse or use the Tab Key on any part of the dialog box for which you would like to see further information.

This dialog box is displayed when you choose "Exit" from the "Game" menu and you have not started playing the new Game yet. Selecting the "yes" button allows you to exit from the Mah Jongg program.


Open Dialog Box

Click with the mouse or use the Tab Key on any part of the dialog box for which you would like to see further information.

This dialog box is displayed when you choose "Open" from the "Game" menu. You can choose any of the files listed in the "Files:" list box by double clicking on a file name in the list box or by clicking on a file name in the list box and then selecting the OK button. Selecting the cancel button will not open a Game and return you to the Game you are currently playing.

This option is not available in the shareware version of this program.


Filename

Enter the name of a file that you would like to open.


Directory

This shows the directory you are in at the moment. You can change this by selecting another directory letter in the "Directories" list box.


Files

This shows a list of files that are available in the current directory. Select a file name to open a file.


Directories

This shows a list of directories available on the current drive. Select a directory letter to change to that directory.


Save As Dialog Box

Click with the mouse or use the Tab Key on any part of the dialog box for which you would like to see further information.

This dialog box is displayed when you choose "Save As" from the "Game" menu. You can choose any of the files listed in the "Files:" list box or type a new name in the "File name:" box.

This option is not available in the shareware version of this program.


Filename

Enter a the name of a file that you would like to save this Game as.


Files

This shows a list of files available in the current directory. Select a file name to overwrite the file and save a current Game into that file.


Save Dialog Box

Click with the mouse or use the Tab Key on any part of the dialog box for which you would like to see further information.

This dialog box is displayed when you choose "Exit" or "New" from the "Game" menu and you are at that moment in the middle of a Game.


Scores Dialog Box

Click with the mouse or use the Tab Key on any part of the dialog box for which you would like to see further information.

This dialog box shows you the score of a player and is displayed at the end of a Hand.


Total Scores

This box shows you the scores obtained by all players, including the settling of scores between players and their new total scores. If you have used the "Maximum score: Yes" feature in the "Change Rules" dialog box you will see that no player is allowed to score higher than the maximum limit you have set.


Player Scores

This shows the score obtained by each individual player together with an explanation of how the score was calculated.


Player names

You can enter four names for the players in the Game. Names longer than fourteen characters will be truncated.


Tile movement speed

Use this to set the speed of tile movements to a speed that suits your computer and your taste.


Waiting Time

Use this to set the time the computer will wait for you to make a decision on whether to pick up a tile or to take back a tile you have discarded, before the Game continues to the next player.


Test Button

Press this button and you will see a tile moving above the dialog box. If you are not happy with the speed shown you can adjust this by setting the tile movement speed.


Setup Dialog Box

Click with the mouse or use the Tab Key to select any part of the dialog box for which you would like to see further information.

This dialog box is displayed when you choose "Setup" from the "Game" menu and it allows you to enter new names for you and your opponents, set the tile movement speed and set the time the program waits for you to make a decision during a Game before continuing with the next player.


Standing Hand Dialog Box

Click with the mouse or use the Tab Key to select any part of the dialog box for which you would like to see further information.

This dialog box is displayed when the Hand, after your first discarded tile needs one more tile to go Mah Jongg. The winning tile is the tile you have to get. See Standing Hand for further information.


Total Scores Dialog Box

Click with the mouse or use the Tab Key to select any part of the dialog box for which you would like to see further information.

This dialog box shows you the settlement of scores between players and is displayed at the end of a Hand.


Game Finished Dialog Box

Click with the mouse or use the Tab Key to select any part of the dialog box for which you would like to see further information.

This dialog box shows you the name of the player with the highest score and his or her score, and is displayed at the end of a Game. At the same time the scores of the remaining three players is displayed in the Status Bar.


Starting a Game

Note:	You can skip the following sections up to "Playing a Hand", because the program will do all this for you! These sections have only been included incase you are interested in knowing exactly how a Game is started.


Who is going to be East Wind

To start a Game it first has to be decided which player is going to start playing as East Wind. This is done by each player throwing a dice. The player who scores the highest will play as East Wind. This will be done by the program for you at the startup of a Game. The East Wind Player will always keep their dealt tiles on a red stake. All other players will be assigned black stakes for the tiles that they are dealt.

Note:	The program will do this automatically for you at the startup of a Game.


Starting a Hand

Note:	You can skip the following sections up to "Playing a Hand", because the program will do all this for you! These sections have only been included incase you are interested in knowing exactly how a Game is started.


Building the Wall

At the start of a Game players need to build a Wall out of all 144 tiles in order to start a Game. To do this all the tiles are placed face down on the table and shuffled. Each player then takes an appropriate number of tiles (still keeping the tiles face down) in order to actually build the Wall. The Wall consists of four sides, each side is 2 tiles high and 18 tiles wide.

Note:	The program will do this automatically for you at the startup of a Game.


The Game: Which side of the Wall is going to be opened
Which side of the Wall is going to be opened

It must now be decided which side of the Wall should be opened and which player will deal tiles to players. The method is quite elaborate (and it is used to defeat the possibility of any player cheating). This particularly applies in a physical Game where the players must actually build the Wall - in such a Game it could be possible that a player has had a peek at tiles when building the Wall and therefore has an advantage over the other players!

The procedure is for the East Wind player to throw two dice. The number is noted. The purpose of this is to identify the player who will deal tiles to the other players and which side of the Wall will be opened. To do this you need to start counting the number that has been thrown around the sides of the Wall. Counting always begins from the East Wind player and the order of players is East Wind/South Wind/West Wind/North Wind. The Walls are numbered (anti-clockwise) as follows:

The East Wind player's side of the Wall is: 1, 5 or 9.

The South Wind player's side of the Wall is: 2, 6 or 10.

The West Wind player's side of the Wall is: 3, 7 or 11.

The North Wind player's side of the Wall is: 4, 8 or 12.

Example:

If the number thrown by the East Wind player is "12". If you start counting from the East Wind player and continue around - you will find that the North Wind player will open the Wall that he or she is facing in order to deal tiles to the other players.


The Game: Which tile is going to be opened
Which Tile is going to be opened

Using this method we now know the player who will open the Wall, deal tiles to other players and which side of the Wall will be opened (in our example, North) - but it still has to be decided where the Wall will be opened!

To do this (and to take our example again) the North Wind player now throws a die. The number that is thrown is added to the previous number (thrown by the East Wind player) the total number indicates where the Wall be opened. For example, say the latest score is "4" and taking the previous score which was "12" - we now have a total of "16". The North Wind player now simply counts over the top of the tiles from the left hand side of the Wall that the player is facing until the number "16" (in our example) is reached. If the total number thrown is greater than "18" then simply continue counting around the right hand corner of the Wall. The tiles (there will be two tiles - remember that the Wall is 2 tiles high all around) that occupy position"16" mark the opening position of the Wall. The opening position tiles are now removed to one side - these tiles are referred to as the Loose Tiles - at this stage in the Game, the Loose Tiles are used to mark the end of the Wall. If you like this is simply a visual reminder in a Game of where the Wall actually finishes. The Loose Tiles are now placed as follows:

•	The top tile is placed (face down) on top of the Wall immediately to the left of the opening in the Wall. (In our example, on top of the tiles that occupy position "15" in the Wall).

•	The bottom tile is placed (again face down) on top of the Wall three positions to the left of the opening in the Wall. (In our example, on top of the tiles that occupy position "13" in the Wall).

The last 14 tiles in the Wall to the left of the opening and the Loose Tiles are referred to as the Kong Box. The purpose of the tiles in the Kong Box is to supply extra tiles to players during a Game. These tiles perform no other function throughout a Game.

Note:	Throughout the whole procedure it must be remembered that tiles are kept face down - at no time must any player see the markings on the tiles!

Note:	The program will do this automatically for you at the startup of a Game.


Dealing the Tiles

The player who opens the Wall now deals tiles to each player as follows:

First: 4 tiles are given first to East Wind Player, then South Wind Player, then West Wind Player, then North Wind Player.
Then: another 4 tiles are given to East Wind Player, then South Wind Player, then West Wind Player, then North Wind Player.
Then: another 4 tiles are given to East Wind Player, then South Wind Player, then West Wind Player, then North Wind Player.
Then: 1 tile is given to East Wind Player, then South Wind Player, then West Wind Player, then North Wind Player.

Note:	The program will do this automatically for you at the startup of a Game. You can actually watch the tiles being dealt in this manner or you can switch this option off - do this by checking the menu option "Options | Show dealing of tiles".

Note:	The program will do this automatically for you at the startup of a Game.


Loose Tiles and Kong Box

Before play can begin each player's hand is examined for the following tiles:

•	Flower and Season Tiles

•	Kongs

If these occur in a player's hand then these tiles will be displayed above the player's stake and the player will need to be dealt replacement tiles.

Replacement tiles are dealt as follows:

All players get replacement Loose Tiles from the Kong Box for each Flower, Season or Kong, starting with East Wind player and progressing counter clockwise. If a Flower or Season tile is dealt as a replacement tile or a replacement tile completes a Kong then another replacement tile is given to the player, after all players have had replacement tiles for Flower, Season and Kong tiles originally dealt.

For more information, see the sections on Flowers and Seasons respectively.

Note:	The program will do this automatically for you at the startup of a Game.


Playing a Hand

At this stage, all players have 13 tiles in their hand. All players have had replacement tiles for Flowers, Seasons and Kongs. The tiles that each player has been dealt are shown on their stake. A red stake is used for the East Wind player - all other players are assigned black stakes.


East starts a Hand

After the tiles have been dealt and replacement tiles given to players as necessary the East Wind Player will be given an extra tile from the Wall. The hand starts by the East Wind Player discarding a tile.

From now on the East Wind Player will have 13 tiles the same as the other players and this pattern will remain in force until a player goes Mah Jongg in which case they will have 14 tiles.


Claiming Original Hand

If the East Wind player finds that the 13 tiles dealt to him or her from the Wall together with the first tile given to start the Game is a complete Mah Jongg Hand, then the East Wind player declares an Original Hand, goes Mah Jongg and gets three times extra doubling of his or her total score.

See also :	Rules.


Claiming Standing Hand

If a player finds that after he or she has discarded their first tile they need only one more tile to complete their Mah Jongg Hand, then the player declares a Standing Hand. The player must keep on playing but cannot change the Hand or the strategy for his or her Hand and has to wait until the tile that is required is discarded by another player or dealt to the player during a Hand.

See also :	Rules.


Taking Tiles from the Wall

When a player has discarded a tile and none of the other players want this tile, then the hand continues with the next player being dealt a tile from the Wall.


Discarding Tiles

A player has to discard a tile from his or her stake after he or she has been dealt a tile from the Wall or has completed a Chow, Pung or Kong by picking up a tile discarded by another player. If the player completes a Kong or is dealt a Flower or Season tile, then the player first is dealt a Loose Tile as a replacement for this tile. A player does not discard a tile when they can go Mah Jongg.


Claiming Discarded Tiles

You can pick up a discarded tile to make a Chow, Pung, Kong or to go Mah Jongg.

See also :	Rules.


Claiming Discarded Tiles for a Chow

A "Chow" is three consecutive tiles of the same suit. Example: 4 Wan + 5 Wan + 6 Wan. You are ONLY allowed to collect Chows from the suits, Circles, Bamboo or Wan.

There are three ways to make a Chow:

•	By picking up a discarded tile BUT ONLY if the tile has been discarded by the player to the immediate left of you, if you make a Chow this way it is called an Exposed Chow and is displayed above your stake for all other players to see.

•	You can make Chows if you wish from tiles you have been dealt. If you do this the Chow can stay in your hand, in such a case it is known as a Concealed Chow.

•	You can make a Chow to go Mah Jongg, in such cases you are allowed to pick up a tile that has been discarded by any player in order to make the Chow and go Mah Jongg.

If you do not wish to include Chows in a Game then you can turn off this option using the "Change Rules dialog box ("Options | Change Rules").

Note:	There are some circumstances when you are not allowed to pick up a discarded tile to make a Chow - this occurs when two or more players want to pick up the same discarded tile. See Precedences section for more information.

See also :	Rules.


Claiming Discarded Tiles for a Pung

There are two ways to make a Pung:

•	By picking up a tile discarded by any player, if a Pung this made this way it is known as an Exposed Pung and it will be placed above a player's stake for all other players to see. The hand will then continue from the player who has made the Exposed Pung.

•	You can make Pungs if you wish from tiles you have been dealt. If you do this the Pung is known as a Concealed Pung and can stay in your hand.

Note 1:	A player can turn an Exposed Pung into an Exposed Kong ONLY IF THE PLAYER is dealt a tile that is identical to the tiles in the Exposed Pung. When this happens the Exposed Kong will be displayed above the player's stake and the player will be dealt a replacement tile. The Game then continues from the player who has just made the Exposed Kong.

Note 2:	There are circumstances when you are not allowed to pick up a discarded tile to make a Pung. This occurs when two or more players want to pick up the same discarded tile. See Precedences section for more information.

See also :	Rules.


Claiming Discarded Tiles for a Kong

There are three ways to make a Kong:

•	By having three identical tiles on your stake and picking up the 4th tile from any player. If you make a Kong this way it is called an Exposed Kong and it will be placed above your stake for all other players to see. You will notice that one tile at the end of the Exposed Kong is displayed face downwards to indicate that it is an Exposed Kong. The player who makes the Exposed Kong is now dealt a replacement tile and the hand continues from this player.

•	You can also make a Kong by having three identical tiles on your stake and from having the 4th identical tile dealt to you (this is called a Concealed Kong). If you make a Concealed Kong the tiles will be placed above your stake and you will notice that the tiles at either end of the Concealed Kong are placed face downward to indicate a Concealed Kong. The player who makes the Concealed Kong is now dealt a replacement tile and the hand will continue from this player.

•	You can turn an Exposed Pung into an Exposed Kong by having the 4th tile that you need to complete the Kong being dealt to you. You cannot pick up a discarded tile from another player to turn an Exposed Pung into an Exposed Kong.

In some exceptional circumstances you can make a Kong to go Mah Jongg - see the section on Special Hands for further information.

Note:	There are circumstances when you are not allowed to pick up a discarded tile to make a Kong - this occurs when two or more players want to pick up the same discarded tile. See Precedences section for more information.

See also :	Rules.


Claiming Discarded Tiles for a Mah Jongg

If a player discards a tile and this tile is the tile you need to go Mah Jongg, you can pick up the tile if it is to make an identical pair, a Chow or a Pung and go Mah Jongg.

Note:	There are circumstances when you are not allowed to pick up a discarded tile and go Mah Jongg - this occurs when two or more players want to pick up the same discarded tile. See Precedences section for more information.

See also :	Rules.


Finishing a Hand

The Game will continue until somebody goes Mah Jongg or the last 14 tiles plus the Loose Tiles together all these tiles are known as the Kong Box, have been played and a player has still not gone Mah Jongg.


Dead Hand

If the last 14 tiles plus the Loose Tiles are played, then the Hand is finished and there are no winners. This is called a dead hand and usually occurs when players are collecting the same tile suits and it is regarded as a "no-win" situation.

In such cases, players scores are not calculated and the hand is considered finished. The Game continues to the next Hand.


Somebody goes Mah Jongg

The hand is finished when somebody goes Mah Jongg. The complete Mah Jongg hand includes both Exposed sets (displayed above a player's stake) and Concealed tiles (kept on a player's stake). The tiles in the Mah Jongg hand will (with exceptions - see Special Hands for further information), consist of:

Four sets of either a Kong, Pung or a Chow, and a pair of identical tiles.

As soon as a player completes his or her hand they would normally call out "Mah Jongg" and all players Expose their hands ready for scoring. The player who goes Mah Jongg does not discard the final tile that they used in order to go Mah Jongg. Thus 14 tiles are needed to go Mah Jongg.

See also :	Rules.


Scoring

If a player has gone Mah Jongg scores are counted and settled, else no scores are counted.

The scoring is quite complex and is explained fully in the topic "Scoring". The program will however, calculate all players scores and display these for you.


Rotation of East Wind

If a player other than the East Wind Player goes Mah Jongg then the red stake is handed over to South Wind Player who now becomes the East Wind Player and all other players become play as the Wind of their left hand neighbour.


Rotation of the Wind of the Round

If the red stake comes back to the player who started playing as East Wind, then the Wind of the Round also rotates to the next Wind of the Round, in the following fixed order; Always East to start, then South, then West and finally North.


Going to the next Hand

If a Hand is finished then the Game continues to the next Hand, going up to "Starting a Hand".


Finishing a Game

A Games finishes when all four winds have been Wind of the Round, and all four players have been East Wind four times and the red stake of the East Wind returns to the player who originally started as East Wind player at the beginning of the Game.


Final Winner of the Game

The player who scores the highest is the Final Winner of the Game.


Starting a new Game

The only thing left to do after a Game has finished!


Calculating Scores for Players Hands

Only if a player has gone Mah Jongg scores are calculated and settled.

Scoring Chows

Chows have no scoring value whatsoever - they are simply used as a way to quickly finish a hand. If you go Mah Jongg and have no Chows you will score an extra 10 points.

Scoring Pungs

Table 1: Scores for Pungs

	Points
Tiles	Exposed	Concealed
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 of any suit	2	4
1 or 9 of any suit	4	8
Any Wind or Dragon	4	8
Pungs must consist of three identical tiles of the same suit.

Scoring Kongs

Table 2: Scores for Kongs

	Points
Tiles	Exposed	Concealed
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 of any suit	8	16
1 or 9 of any suit	16	32
Any Wind or Dragon	16	32
Kongs must consist of four identical tiles of the same suit.

Scoring the Pair that Completes the Hand

Table 3: Scores for the Pair that Completes the Hand

Tiles	Points

Pair of any Dragon	2

Pair of player's own Wind	2

Pair of Wind of the Round	2

The pair that completes the hand must consist of two identical tiles. There are no other score values given for pairs that complete a hand other than those given in the table above.

Scoring Flower and Season Tiles

Each Flower or Season tile: 4 points.

Bonus Scores

The following rules apply to the winner's hand only:

Table 4: Bonus Scores Applied to Winner's Hand Only

Tiles	Points

For going Mah Jongg	20

Winning with a tile dealt from the Wall	2

Winning with only possible tile	2

Winning with a Standing Hand	100

Winning with the last tile dealt from the Wall:
"To catch a Fish from the Bottom of the Sea"	10

Winning with a Loose Tile	10

For having no Chows in the Hand: "Winning by Pairs"	10

For having no scoring value in the Hand	10

If there are doubles in the winning hand, the bonuses must first be added before the score is doubled.

Doubles

The following rules apply to all players hands:

Table 5: Doubles Scores Applied to All Player's Hands

Tiles	Doubles

Pung or Kong of player's own Wind	1 Double

Pung or Kong of Wind of the Round	1 Double

Pung or Kong of any Dragon	1 Double

Player's own Flower or Season	1 Double

Hand entirely of one suit except Winds and/or Dragons	1 Double

Hand entirely of ones and nines except Winds and/or Dragons	1 Double

Hand entirely of one suit without Winds and Dragons	3 Doubles

Hand entirely of Winds and Dragons	3 Doubles

All Four Flowers or Seasons	3 Doubles

The following rules apply to the winner's hand only:

Table 6: Doubles Scores Applied to Winner's Hand Only

Tiles	Doubles

Snatching a Kong to go Mah Jongg	1 Double

Original Hand	3 Doubles

Table 7: Calculating Doubles

For each Double the score is multiplied by two, as explained in the following table:

One Double	Multiply By 2	Five Doubles	Multiply By 32 (2x2x2x2x2)
Two Doubles	Multiply By 4 (2x2)	Six Doubles	Multiply By 64 (2x2x2x2x2x2)
Three Doubles	Multiply By 8 (2x2x2)	Seven Doubles	Multiply By 128 (2x2x2x2x2x2x2)
Four Doubles	Multiply By 16 (2x2x2x2)	Eight Doubles	Multiply By 256 (2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2)
Notes:

•	If a player's hand consists of only Pungs and Kongs and a pair to complete the hand - but no Chows, then this hand is called "Winning by Pairs" and scores an extra ten points. In the same way a winning hand consisting only of Chows and a non-scoring pair is called "Winning without Scoring Value" and scores an extra ten points.

•	When winning with the last tile in the Wall, that is, the last tile that is in play before the Kong Box tiles are reached, then this hand is called "To catch a Fish from the Bottom of the Sea" and scores 10 extra points. Winning with a Loose Tile after making an Exposed Kong or drawing a Season or Flower tile also scores 10 extra points.

The scoring of doubles can become a bit complicated, to avoid mistakes in a Game it is useful to write down the score, count up the number of doubles, and then multiply the score by the appropriate number.


Settling Scores

It is important to remember:

•	That every player always pays the player who has gone Mah Jongg.

•	The player who has gone Mah Jongg does not pay anybody else.

•	The East Wind player always pays or receives double.

To settle the scores first all players pay to the winner. If the winner is the East Wind player then all players pay double the winner's score, if the winner is another Wind player then all players pay the winner's score and the East Wind player pays double this score. The other players settle the difference of their respective scores and if the East Wind player loses then he or she settles double the difference.

Each of the three losers settle with each of the other two losers, by the player who scores the lower score of the two losing players paying the player with the higher score the difference between their scores. If the East Wind player is one of these losers then he or she has to pay double the difference.

East Wind Player goes Mah Jongg

The East Wind Player receives double the value of his or her score from each of the other three players, without the players deducting their score from this amount.

Example 1

If the East Wind Player goes Mah Jongg and the scores are as follows:

East Wind Player:	80	points

South Wind Player:	12	points

West Wind Player:	48	points

North Wind Player:	112	points

The East Wind player is paid double his score, 160, by the South, West and North Wind players. So in total the East Wind player will receive 480 points. The remaining losing players (South/West/North) pay each other the difference in their scores. The South Wind player pays to the West Wind player 48 - 12 = 36 points, and to the North Wind player 112 -12 = 100 points. The West Wind player pays to the North Wind player 112 - 48 = 64 points.

Another Player goes Mah Jongg

This player will receive the value of his or her score from each of the other three players, without the players deducting their scores from this amount. The East Wind player pays the winner double the winner's score and settles double the difference between his or her score and each of the other two losing players scores.

Example 2

If the North Wind player goes Mah Jongg, and the initial scores are as follows:

East Wind Player:	80	points

South Wind Player:	12	points

West Wind Player:	48	points

North Wind Player:	112	points

The East Wind player pays the North Wind player double: 224, and the South and West Wind players each pay the North Wind player 112. The North Wind player will therefore receive a total of 448 points. The remaining losing players pay each other the difference in their scores. The South Wind player pays the East Wind player double the difference 80 - 12 = 68 doubled is 136 points. The West Wind player pays the East Wind player 80 - 48 = 32 doubled is 64 points. And the South Wind player pays the West Wind player: 48 - 12 = 36 points.


Scoring Exceptions

In very, very rare cases, it is possible that a score of over 1,000, 000 points can be achieved in a single hand. If this occurs - please take a screen capture of the hand that achieves this score and send without delay to the program author!

You can if you like set a scoring limit of say 500 points maximum per player per hand - except for the East Wind player who can of course, receive up to double this amount. See also section on how to changing score limit values for further information.


Scoring Sticks

Some Mah Jongg Game Sets include sets of scoring sticks - the markings of which can vary considerably. These are used to settle the payments of scores at the end of a hand. The following table shows how score sticks can be used - note - this is an example only, you are advised to check documentation that is supplied with the score sticks that you buy!

Harmony: 1 Red and 3 black dots, value 2 points.

Man: 8 Red dots, value 10 points.

Earth: 2 Red dots, value 100 points.

Heaven: 6 Red and 6 black dots, value 500 points.

Table 8: Score Sticks

Stick	Value	Each Player Receives	Value Per Player
Harmony	2	10 Sticks	20
Man	10	8 Sticks	80
Earth	100	4 Sticks	400
Heaven	500	1 Stick	500
Total			1000


Overview of all the Tiles

This ordering is called the Symbolic Square of Mah Jongg and shows all 144 tiles in the Game.


Ordering Information

Why order?

Because you are honest, because you like a challenge, because the 60 days have flown by and you still have not beaten the other players, because we will be able to make even better versions, because you can use this software forever, because we will send you a better version with all features, because we will keep you informed about cheap upgrades to even better versions, because there might be sound included, because there might be a network version in the pipeline, because it's cheaper than buying a set in a shop, because it's a great game!

The price for the registered version of this software is US$ 29.95 or 150 French Francs plus US$ 5 or 25 French Francs for posting and packaging within Europe and US$ 10 or 50 French Francs elsewhere. We can only accept cheques drawn on French banks or International Money Orders. If your order is not complete, that is you forget to give us a return address or the right money, then we can't return it.

Here is the address to send your order to:

Bloem
69, Allée des Plaqueminiers
Île Verte
06560 Valbonne
France

The CompuServe address is:

Name:	Berrie Bloem

Address:	100545,2530

From the Internet you can reach us on this address:

Name:	Berrie Bloem

Address:	100545.2530@compuserve.com

If you can be reached on either CompuServe or the Internet, please send us your net address as well.


Disclaimer

WARNING:	Sitting in front of a computer screen for a prolonged period of time can and seriously will damage your health. Please do take a break at least every hour.

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Mah Jongg for Windows Copyright © 1995 By Berrie Bloem.

All rights reserved.

Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this software, the authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of this software or the information contained herein.


Setting names and speed

If you would like to change players names or the tile movement speed is not to your liking, select the "Game | Setup" menu option, this displays the "Setup Dialog Box" which you can use to set these preferences.


License Information

Mah Jongg for Windows Copyright © 1995 By Berrie Bloem.

Please carefully read the following information:

Your license to use this software expires after 60 days.

This software is distributed as ShareWare. This means that you can use it for a limited period only and if you would like to continue using this software, you will have to register it with the author. See Ordering Information for full details on how to get your own registered copy.

Please feel free to upload this ShareWare software to any electronic bulletin board, include it on the cover disk of your magazine, give it to anyone who might be interested, so as many people as possible will have a chance to enjoy this software, provided you distribute it in full, containing all the files in a unaltered state. See the mjreadme.txt file.

By using this software you agree to the following:

1.	You agree to register and pay for this software after the trial period has expired to enable you to continue using this software.

2.	You agree that the copyright for this software is the property of the authors and that you shall not change any copyright notice whatsoever.

3.	You agree that you will not attempt to reverse compile, modify, translate, or disassemble the software in whole or in part.

4.	You agree that although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this software, the authors cannot assume any responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of this software or the information contained herein.

5.	You agree to have a good time using this software.

If you do not agree to one or more of the points listed above, exit now and remove this software from your computer.

What's what and what's not in the ShareWare version?

And now it's time to start playing!


What's what and what's not in the ShareWare version
What's what and what's not in the ShareWare version?

Although this version is fully playable and you should have no problem enjoying it, not all of the features are implemented in the ShareWare version.

•	You can't save or open any files.

•	You can't go Mah Jongg with any of the Special Hands.

•	You can't choose which Special Hands are allowed.

•	You can't choose how many Chows are allowed.

•	You can't choose for a Chow, Pung or Kong if more than one combination is possible.

•	You can't cheat.

•	You can't use this software after 60 days.

You see it's not too bad.


Buried Treasure

Calling Nine Tile Hand

Enemies

Four Great Siamese Sisters

Four Small Siamese Sisters

Fourfold Homely Happiness

Great Green Major Hand

Great Green Minor Hand

Great Snake

Hand from Heaven

Heavenly Blessing

Imperial Mah Jongg

Little Snake

Mah Jongg of the Crazy Monkey

Mah Jongg of the Mandarin

Mah Jongg of Winds and Dragons

Natural Winning

Picked by the Golden Cock

Red and Green Hand

Rose of the Winds

Small Green Major Hand

Small Green Minor Hand

Snake of Dragons

Snake of the Four Winds

Terrestrial Blessing

Thirteen Odd Majors

Thirteen Wonderful Lanterns

Three Adopted Sons of Red Dragon

Three Adopted Sons of the Dragon Nine

Three Adopted Sons of the Dragon One

Three Adopted Sons of the Wind

Three Great Scholars

Yin and Yang


Special Hands

Find

Specialist rules are applied to the hands that are known as the "Special Hands" these are explained below together with their scoring values.

Some of the Special Hands form exceptions to the rules on Kongs and Chows; no Loose Tiles for Kongs, Chows of four or more tiles and Chows of Winds and Dragons.

The Imperial Mah Jongg

Three Concealed Kongs of Dragons plus a Pair of the players' own Wind.

Score: 6000 points.

The Mah Jongg of the Mandarin

Three Concealed Kongs of Winds plus a Pair of the fourth Wind.

Score: 5000 points.

The Mah Jongg of the Crazy Monkey

Three Pungs of Dragons, a Chow of the Dragons plus a Pair of the players' own Wind.

Score: 4500 points.

The Fourfold Homely Happiness

Four Pungs or Kongs of the Winds plus a Pair of Dragons.

Score: 4000 points.

The Great Green Major Hand

Four Pungs or Kongs of 2 Bamboo, 4 Bamboo, 6 Bamboo and the Green Dragon plus a Pair of 8 Bamboo.

Score: 3600 points.

The Great Green Minor Hand

Four Pungs or Kongs of 2, 4, 6 and 8 Bamboo plus a Pair of Green Dragons.

Score: 3500 points.

The Red and Green Hand

Four Pungs of 1, 5, 7 and 9 Bamboo plus a Green Dragon and a Red Dragon.

Score: 3400 points.

The Three Adopted Sons of the Dragon Nine

Three Pungs or Kongs of all the nines, a Pung or Kong of Dragons plus a Pair of the players' own Wind.

Score: 3300 points.

The Three Adopted Sons of the Dragon One

Three Pungs or Kongs of all the ones, a Pung or Kong of Dragons plus a Pair of the players' own Wind.

Score: 3300 points.

The Small Green Major Hand

A Pung of 3 Bamboo, two Pungs of Bamboos of even numbers, a Pung of Green Dragons plus a Pair of Bamboos of even numbers.

Score: 3200 points.

The Small Green Minor Hand

A Pung of 3 Bamboo, three Pungs of Bamboos of even numbers plus a Pair of Green Dragons.

Score: 3000 points.

The Enemies

This Hand exists in two forms:

East and West:

Four Pungs or Kongs of East Wind, West Wind, ones and nines in the same suit and one South Wind and one North Wind.

South and North:

Four Pungs or Kongs of South Wind, North Wind, ones and nines in the same suit and one East Wind and one West Wind.

Score: 3000 points.

The Three Adopted Sons of Red Dragon

Three Pungs or Kongs of tiles of the same number, but in different suits, a Pung or Kong of Red Dragons and a Pair of Winds.

Score: 2800 points.

The Four Great Siamese Sisters

In one suit: four Pungs or Kongs of consecutive numbers plus a Pair of Dragons.

Score: 2700 points.

The Four Small Siamese Sisters

In one suit: four Pungs or Kongs of consecutive numbers plus a Pair of Winds.

Score: 2500 points.

The Three Adopted Sons of the Wind

Three Pungs or Kongs of tiles of the same number, but in different suits, a Pung or Kong of a Wind and a Pair of Dragons.

Score: 2800 points.

The Rose of the Winds or Yin and Yang

Pairs of all Winds and all Dragons.

Score: 2200 points.

The Three Great Scholars

Three Pungs or Kongs of Dragons, a Chow plus a Pair in the same suit.

Score: 2000 points.

The Mah Jongg of Winds and Dragons

Hand consisting completely of Pungs, Kongs and one Pair, all of Winds and Dragons.

Score: 1900 points.

Calling Nine Tile Hand

A Pung of ones, a Pung of nines, the complete sequence of 2 - 8 and any tile of the same suit to make the 14th tile in the hand.

Score: 1800 points.

The Thirteen Wonderful Lanterns

A tile of each Dragon, each Wind, all ones and all nines plus a one or nine.

Score: 1600 points.

The Great Snake

A complete set of one to nine in one suit, a Pung or Kong of a Wind or Dragon plus a Pair of Winds or Dragons.

Score: 1500 points.

The Snake of Dragons

A complete set of one to nine alternating through the suits, a tile of each Dragon plus a Pair of the players' own wind.

Score: 1400 points.

The Snake of the Four Winds

A complete set of one to nine alternating through the suits, a tile of each Wind plus the Red Dragon.

Score: 1200 points.

The Little Snake

A complete series consisting of all tiles in a suit, a tile of each Wind plus a Wind or a Dragon.

Score: 1000 points.

The Heavenly Blessing

East Wind going Mah Jongg with the first tile from the Wall. This is the same as an Original Hand. This Hand is also known as "The Heavenly Blessing", "Hand from Heaven" and "The Natural Winning".

Score: 3 times double.

The Terrestrial Blessing

Going Mah Jongg with the first tile discarded by East Wind.

Score: 800 points.

Hand of Thirteen Odd Majors

This Hand consists of a one and nine of each suit, a tile of each Wind and Dragon plus a tile that is identical to any of these tiles.

Score: 250 points.

The Buried Treasure

Hand consisting of all tiles of one suit plus Winds and/or Dragons, only Pungs and Kongs and completely Concealed.

Score: Value of the Hand plus 300 points.

Picked by the Golden Cock

Going Mah Jongg with the tile 5 Circles.

Score: Value of the Hand plus 100 points.


Mah Jongg Examples

The following samples give you some idea of a Hand you will need to go Mah Jongg.

This Hand scores: 20 for going Mah Jongg, 10 for having no Chows, 8 for the Flowers, 4 for the Exposed Pung of 9 Bamboo, 2 for the Exposed Pung of 6 Wan, 4 for the Exposed Pung of 5 Bamboo, 4 for the Concealed Pung of 8 Wan and two for the Pair of West Winds if they are the player's own Wind or the Wind of the Round. There would only be doubles if one of the two Flowers is the player's own Flower.

This Hand scores: 20 for going Mah Jongg, 2 for the Exposed Pung of 5 Circles, nothing for the Exposed Chow of 1, 2 and 3 Circles, 2 for the Exposed Pung of 4 Bamboo and nothing for the tiles Concealed on the stake. There are no doubles.

This Hand scores: 20 for going Mah Jongg, 8 for the Flower and the Season tiles, 4 for the Exposed Pung of 1 Wan, 8 for the Exposed Kong of 3 Wan, nothing for the two Exposed Chows and two for the Pair of Red Dragons. One double for having all tiles of the same suit except Winds and Dragons. There would only be more doubles if the Flower or the Season is the player's own Flower or Season.

This Hand scores: 20 for going Mah Jongg, 10 for having no Chows, 16 for the Seasons, 4 for the Exposed Pung of 1 Circles, 2 for the Exposed Pung of 5 Circles, 32 for the Concealed Kong of 9 Circles, 4 for the Concealed Pung of 6 Circles and two for the Pair of Green Dragons. One Double for the players' own Season, 3 Doubles for the complete set of Seasons and 1 double for having all tiles of the same suit except Winds and Dragons.

This Hand scores: 20 for going Mah Jongg, 4 for the Flower, nothing for the Exposed and Concealed Chows and nothing for the Pair of 4 Bamboo. It scores an extra 10 points for having no scoring value. All players pay double this score because in this case it is the East Wind player who has gone Mah Jongg.


1 Wan

Chinese Character : "Ju"

Represented by the Chinese character for one and resembling the bar of a door, this signifies a barrier being lifted, a door being opened, or new opportunities to come.


2 Wan

Chinese Character : "Chien"

Symbolised by the sword. A sword is double-edged and therefore denotes a balance or a decision. It can represent joining together or severance. Either way it indicates that something is held in balance and that no progress can be made until a decision is made. The sword is associated with the season Autumn, the West Wind, the element metal and the colour white.


3 Wan

Chinese Character : "Ti"

Represented by the Earth, which is one of the five elements of Chinese philosophy. It symbolises the fixed centre and does not therefore belong to any season or compass direction. This tile represents the attribute stability, but generally it is interpreted to mean land, estate or wide open spaces.


4 Wan

Chinese Character : "Ch'in"

Symbolised by the lute and representing the performing arts. It is a symbol of music, leisure and relaxation - a time for enjoyment after a day or lifetime's work.


5 Wan

Chinese Character : "Fang"

Represented by the symbol of a house it represents any building, for example, a home, place of business, administrative offices, school or hospital. This symbol essentially represents a physical building rather than an organisation or society.


6 Wan

Chinese Character : "Huo"

Symbolised by the element fire which is the third element in the five elements of Chinese philosophy. It represents the personal attributes of intelligence and inspiration. This tile, above all others in the Mah Jongg set, provides the greatest warning of danger. It can indicate the burning up of resources; mental, physical and financial. It can also (when associated with certain other tiles) indicate an accident to a person or property.


7 Wan

Chinese Character : "Tuo"

Represented by the "seven stars" it signifies imagination. The "seven stars" are the seven stars that make up the constellation of the Plough - part of the Great Bear in Western astronomy. This constellation was believed to be the seat of the gods - and was particularly associated with literary excellence in ancient Chinese mythology. Consequently this tile can represent writing, mathematics or literature. The essential qualities represented by this tile are; hope, imagination and literary excellence.


8 Wan

Chinese Character : "Chieh"

The most enigmatic of all the tiles and represented by a knot. A knot can represent tying or untying. This tile is of special significance when it appears in conjunction with 2 Wan (the sword).


9 Wan

Chinese Character : "Tien"

Represented by Heaven and symbolising completion, not necessarily an end because as one cycle closes another begins. It therefore represents achievement and fulfilment.


1 Bamboo

Chinese Character : "K'ung"

The first tile of the first suit, of the three suits (the others being Circles and Wan) - it signifies success. However success can lead to pride, which in turn can lead to vanity. Hence it is symbolised by a peacock - an emblem of beauty which represents a lady, in the prime of her life, gazing in a mirror. The mirror is the symbol of the cosmos and, depending on interpretation, the lady can be admiring her own reflection or contemplating her own mortality. The mirror frequently indicates a change of direction in life.


2 Bamboo

Chinese Character : "Ya"

Represented by the duck - the Chinese believe that a pair of ducks remain together for life, so the symbolism of the duck is an enduring partnership and/or fidelity.


3 Bamboo

Chinese Character : "Min"

Represented by the toad. To Western people the flecks on the moon's surface are regarded to be the face of the "man in the moon", the Chinese however, regard these markings to be two creatures, the hare and the toad. The hare is attributed with knowledge of the elixir of life, whereas the three-legged toad is symbolic of a long life and the unattainable. It is also associated with medicine, where it represents both sickness and cure. The major attributes represented by this tile are therefore, healing and over-ambition.


4 Bamboo

Chinese Character : "Li"

Represented by the carp which is a symbol of peace, inner calm and tranquillity. Qualities if practised lead to a long life. The carp signifies contemplation and the rich colours of the carp signify wealth and refinement.


5 Bamboo

Chinese Character : "Lien"

Symbolised by the lotus flower and representing new birth, possibly a spiritual awakening, or on another level, the birth of a child. It can also suggest regeneration following an experience of extreme or endured hardship, indicating that there is a need to come to terms with the present and begin life anew.


6 Bamboo

Chinese Character : "Shui"

Represented by the element water and signifying communication (correspondence) or travel (particularly short frequent journeys).


7 Bamboo

Chinese Character : "Kuei"

Symbolised by the tortoise. It often indicates a dissatisfaction with the length of time that is being taken to resolve an issue. The tile signifies that thought is required and that progress will be achieved but gradually. It is also a symbol of longevity, given the great age that a tortoise can achieve. The tortoise is one of the four great Chinese astrological constellations covering the Northern part of the sky and is therefore associated with the North Wind, Winter and Water.


8 Bamboo

Chinese Character : "Chün"

Represented by a mushroom it is a symbol of immortality and eccentricity. This is because the mushroom is a plant lacking leaves of flowers yet it resembles both - this has led to it being interpreted as a symbol of the bizarre. The general significance that this tile portrays is the occurrence of an unexpected event the nature of which will be remarkable, curious and of lasting impression.


9 Bamboo

Chinese Character : "Liu"

Symbolised by the willow tree it's meaning is strength through flexibility, in a word - diplomacy. This is because the willow bends to the wind during winter, survives, and once more flourishes again upright and strong in the spring.


1 Circle

Chinese Character : "Chu"

The first of the Circles suit and represented by the pearl - it's Chinese name is "The Moon from the Bottom of the Sea". Therefore it's also known as "The Moon". Pearls indicate the refinement of a connoisseur and this tile suggests luxury and wealth.


2 Circle

Chinese Character : "Sung"

Represented by the pine tree and symbolising the qualities of this tree, that is, firmness and strength. It is often interpreted as representing a young man, perhaps a lover, younger brother or son. This tile is also linked with writing and drawing (as opposed to painting), this is because the wood of the pine makes the finest charcoal and its soot the finest ink.


3 Circle

Chinese Character : "Feng"

Symbolised by the phoenix. In Chinese legend the phoenix is a bird that is said to appear only at the beginning of a reign of a benign Emperor, when Earth and Heaven are in harmony, it therefore signifies happiness, joy and splendour.

It is the symbol of the Red Bird of Summer, one of the four great Chinese astrological constellations and it is associated with the South Wind.


4 Circle

Chinese Character : "Yü"

Represented by jade, which in China is prized above gold. But jade when taken from the ground is a dull piece of rock which only acquires value after time, work and skill have transformed the raw stone to an object worthy of admiration. Jade does not fade, rust or decay, it is a treasure that survives for all time. Jade therefore represents hard work, but work to a worthy end. It also represents lasting values, long friendships, long life, and a sense of justice.


5 Circle

Chinese Character : "Lung"

Symbolised by the dragon - a symbol of good luck and fortune. It represents sudden and unexpected fortune rather than rewards through diligent efforts. It is therefore associated with gamblers and gaming. 5 Circle can also be symbolised by the Plum Blossom, being the first sign of spring it can represent the hopes for luck and fortune in the newly arrived year.


6 Circle

Chinese Character : "Tao"

Symbolised by the peach the softness and fragrance of which express the qualities of feminine beauty. It often denotes the influence, appearance or interference of a young girl who can be a lover, daughter or younger sister. The peach can also represent extravagance and indolence.


7 Circle

Chinese Character : "Ch'ung"

Represented by the insect, and signifying industry, because of the behaviour of the insect, for example,  the silk worm spinning its thread, the ant building its city and  the bees gathering food. The insect is the counterpart of jade (4 Circles). Where as jade represents sustained effort bringing lasting reward, the insect represents a period of busy activity over a short period, perhaps for no eventual purpose, but the reward can be temporary achievement. The fragility of the insect also represents weakness and can indicate that a situation is not as weighty as one first thought.


8 Circle

Chinese Character : "Hu"

Symbolised by the white tiger, and the most masculine of all tiles. It represents authority and bravery, but also aggression. It can mean an officer, a person in uniform, or one's superiors, the police or bureaucrats. It can also reveal a father or the elder of two boys. The white tiger is a constellation of Autumn and is associated with the West Wind.


9 Circle

Chinese Character : "Ch'i"

The symbol is the unicorn. In Chinese legend one of the signs that appear in the reign of a good Emperor. The unicorn is regarded as having powers to see into the future, a talent that was passed on to mortals who gazed into pools of water illuminated by the light of the unicorn's burning horn. The significance of the unicorn is therefore the ability to foresee events and it can signify the gift of clairvoyance. On a more material level it indicates a natural ability of a person to keep ahead of events or rivals - a sense of being able to judge other people's characters with uncanny accuracy by "seeing through" them.


East Wind

The East Wind is associated with Spring, the colour green, the dragon constellation (5 Circles) and the element wood.


South Wind

The South Wind is associated with Summer, the colour red, the phoenix constellation (3 Circles)  and the element fire.


West Wind

The West Wind is associated with Autumn, the colour white, the tiger constellation (8 Circles) and the element metal.


North Wind

The North Wind is associated with Winter, the colour black, the tortoise constellation (7 Bamboo) and the element water.


Green Dragon

The true name of this tile is represented by the Chinese character "Fa" which means "to commence".  The "Fa" character is a stylised interpretation of a bow being drawn with an arrow about to be fired. The meaning of this tile is; proceed, start or begin. It is commonly called "The Green Dragon" in western Mah Jongg sets because the "Fa" character is frequently drawn in green ink.


Red Dragon

The true name of this tile is represented by the Chinese character "Chung" which means "centre" or "middle".  The "Chung" character is an interpretation an arrow striking the centre of a target. The meaning of this tile is; success, achievement. This tile is the counterpart of "The Green Dragon" tile which shows an arrow about to leave a bow. It is commonly called "The Red Dragon" in western Mah Jongg sets because the "Chung" character is drawn in red ink.


White Dragon

Historically, the White Dragon tile used to be part of the spare tiles in a Mah Jongg set, but later became used in the Game itself. The representation of this tile varies in Mah Jongg sets, it is shown as a plain (blank) tile: sometimes marked with the lettering "WHITE", or sometimes with a simple border enclosing the letter "B" (for Blank) or "P" (to represent the Chinese character "Pai"), or it is shown with  a decorative border only. The White Dragon is a blank tile that represents the mysterious unknown.


Plum Blossom

Known as "Plum" or "Plum Blossom" and represented by the Chinese character "Li". The plum blossom is one of the first signs of Spring and thus symbolises innocence and inexperience but it reflects happiness. It can also be a sign of renewed vitality and new fortune. The plum flower is associated with the East Wind and the season Spring.


Orchid

The orchid is a rare and exquisite plant - the pleasures of which are generally reserved for those who can afford it. It therefore indicates refinement and it is a symbol of the rare and precious. It is represented by the Chinese character "Lan" and it is associated with the South Wind and season Summer.


Chrysanthemum

In China the chrysanthemum is regarded as a symbol of the sun and it is represented by the Chinese character "Chü". The chrysanthemum represents pleasure, social activities, leisure and entertainment. It is associated with the West Wind and the season Autumn.


Bamboo

Bamboo is a most versatile plant with thousands of uses ranging from house-building to painting and writing. The bamboo flower represented by the Chinese character "Chu" is associated with writing, learning and scholarship. It is also associated with the North Wind and the season Winter.


Spring

Spring is represented by the "fisherman". Chinese miniatures of the fisherman often represent the ancient philosopher Chiang T'ai Kung who was discovered by King Wen of the Chou dynasty who in turn is attributed with the compilation of the commentaries in the I Ching.

The fisherman's philosophy is simple common sense, it is that good management leads to good working relationships, which in turn bring prosperity to all. The fisherman is also renowned for his patience and can represent this quality also.

The fisherman / spring is represented by the Chinese character "Yu", is associated to the East Wind, the colour green, the element wood and the Plum Blossom flower.


Summer

Summer is represented by the "Woodcutter". The woodcutter chopping firewood symbolises three of the five elements of Chinese philosophy: Fire and Wood and Metal (represented by the woodcutter's axe). Fire is the dominant element which controls wood and metal, and it represents the positive influences of vitality, drive, ambition and industry. The meaning signified by the woodcutter is success through activity.

The woodcutter / summer is represented by the Chinese character "Ch'iao" and is associated to the South Wind, the element fire and the Orchid flower.


Autumn

Represented by the "Farmer" and signifying the tasks and toil of bringing in a harvest. It is associated with physical and arduous labour, but all the same, labour which brings its own rich rewards. The farmer specifically indicates that bodily effort is required to achieve a task, it is not an oblique reference to perseverance or patience but rather indicates that one needs to get up and put one's back into a job!

The farmer / autumn is represented by the Chinese character "Keng" and is associated with the West Wind, the colour white, the element metal and the Chrysanthemum flower.


Winter

Represented by the "Scholar" - the scholar in question being Confucius.

Winter can be a fallow time when little can be successfully achieved outdoors, the scholar therefore indicates that those of a cultured mind can turn their attentions towards works of literary or artistic merit. For practical minded people the scholar indicates that administrative paperwork must not be forgotten. The qualities of prudence and preserving one's reserves are therefore most significant.

The scholar / winter is represented by the Chinese character "Tu" and is associated with the North Wind, the colour black, the element water and the Bamboo flower.


Precedences

In cases where two or more players want to pick up the same discarded tile, the following rules are applied.

The player who wants the tile for:

1:	Mah Jongg with a Special Hand - will get the tile, if not;

2:	Mah Jongg with a Pung - will get the tile, if not;

3:	Mah Jongg with a Chow - will get the tile, if not;

4:	Mah Jongg with a Double - will get the tile, if not;

5:	Kong - will get the tile, if not;

6:	Pung - will get the tile, if not;

7:	Chow (but only if the tile is discarded by the player who is to the immediate left of the player who wants to pick up the tile)

In cases where this is still not decisive, the player sitting nearest to the player who discarded this tile in the playing direction, will get the tile.


Loose Tiles

Loose Tiles mark the end of the Wall. At the start of a Hand, the opening two tiles are moved to one side and are then called "Loose Tiles". These tiles are placed to show the closing position of the Wall. If you like, it is a visual reminder to the players where the Wall actually ends.

During play, replacement tiles are drawn from the Loose Tiles that mark the end of the Wall. Replacement tiles are given to a player who has achieved a Kong or has been dealt a Flower or Season tile. At no time during a Hand is the Wall left unmarked so if two Loose Tiles are removed (when dealing out replacement tiles to a player) then the last two tiles in the Wall are placed immediately in the position occupied by the Loose Tiles that have just been removed.

See also Kong Box explanation.


Original Hand

Winning with an original hand means that the hand dealt to the East Wind player at the start of a hand is complete to go Mah Jongg. Since the East Wind player is the only player to have 14 tiles at the start of a hand then the East Wind player is the only player who can possibly win with this type of hand. It is a very rare event if this happens, but all the same is possible - the Chinese call this hand the "Hand from Heaven" or "The Natural Winning".


Combinations to get Doubles

Collecting combinations of tiles that are going to double your score is the quickest way to achieve high scores. Here are all the combinations, the easiest ones first:

1	Your own Flower or Season.

1	Having only tiles of one suit except for Winds and Dragons.

1	Any Pung or Kong of Dragons.

1	Any Pung or Kong of your own Wind or the Wind of the Round.

1	Having only ones and nines except for Winds and Dragons.

3	Having only tiles of one suit without any Winds or Dragons.

3	All Flowers or all Seasons.

3	Having only Winds and Dragons.

3	Winning with an Original Hand.


Wind of the Round

The Wind of the Round is the Wind displayed next to the compass. Collecting a Pung or a Kong of this Wind will double your score. East Wind is always the first Wind of the Round and after each Round the Wind of the Round is rotated to the next Wind on the compass in counter clockwise direction. A Game is finished after North Wind has been Wind of the Round and all four players have been East Wind four times.


Wait Time

The time the program allows for you to decide whether to pick up a tile discarded by any other players or to take back a tile discarded by yourself.


Eight Guardians

The Eight Guardians of Taoism: the four Flowers and the four Seasons.


The Three Suits

The suits Wan, Bamboo and Circle.


The Suits

All tiles except the Flowers and Seasons.


East Wind Player

This is the player who plays as East Wind during a hand and whose tiles will be shown on a red background stake.


Chow

A Chow is three consecutive tiles of the same suit.

Example:

You are ONLY allowed to collect Chows from the suits, Wan, Bamboo or Circles.


Pung

A Pung is three identical tiles of the same suit.

Example:

You can collect Pungs for all suits. There are two varieties of Pung - Exposed and Concealed.


Kong

A Kong is four identical tiles of the same suit.

You can collect Kongs for all suits. There are two varieties of Kong - Exposed and Concealed.

Tiles on the ends of a Kong are positioned face down to indicate whether the Kong is of an exposed or a concealed variety.

Exposed Kong:

Concealed Kong:


Rotation of East Wind

When a player other than the East Wind player goes Mah Jongg, the player to the right of the East Wind player will then become the East Wind Player. All winds are rotated one player to the right.


Dead Hand

A Dead Hand means that all the Tiles in the Wall have been played and nobody has gone Mah Jongg. All Tiles are reshuffled, a new Wall is built and a new Hand started. No scores are counted and the  East Wind player remains the same.


Mah Jongg

To go Mah Jongg in a game, in general, a player's Hand must consist of four sets of three or four tiles, (that is, Pungs, Kongs and Chows) which can be Exposed or Concealed, plus a pair of identical tiles. The topic Mah Jongg Examples can give you an idea of the type of hand you will need to go Mah Jongg. A Mah Jongg hand can also consist of any of the Special Hands.


Special Hands

Special Hands are special cases of a Mah Jongg. They are rare occurrences and score fixed high scores. See Special Hands examples for further information.


Original Hand

An Original Hand is a very rare event and can only be achieved by an East Wind player. This hand  occurs when the East Wind player is able to go Mah Jongg from the tiles they are initially dealt plus the first tile that is drawn by the East Wind player from the Wall. For such a hand the East Wind player's score will be an extra three times doubled. This Hand is also known as "The Heavenly Blessing", "Hand from Heaven" and "The Natural Winning". See Special Hands for more information.


Standing Hand

A Standing Hand means that after the first tile discard by a player, the player only needs one specific tile to complete a Mah Jongg. The player keeps discarding picked up tiles until this specific tile is available to pick up. The tile that is required can become available from the Wall or it may be discarded by another player. For this type of hand the player scores an extra one hundred points. Obviously this is a very rare event.


Concealed

This refers to tiles that you have in your hand (or stake) - that is, tiles that are not exposed on screen for the other players to see. The significance of concealed tiles is that you will get double points for suits you have collected in this way, when scores are totalled at the end of a Hand.


Exposed

This refers to tiles that are displayed above your stake. An Exposed Chow, Pung or Kong can only be made from tiles that you have picked up that have been discarded by other players. In such cases you have no option but to reveal to the other players the tile suit you have been collecting. Exposed tile suits score lower points at the end of a Hand.


Hand

A Hand is one dealing of tiles to each player and it is played until either the hand becomes dead or a player goes Mah Jongg.


Round

A Round is a minimum of four Hands, which is played until all players have played as East Wind once. A Wind of the Round is assigned and this will remain in force until the Round is complete. The significance of the Wind of the Round is that you can score higher points if you can manage to collect Pungs or Kongs of this tile. The length of a Round can vary considerably because it is determined by the time it takes to give each player a chance of playing as East Wind - and this can vary enormously if,  for example, the East Wind player continues to win, because in such circumstances the East Wind player will remain as the East Wind player until they lose!


Game

A Game consists of four Rounds and is played until each of the four Winds have played as Wind of the Round once and all players have played as an East Wind player four times. A game will always start with East Wind being as the Wind of the Round and it is finished when East Wind after all other Winds have played as Winds of the Round.


Kong Box

The last 14 tiles in the Wall, to the left of the opening of the Wall, and the loose tiles are referred to as the Kong Box. The purpose of the tiles in the Kong box is to supply extra tiles to players during a Game. These tiles perform no other function throughout a Game.


Loose Tiles

The Loose Tiles are the last two tiles of the Kong Box used to supply replacement tiles for Kongs, Flowers and Seasons.


Stake

A stake is the name given to a stand that you use to hold tiles that you are dealt - so other players cannot see what you have. Sometimes it is called a "rack". Stakes come in two colours, red and black. The red stake is always given to the player who is East Wind during a hand. All other players will have their tiles placed on a black stake.


Rack

A term that is sometimes used instead of "Stake".


Scoring Sticks

A set of sticks - the markings of which can vary considerably, that are used to help players total their scores at the end of a hand. Note - these are not necessary in this program, but rather can be used in a physical Game as the scoring process can be quite complex.


Snatching a Kong to go Mah Jongg

This rare event occurs when a player draws a tile from the Wall and uses this tile to convert an exposed Pung into an exposed Kong, at the same time this tile is required by another player to complete a Chow in order to go Mah Jongg. In such a case, the tile is given to the player who needs it to go Mah Jongg and they score an extra double for the total score for their hand.


Winning with a drawn Tile

This means that the tile a player uses to go Mah Jongg has been drawn from the Wall and it is not a tile that has been discarded by any other player. For winning in this way the player scores an extra two points.


Winning with a Loose Tile

This means that the tile a player uses to go Mah Jongg has been drawn from the Kong Box (as a replacement tile for a Flower, Season or Kong) and it is not a tile that has been discarded by any other player. For winning in this way the player scores an extra ten points.


Winning with the last Tile from the Wall

This means that the tile a player uses to go Mah Jongg is the last tile in the Kong Box and therefore the last tile before the Hand goes dead. For winning in this way the player scores an extra ten points.


Winning with the only possible Tile

This means that the tile a player uses to go Mah Jongg is the only possible tile that the player could use in order to complete their hand and go Mah Jongg.


Tile

Tiles are comparable to the playing cards that make up a deck of cards. They are the most basic items that you need in order to play a Game. Tiles used to be made of bamboo, bones or ivory, but luckily this last material has been replaced in recent years by synthetic ivory look-a-likes. They are engraved and painted with the symbols they represent in the Game.

See also :	144 Tiles
Overview of all the tiles


Wall

The Wall is made of all 144 tiles, it is a square with sides that are 18 tiles long and it is two tiles high. All tiles positioned face downwards in the Wall.


QuickTip

An option you can use to tell you the status of tiles in a game or if you are unsure which tile to discard it can suggest a tile for you to discard. When QuickTip is switched on you can point the cursor at the tiles on your stake and it will tell you how many times each tile has gone out. You can either take the suggestion or choose another tile to discard. When QuickTip is active the cursor can also change to a hand symbol over a tile that has been discarded by another player - this indicates that you might like to pick this tile up and use it to complete a suit in your hand.


Red Name

This indicates the name of the player who started the Game as the East Wind player. As the name implies, this player's name is shown in red in the centre compass display.