Filipino Mahjong is played with 108 suited tiles and 36 flower tiles. Four players sit around the table.
Your goal is to build a winning hand of 17 tiles:
5 báhay (sets of three) + 1 pair (the "eye").
A báhay can be a pung (three of a kind) or a chow (three consecutive tiles of the same suit).
Each player starts with 16 tiles. The dealer gets 17 and discards first. On your turn, draw a tile and discard one — unless you can call a set or win.
2The Tiles
There are three suits, each numbered 1–9, with 4 copies of every tile.
BALLS (CIRCLES)
STICKS (BAMBOOS)
CHARACTERS (CHAR)
FLOWER TILES
Flowers (including winds, dragons, and seasons) are bonus tiles. They're never part of your 17-tile playing hand — when you draw one, it's auto-replaced by another tile.
3Calls — Pung, Chow, Kang
When another player discards a tile you can use, you can call it to complete a set. Calls lock those tiles face-up on the table; they're no longer concealed.
PUNG
Claim any player's discard if you already have two matching tiles. Forms a set of three identical tiles.
CHOW
Claim a discard only from the player before you to complete a run of three consecutive tiles in the same suit.
KANG
Claim a discard when you already have three matching tiles. Forms a set of four. You draw a replacement tile and each player pays you $1.
Kang beats pung. Pung and kang beat chow. If two players can call the same discard, priority goes to the higher call.
4Special Moves
SECRET KANG
If you draw a 4th tile matching three already in your hand, declare it secretly. All four tiles are placed face-down. Each player pays you $2.
SAGÁSA
If you draw a tile matching one of your open pungs, you can extend it to a kang. Each player pays you $2.
JOKER
One random suited tile is chosen as the joker at the start of each hand. All four copies are wild — they can substitute for any tile when completing your hand.
Jokers cannot be used to call pung, chow, or kang from a discard.
5Winning Hands
TÓDAS
The standard win. Your hand is complete: 5 báhay + 1 pair. Each of the three other players pays you the full score amount.
BÚNOT 🫳 (SELF-DRAWN WIN)
You drew the winning tile yourself from the wall instead of claiming someone's discard. Payout is doubled.
SIETE PARES
Seven pairs + 1 báhay (pung or chow). Can include open melds. Worth $4 base.
ESCALERA
Tiles 1–9 of a single suit in your hand. Worth $4 base.
BISAKLAT
The dealer has a complete winning hand on the very first deal — no draws, no discards. Extremely rare. Worth $20.
6Flowers
Flowers are bonus tiles that are automatically replaced when drawn. They are never part of your playing hand.
NO FLOWERS
If you're dealt zero flowers, each player pays you $1 immediately.
13 FLOWERS
Collect all 13 flowers and each player pays you $1 immediately.
7Scoring
Each of the three losers pays the winner. Mid-game bonuses are collected instantly.
