A fully standalone beginner lesson for the app baseline of Taiwanese Mahjong and Taiwan 16-tile Mahjong covering the tile set, additive tai scoring, meldable honor tiles, flower bonuses, and the 1 tai minimum win gate.
Taiwanese Mahjong uses 16-tile hands and wins with 17 tiles. This app profile is a documented baseline rather than every table-common tai pattern. Winds and Dragons are fully meldable — Dragon Pong and Wind Pong each earn +1 tai. Only the 8 Flower/Season tiles are bonus tiles that are revealed and replaced on draw. You must score at least 1 tai (flower tai counts) to declare a win. Scoring is additive for compatible patterns; Pure One Suit stacks with All Triplets in this baseline.
144 total tiles (136 suited/honor + 8 flower bonus tiles)
Hand Size
16 tiles held, win with 17
Win Gate
Minimum 1 tai required (flower tai counts)
Scoring Style
Additive tai — compatible patterns stack
Flower Tiles
Only the 8 Flower/Season tiles are bonus tiles
What This Mode Is
Taiwanese Mahjong is a 16-tile variant widely played in Taiwan. This guide documents the app baseline profile: you hold 16 tiles and win when a 17th tile completes your hand.
Unlike some other variants, Winds and Dragons are fully meldable regular tiles — Dragon Pong earns +1 tai and Wind Pong earns +1 tai each. Only the 8 Flower/Season tiles behave as bonus tiles.
Scoring is additive: every applicable tai pattern stacks on top of the others. You must reach at least 1 tai to declare a win.
Five sets plus one pair is the standard winning shape.
Seven Pairs + Pong (七對一刻) is an alternate 16-tile hand winning shape worth +3 tai.
Flower tai is paid flat by all three opponents at win time.
Win tai is paid with a 2× penalty on the discarder when winning by discard.
Why This Mode Feels Different
The biggest difference from HKOS or Filipino is that Winds and Dragons are ordinary meld tiles here. This means you can build Pong melds with them and earn tai for doing so.
The 1 tai minimum is low by design — even one flower or a Dragon Pong easily satisfies it — so the scoring focus is on accumulating more tai per hand rather than clearing a high gate.
Dragon Pong/Kong = +1 tai each. Plan around honor melds actively.
Seat Wind Pong and Round Wind Pong each add +1 tai.
All Triplets (Pengpeng) adds +2 tai on top of all other bonuses.
Concealed Hand (+1 tai) rewards skipping open meld claims.
Before You Start
Before your first Taiwanese hand, make sure you know the difference between the bonus tile behavior here versus Filipino Mahjong: in Filipino, ALL honors are flower tiles; in Taiwanese, ONLY the 8 Flower/Season tiles are bonus tiles. Winds and Dragons stay in your hand as regular meld tiles.
Set one simple goal: identify which tai source your hand will chase, then count them as the hand develops.
You hold 16 tiles. The 17th completes the hand.
Flower tai counts toward the 1 tai minimum.
Dragon Pong is the clearest beginner tai source.
Count your tai before calling a win — under 1 tai is an invalid win.
Tiles and Table Setup
Taiwanese Mahjong uses the full standard tile set. Suits (Dots, Bamboo, Characters), Winds, and Dragons are all regular meld tiles. Flower and Season tiles (the 8 bonus tiles) are the only bonus tiles.
When you draw a Flower or Season tile, you reveal it, set it aside, and draw a replacement from the back of the wall. All other tiles stay in hand.
Suited tiles form Chows; Winds and Dragons form Pong/Kong, never sequences.
Dragons can form Pong and Kong — each earns +1 tai.
Only 8 specific tiles (Flowers + Seasons) trigger the reveal-and-replace rule.
The dealer holds 17 tiles and discards first; all others start with 16.
How a Turn Works in This Mode
The turn flow is the same draw-improve-discard rhythm as other Mahjong modes. The key addition is that any Flower/Season draw triggers an immediate reveal and replacement before the regular discard.
Before each discard, mentally count your current tai. If the hand is already at 1+ tai and near completion, finishing safely is often the right call.
Draw one tile.
If it is a Flower/Season tile, reveal and replace it immediately.
Improve your hand structure and count tai.
Discard one tile.
After a win call, tally all flower tai + win pattern tai before payments are made.
Claims and Call Priority
Claims follow the standard WIN > KONG > PONG > CHOW priority. Because Dragon and Wind Pong earn tai, taking Pong claims on these tiles is often strategically valuable — not just for speed.
Concealed Hand (+1 tai) is a meaningful bonus in Taiwanese, so consider whether skipping a Chow claim is worth the extra tai.
CHOW: left-player discard only; three consecutive same-suit tiles.
PONG: any opponent discard; three identical tiles.
KONG: four identical tiles; draw a replacement after declaring.
Concealed Kong is declared from drawn tiles and pays a 1-point side payment from each opponent immediately.
How to Build a Hand
Identify your tai sources in the opening turns. A Dragon Pong is easy to plan around if you have two Dragons early. Wind Pong on your seat wind is another natural target.
Mixed One Suit (+3 tai) and Pure One Suit (+7 tai) are high-value routes if your opening hand leans heavily into one suit with honors.
Keep Dragon pairs as long as a Pong is reachable.
Build toward Pengpeng (+2 tai) if your hand is naturally triplet-heavy.
Seven Pairs + Pong (+3 tai) needs 7 unique pairs plus a separate triplet; a Dragon/Wind triplet still scores normally.
Flowers are free tai — count them as they arrive.
How to Tell If You Can Win
A win requires both a complete 16-tile hand shape AND at least 1 tai total. Flower tai and win pattern tai both count toward this.
Before calling a win, run through: flower count + pattern tai. If the sum is 0, you cannot win even with a complete hand.
Count flower tai first — each Flower/Season tile in your bonus area is +1 tai.
Add pattern tai from the hand itself (Dragon Pong, Pengpeng, Seven Pairs + Pong, etc.).
Self-draw (Zimo) also adds +1 tai to the win total.
If total tai ≥ 1, the win is legal.
How Scoring Works in This Mode
All tai stack additively. Flower tai is paid flat by all three opponents. Win tai uses a split: on a discard win, the discarder pays 2× win_tai and each other opponent pays 1× win_tai. On self-draw (Zimo), each of 3 opponents pays 1× win_tai.
Flower tai is always added on top and paid equally by everyone regardless of win type.
Each Flower/Season tile held = +1 tai (paid by all 3).
Self-Draw (Zimo) = +1 tai.
Dragon Pong/Kong = +1 tai each.
Seat Wind Pong = +1 tai.
All Triplets (Pengpeng) = +2 tai.
Seven Pairs + Pong = +3 tai.
Mixed One Suit = +3 tai; Pure One Suit = +7 tai.
Your First Hand in This Mode
Your first Taiwanese hand should focus on one simple goal: finish a 16-tile hand with at least 1 tai. The 1 tai minimum is easy to clear — even one flower does it.
Do not overthink tai counting in the first session. Just be aware of whether you have any tai before calling the win.
Turn 1: Sort into connected suit blocks, honor pairs, and flower bonuses.
Turn 2: Identify the easiest tai source (usually a Dragon pair or an early flower).
Turn 3: Discard the weakest tile while protecting the tai source.
Turn 4 onward: Build structure normally while counting tai as patterns solidify.
Beginner Strategy Playbook
In Taiwanese Mahjong, tai accumulates quickly once you have 2-3 sources working together. The best beginner approach is to identify one primary tai route early and protect it through normal hand building.
Keep Dragon and seat-wind pairs — both are +1 tai Pong routes.
Count your flowers as free tai — 2 flowers already clears the minimum.
Prefer Pong over Chow when honors are involved.
Consider Concealed Hand (+1 tai) if your hand is naturally closed.
Do not fear Seven Pairs + Pong if you draw into many pairs plus a natural triplet early.
Defense and Risk Management
Because wins carry multiplied payouts (discarder pays 2× win_tai), a high-tai hand can deliver significant point swings. Pay attention to opponent discard patterns and exposed melds.
If an opponent has 3+ flower bonuses showing, their hand is scoring higher — be more cautious with your late discards.
Watch exposed honor melds — each Dragon Pong an opponent shows is +1 tai against you if they win.
Discard tiles that are already out in the discard pool when possible.
If the wall is short and your hand is not ready, fold safely rather than feed a high-tai hand.
Concealed hands are harder to read — treat caution as the default in late-wall situations.
Worked Scenarios
Basic Scenario: Clearing the 1 Tai Minimum
Setup: Your opening hand has two White Dragons and several connected suit tiles.
Objective: Build toward Dragon Pong to guarantee the 1 tai minimum.
Hold the Dragon pair and wait for the third from a draw or discard.
Build suit melds around the Dragon pair normally.
When the Dragon Pong completes, you have at least 1 tai guaranteed.
Finish the remaining 14 tiles (4 more sets plus 1 pair) to win.
Expected outcome: The hand wins legally because Dragon Pong gives +1 tai.
Dragon Pong is the easiest beginner tai source to plan around.
Mid Scenario: Zimo vs Discard Win
Setup: You are one tile away from winning. You can take a discard or wait to self-draw.
Objective: Understand the payout difference between Zimo and discard win.
Calculate current tai (e.g., 1 flower + Dragon Pong = 2 tai).
On discard win: discarder pays 2×2 = 4; each other opponent pays 1×2 = 2. Total received: 8.
On self-draw (adds +1 tai for Zimo = 3 tai): each opponent pays 3. Total received: 9.
Decide based on wait quality and wall tiles remaining whether to push for Zimo.
Expected outcome: You understand when self-draw is worth waiting for.
Zimo adds +1 tai and changes the payout split — it can be worth waiting for a turn or two.
Advanced Scenario: Pengpeng Route
Setup: Your hand is naturally triplet-heavy after the first few draws.
Objective: Commit to All Triplets (Pengpeng) for the +2 tai bonus.
Identify which tiles you already have pairs or triplets for.
Skip Chow claims entirely to preserve the Pengpeng route.
Expected outcome: Pengpeng + Dragon Pong + flowers can easily produce 5-8 tai in one hand.
Commit to Pengpeng early — it is incompatible with Chow melds.
What Beginners Usually Misunderstand
Winds and Dragons are NOT flower tiles in Taiwanese
In Filipino Mahjong, all honors are flower tiles. In Taiwanese, only the 8 Flower/Season tiles are bonus tiles. Winds and Dragons are normal meld tiles.
Fix: Keep Winds and Dragons in hand. Meld them for Pong tai bonuses.
A complete hand with 0 tai still cannot win
Even if your 16-tile structure is perfect, you need at least 1 tai to declare a win. Most hands naturally have 1+ tai, but zero-tai hands do occur.
Fix: Always count tai before calling a win. One flower or one Dragon Pong is enough.
Flower tai and win tai are paid separately
Flower tai is paid by all 3 opponents equally, regardless of who discarded. Win tai follows the discarder-pays-double formula.
Fix: Calculate flower tai and win tai separately before determining each opponent's payment.
Common Mistakes and Fixes
Treating Winds/Dragons as flower tiles and discarding them. - Remember: only Flower/Season tiles are bonus tiles in Taiwanese. Keep and meld Winds and Dragons.
Calling a win with 0 tai. - Count tai before every win call. At least 1 tai is required.
Skipping Pong on a Dragon because the hand seems fast without it. - Dragon Pong is free +1 tai. Always evaluate whether a Dragon Pong claim improves tai without breaking the hand.
Ignoring the Pengpeng route when the hand is triplet-heavy. - If you have 3+ pairs early, check whether avoiding all Chow claims enables Pengpeng (+2 tai).
Practice Drills
Drill 1: Tai Count Before Win
Goal: Build the habit of always counting tai before declaring.
For 10 hands, count tai out loud before every win call.
Write the final tai total and who paid what after each hand.
Mark any hand where you would have called a win illegally (0 tai).
Success check: You can calculate flower tai + win pattern tai in under 10 seconds before declaring.
Drill 2: Dragon Pong Route
Goal: Practice building around Dragon Pong as a primary tai source.
For 5 hands, hold any Dragon pair and wait for the third.
Note how often the Dragon Pong completed and how it affected final tai.
Compare wins with Dragon Pong to wins without.
Success check: Dragon Pong completes in at least 3 of 5 attempts.
Drill 3: Zimo vs Discard Decision
Goal: Practice evaluating whether to wait for self-draw.
Each time you reach tenpai, calculate the tai for Zimo (+1 extra) versus immediate discard win.
Decide whether the extra tai justifies waiting.
Record 5 decisions and check the outcomes.
Success check: You can explain the payout difference for each decision after the hand.
Ready-to-Play Checklist
I hold 16 tiles and win when the 17th completes the hand.
I know only Flower/Season tiles are bonus tiles — Winds and Dragons are meldable.
I know I need at least 1 tai (flower tai counts) to declare a valid win.
I know discard win: discarder pays 2× win_tai; others pay 1× win_tai.
I know self-draw (Zimo): all 3 opponents pay 1× win_tai + flower_tai each.
Mode FAQ
Can I Pong on East Wind or Red Dragon?
Yes. In Taiwanese Mahjong, Winds and Dragons are fully meldable. Dragon Pong earns +1 tai.
What is the minimum tai to win?
At least 1 tai total (flower tai + win pattern tai combined). Most hands naturally exceed this.
Do flower tiles count toward the 1 tai minimum?
Yes. Each Flower/Season tile in your bonus area is +1 tai, and this counts toward the minimum.
Who pays flower tai and who pays win tai?
Flower tai is paid equally by all three opponents. Win tai is paid with a 2× penalty on the discarder (on a discard win) or equally by all three on self-draw.
Rules used in tsumo
This guide describes tsumo’s app-defined Taiwanese 16-tile profile. Taiwanese Mahjong has regional and table variations, so confirm local scoring before transferring these rules elsewhere.
The app uses a 1-tai gate in which flower tai can satisfy the minimum.
Seven Pairs + Pong is the selected alternate hand; other tournament alternate-hand lists are not enabled.
Tai values, payments, concealed-kong side pay, and rear-wall replacement follow the named app table.
tsumo