Learn Chinese Classical Mahjong from your first tile
Start with no Mahjong experience. This free Chinese Classical course explains tiles, four sets and a pair, flowers, basic points, doubles and payments between players.
Work through 11 lessons, answer short knowledge checks, and finish with an interactive guided hand. Tile examples and optional guides help you recognize the artwork.
These lessons teach the fixed Chinese Classical rules used on Mahjong Planet. No account is needed for lessons. Your progress is saved in this browser and can sync when you sign in.
Your 11 beginner lessons
Meet the Classical tiles
Get to know the suits, honors and bonus tiles.
Match number and suit. The bird is one bamboo; winds and dragons are honors.
Four sets and a pair
Build a complete hand, without a scoring minimum.
Complete the shape. This preset has no extra scoring minimum.
Your seat and your first turn
Read the table, draw, and choose one discard.
East begins with the extra tile. Later ordinary turns draw, check, then discard.
Flowers and the two supplies
Keep bonus tiles separate from your regular hand.
Flower replacement: live wall. Kong replacement: the reserved kong box.
Chow and pung calls
Use a fresh discard to complete a fixed exposed set.
Chow from your left; pung from anyone. After either, discard without drawing.
Kongs: one set, four tiles
Declare the fourth tile and take a replacement.
Declare a kong, receive its replacement, then win or discard.
Find your waits and win
Recognize a ready hand and choose Mahjong.
Choose Mahjong for a complete legal hand. Original Call is optional and locks your hand.
Basic points, then doubles
Read the calculation in two simple steps.
Add basic points first. Each double multiplies by two. Hand value is not the total you receive.
Who pays whom?
Understand why every hand is scored.
All opponents pay the winner. Non-winners also settle differences. Double payments involving East once.
Special hands and your first game
Recognize exceptions and choose a manageable game length.
A hand is one deal. A full match spans four rounds; choose a single practice hand when learning.
Your first Classical guided hand
Complete a hand, read its doubles, and understand East’s payment.
Learn at your pace. Every lesson is available from the start. No account is needed to read the lessons or try the guided hand.