Beginner guide
Mahjong Winds Explained
This lesson uses Mahjong Competition Rules (MCR) whenever a precise rule is needed. Other Chinese and regional tables may differ.
Context: MCRThe four Winds are honors that form pairs, pungs, and kongs, never chows.
Core idea
Each Wind has four copies: East, South, West, and North.
- Seat wind identifies a player’s current position.
- Prevalent wind identifies the round.
Use it at the table
Tile identity stays fixed while table roles rotate.
- Never treat compass order as a sequence.
- Exact scoring value is ruleset-dependent.
Ruleset boundary
Structure, procedure, and scoring are separate checks. Use the official MCR text for competition decisions and confirm another table’s rules before transferring advice.
Key takeaways
- Each Wind has four copies: East, South, West, and North.
- Tile identity stays fixed while table roles rotate.
- Name the ruleset before applying the lesson.
Lesson checkpoint
Finish lesson & practice Turn the explanation into recall.
Source notes
Reviewed references
- Mahjong Competition RulesWorld Mahjong Organization / European Mahjong Association · Reviewed 2026-10-14
MCR structure, play sequence, 81 scoring elements, and the 8-point minimum.