16-Tile Game (Taiwanese Game)
Jeux
Mah-Jongg

Another variation of the 13-Tile Game is the 16-Tile Game, in which each player draws 16 tiles instead of 13. The game is basically the same as the 13-Tile game but with an extra matched set. Also, the method of scoring and seat allocation is different.

Seat Allocation (Ban Wei)

Once the four players have been seated randomly around a square table, one player casts two dice, and the dots are summed. Counting the dice caster as 1, the players are counted counterclockwise until the sum is reached at the position of the chair of the Temporary First Dealer.

Example:

If the player at Side A of the table casts the dice and the sum of the dots is two, then Side B is the chair of the Temporary First Dealer. Accordingly, the ruler bearing the Dealer's ensign is placed at Side B.

Following this, any player picks out four different Wind tiles, puts them face down on the table, mixes them well, and stacks the tiles in the center of the table.

The player who sits at the Temporary Dealer's chair casts two dice again. Again the dots are summed and the players are counted counterclockwise, with the Temporary Dealer being counted as 1 until the sum is reached.

The player who is counted last picks up the top tile from the Wind tile stack. The player on his or her right picks up the second tile, followed by the other players in counterclockwise fashion.

Example: The player sitting at the Temporary Dealer's chair (Side B of the table) casts the dice and the total number is 6. The player at Side C picks up the first tile. Players D, A, and then B, in turn, pick up their tiles.

The player who picks up the East Wind tile is the Temporary Dealer and will be seated at the Temporary Dealer's chair (Side B of the table), as determined by the first dice cast.

Each of the other players will also be seated at the appropriate seat according to his or her Wind tile.

Building the Walls

After all the players have been seated according to their Wind tiles, they all take part in turning the tiles face down, including the 8 Flower tiles, and mixing them thoroughly. Each player then lines up two single rows of 18 tiles each (similar to the Shanghai Game).

Designating the First Dealer, Breaking the Walls, Revealing Flower Tiles, and Drawing Make-up Tiles The Temporary Dealer casts two dice again and totals the dots.

Beginning with the Temporary Dealer, who is counted as 1, the players are counted counterclockwise until the sum is reached.

The player who is counted last becomes the First Dealer of the game. The ruler with the Dealer's ensign is, accordingly, placed at his or her side of the table. Next, the wall of tiles on the First Dealer's side is broken.

Counting the tiles of this wall from right to left, the First Dealer saves a number of stacks equal to the last sum of the dots on the dice.

He or she separates these stacks from the rest and keeps them to the right.

The dealer then begins to draw, two pairs at a time. Others follow in a clockwise direction until each player has drawn four times for a total of 16 tiles. The Dealer then draws an additional tile as his or her first draw.

After the initial drawing is complete, all the players display the Flower tiles on the table from the initial drawing. Beginning with the First Dealer, each player draws one make-up tile from the end of the wall, for each Flower tile revealed.

If the make-up tile happens to be another Flower tile, the player must wait until all the other players have drawn their make-up tiles before he or she can draw another make-up tile.

The game can now begin, with the First Dealer discarding a tile.

Shuh

When a player claims a discard from his or her Upper House to match a Sequence, the player must place the claimed tile in the middle of the set, face up, in front of him or her.

Garng

When a player declares a concealed Garng or Quadruplet, he or she displays the Quadruplet face down and should not reveal the tiles to the other players.

Winners

A player can complete a hand by drawing the Winning Tile from the walls during his or her turn, or by claiming the Winning Tile when another player discards a tile or declares a revealed Garng.

If a player fails to claim the Winning Tile when it is first discarded by a player, however, he or she cannot claim the Winning Tile discarded by other players until after making a discard. Even if the player draws a Winning Tile from the walls, he or she still cannot win until after a discard has been made.

If a discarded tile is claimed by more than one player to complete the hand, there will be more than one winner. Only the discarder pays all the winners.

Scoring

Scores are counted in terms of Tai instead of Fan and the total score is multiplied by the sum of Tai plus a fixed value called De for the completion of the hand. In general, the value of De is 2 to 4 times that of each Tai.

BONUS TAI

Whenever the Dealer wins, the discarder pays him or her one extra Tai as a bonus.

When the Dealer draws the Winning Tile, each of the other players pays the dealer one extra Tai as bonus.

When the Dealer discards the Winning Tile, he or she pays one bonus Tai to the winner.

When the Dealer repeats as Dealer again, two Tais are added as a bonus for each repetition.