Duplicate Mahjong Rules
  • What is duplicate mahjong?
  • MCR Duplicate Rules
  • SBR Duplicate Rules

    • What is duplicate mahjong?

    Duplicate Mahjong (DM) is a mahjong format in which the result of each deal is compared with the results of the same deal played at other tables regardless of the mahjong rules themselves.

    There are two major types of duplicate tournaments:

    • In a team tournament, a team plays the same deal on all four winds, four individual results are then summed up and converted into the IMP* according to the scale.
    • In an individual tournament, one hand can be played any number of times, the player in each hand receives a deviation of his result from the average in this hand on the same wind, converted into the IMP* according to the scale.

    * IMP is an abbreviation from International Match Point, such a unit is used in duplicate bridge, a game much influenced on DM development.

    MCR Duplicate Rules

    General

    • Each player has a “personal” wall, whenever a player cannot take a tile from his/her wall the play stops, it is a draw.
    • All bonus tiles are eliminated since their presence may lead to “uneven” opportunities to draw tiles by the players.

    Rule 1*. Self-drawn win

    • When winning from the wall with the hand value “HV" the winner gains (HV + 24) pts., and others lose (HV / 3 + 8) pts. rounded to the closest highest integer.
    • The rule eliminates the “random” factor of drawing winning tile.

    Examples: HV = 9 —> +33 / -11pts. ; HV = 10 —> +34 / -12 pts.

    * MahjongSoft innovation, is a modification of the basic rule of duplicate mahjong version of the MIL (International Mahjong League).

    Rule 2*. Multiple “Hu”

    • When declaring “Hu” by several players on discard, all players without a false “Hu” gain points.
    • The rule eliminates the “random” factor of the winners’ relative position at the table.

    Example: player A discards a tile for player B’s Hu_1 = 20 pts. and player C’s Hu_2 = 10 pts. Each winner receives a “standard” score of “Hu + 24 pts.”, player D loses 8 points and player A loses Hu_1 + Hu_2 + 8. So, A = - 20 - 10 - 8 = -38 pts., B = 20 + 24 = 44 pts., C = 10 + 24 = 34 pts., D = -8 pts.

    * MahjongSoft innovation, is a modification of the basic rule of duplicate mahjong version of the MIL (International Mahjong League).

    Rules 3A/3B. Kong

    • A replacement tile is taken from the right end of the wall.
    • It is forbidden to declare kong when there are no tiles in the player’s wall.

    Definition of the last tile of the wall (LTW):

    • “If it is the turn of a player but there is no tile in the wall of the next player, the last tile of the wall point is reached”.

    Example: South has no tiles in his wall. If East receives the right to make a turn then a point of LTW is reached. Please, note that besides an obvious case of starting turn by East after North’s unclaimed discarded tile East can also gain turn after his Chow/Pung/Kong declaration.

    Rule 4. Declarations on the last tile of the wall

    • After the point of reaching LTW, no declarations can be made except “Hu”.

    Example: after drawing tile after LTW point a player can declare neither Concealed Kong nor Promoted Kong even if there is a possible replacement tile in his wall.

    Rules 5A/5B. The last tile of the wall

    • Fan “Last Tile Draw” is added on “Hu” of a player who drew the tile from the wall after the point of reaching LTW.
    • Fan “Last Tile Claim” is added to all players with “Hu” on the discarded tile after the point of reaching LTW.

    Rule 6. False Hu penalty

    • When false Hu is declared, the player receives a penalty in the amount of: 4 IMP if there is a hand structure, 8 IMP if there is no hand structure. This penalty is personal and does not affect the scoring of other players at the table.

    Game points to IMP conversion table (MCR)

    Game points IMP
    0-1 0
    2-5 1
    6-9 2
    10-15 3
    16-23 4
    24-31 5
    32-39 6
    40-47 7
    48-55 8
    56-63 9
    64-71 10
    72-83 11
    84-95 12
    96-107 13
    108-131 14
    132-155 15
    156-179 16
    180-211 17
    212-243 18
    244-295 19
    ≥296 20

    One can see what duplicate MCR mahjong is in the tutorial Duplicate Mahjong. Please, read about it in a Duplicate Mahjong Bulletin.

    SBR Duplicate Rules

    General

    • Each player has a “personal” wall, whenever a player cannot take a tile from his/her wall the play stops, it is a "wall ends" final.
    • Penalties are personal and do not affect the scoring of other players at the table.
    • Penalty for the tiles of "forbidden suit" in hand is 8 IMP (instead of 48 points).

    Rule. The last tile of the wall (LTW)

    Definition:

    • “If it is the turn of a player but there is no tile in the wall of the next player, the last tile of the wall point (LTW) is reached”.

    Example: South has no tiles in his wall. If East receives the right to make a turn then a point of LTW is reached. Please, note that besides an obvious case of starting turn by East after North’s unclaimed discarded tile East can also gain turn after his Pung/Kong declaration.

    Scoring:

    • Fan “Under the Sea” is added on “Hu” of a player who drew the tile from the wall after the point of reaching LTW.
    • Fan “Under the Sea” is added to all players with “Hu” on the discarded tile after the point of reaching LTW.

    Game points to IMP conversion table (SBR)

    Game points IMP
    0 0
    1 1
    2-3 2
    4-7 3
    8-15 4
    16-31 5
    32-63 6
    ≥64 7

    Updated: 10.07.2022