Mahjong variants compared: find your version
Reviewed by Jayesh, Admin · Last updated 27 October 2026
Mahjong is one game with many local versions. If you learned at a friend's table, at a club or from a family member, you probably learned one of them, and the others can look quite different. This page sets the best-known versions side by side so you can find yours.
Mahjong Dubai plays 16-tile Taiwanese mahjong and the Dubai house rules (Standard and Advanced). The other versions are described here for comparison only.
The versions side by side
| Version | Tiles in the set | Tiles in the hand | Scoring unit | Where it is played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwanese (16-tile) | 144, with flowers | 16, winning with 17: five sets and a pair | Tai | Taiwan, and groups that play 16-tile mahjong elsewhere |
| Dubai house rules | 144, with flowers | 16, winning with 17: five sets and a pair | Points, with a base added to every win | Groups in Dubai |
| Hong Kong (Cantonese) | 144, with flowers | 13, winning with 14: four sets and a pair | Fan | Hong Kong and Cantonese-speaking communities |
| Japanese riichi | 136, no flowers | 13, winning with 14: four sets and a pair | Han and fu, turned into points | Japan |
| American | 152, with flowers and jokers | 13, winning with 14 | A set value for each hand on that year's card | United States |
| Indian | Depends on the local style | Depends on the local style | Depends on the local style | India, in several regional styles |
Indian mahjong is played in several regional styles whose rules differ, and this page does not describe them.
The biggest difference is the hand size. Taiwanese and the Dubai house rules give you 16 tiles, so a winning hand has five sets instead of four.
The Taiwanese winning hand
Five sets and a pair, 17 tiles in all. Here is one: three sequences, a pong of red dragons, a pong of East Wind and a pair of white dragons.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Taiwanese and Hong Kong mahjong?
The hand size. Taiwanese mahjong is played with 16 tiles and a winning hand of five sets and a pair. Hong Kong mahjong is played with 13 tiles and a winning hand of four sets and a pair. They also score differently: Taiwanese in tai, Hong Kong in fan.
Are the Dubai house rules a different game from Taiwanese mahjong?
No. They use the same tiles and the same winning hand as 16-tile Taiwanese mahjong. The difference is the scoring, which counts points with a base added to every win, and a few table rules.
How many tiles are in a mahjong set?
It depends on the version. A Taiwanese or Hong Kong set has 144 tiles, including eight flowers. A Japanese riichi set has 136, with no flowers. An American set has 152, including jokers.
Which version does Mahjong Dubai play?
16-tile Taiwanese mahjong, scored as Classic Taiwanese in tai, and the Dubai house rules (Standard and Advanced), scored in points. You can play free at play.mahjongdubai.com.