Know what you are trying to build
Start with the rules your group has agreed to use. Keep its hand shape and winning requirement within reach. A teaching game is much easier when everyone is answering the same question.
Separate your own concealed tiles from any exposed sets and bonus tiles. Those areas can have different roles; a beautiful collection of tiles is not necessarily the correct hand count.
Draw, consider, discard
An ordinary turn in the set-based games covered here follows a draw and a discard, unless the draw completes a legal win. Claims, replacement draws and declarations are the important exceptions.
Before discarding, compare the drawn tile with the shapes already in your hand. Does it connect to a neighbour? Does it complete something? What would you break by keeping it? This is a thinking routine, not a promise that one kind of tile is always best.
The table still matters between turns
Watch the newest discard and announced calls. A legal claim can change who acts next, so wait for the table to resolve it before drawing. Avoid reaching for a tile while another player is declaring.
For the first practice session, slow the pace and keep stakes out of it. Agree how questions will be handled. Once a hand ends, pick one decision to revisit; the next hand gives you another chance to try.
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Should you take that discard? →
A claim can help your shape and change your scoring options. Check both.
Sources & scope
An original Hé Fēn explanation with our own teaching examples. Reference links checked 13 September 2026. We are not affiliated with these organisations.
- Mahjong Competition Rules World Mahjong Organization / EMA. The WMO 2006 Green Book and EMA tournament materials. Consult the event rules for tournament procedure.
- Riichi rules, 2025 edition European Mahjong Association. Competition rules for EMA play. Use the published edition and its annotations; other Riichi tables can differ.