Position of the players for the first game is determined by a throw of the dice; all players throw once, the one throwing the highest number becoming first East Wind. In the event of a tie, players tieing throw again. The player sitting opposite East Wind will be known as West Wind, to the right of East Wind as South Wind, and the left of East Wind, as North Wind. The dice need only be thrown to determine East Wind for the first game of an evening's play, for if the player representing East Wind wins, or if the game is a draw, he remains East Wind. If he loses, the player to his right becomes East Wind, he in turn becoming North Wind.

East Wind is sometimes called Banker, for he must pay double stakes when he loses, and wins double stakes when he wins.

B. Building and Breaking the Wall.

Before building the wall the tiles must all be turned face down on the table and thoroughly shuffled. Then each player proceeds to build one side of the wall by taking 34 of the tiles at random, and arranging them side by side in a row 17 tiles long and 2 tiers high.

Each player then moves his side of the wall forward, the four sides forming a hollow square. This represents a Chinese wall or fort common in the protection of cities.

To find the point at which the wall is to be broken, East Wind always throws the dice. The number thrown will indicate the player who is to break the wall. The player is found by East Wind counting around the table to the right, starting with himself as "one," until he reaches the number thrown which will designate the player to break the wall.

In this illustration, if East Wind threw a "7," starting with himself as one, South would be 2, West 3, North 4, East 5, South 6, and West 7, designating West as the player to break the wall.

The player who has been designated to break the wall then throws the dice to determine the exact tile at which he shall break the wall, adding this throw to East Wind. This sum will indicate the tile at which the wall is to be broken, the player to break the wall counting the sum off from the right end of his own side, i.e., if 14 is the sum of the two throws, the wall will be broken by lifting out the 14th tile from the right with the one under it and placing both on the top of the wall to the right of where it was broken. These two are called loose tiles and they mark the end of the wall.

C. Drawing the Original Hand:

Each player then draws the 13 tiles which go to make up his original hand. East Wind starts the drawing by taking the first four tiles (2 blocks of 2 each) at the beginning of the wall, the player on his right the next four and so on around the table three times which will give each player 12 tiles. Then one tile apiece is drawn in regular order giving every player 13 tiles, except East Wind who draws an extra tile as he must make the first discard.

D. Playing the Hand:

Wall showing draw.

Each player then takes his original hand and arranges it to suit his own convenience. It is advised, however, that he arrange it in suits in order to see at a glance, the value of any one tile to his hand in the drawing and discarding of which the rest of the game consists.

When the hands have been arranged, East Wind starts the play by discarding any tile in his hand, face up in the center of the table. It is because of this first discard that he drew an extra tile. The play then goes to the right, it becoming the turn of South Wind to draw the next tile in the wall and discard any one he may choose. West Wind then draws and discards and so on around the table, constantly in a counter-clockwise direction.

The players during this drawing and discarding are gradually improving their hands, and matching them into four sets and an extra tile, a set being three of a kind, four of a kind, or three in a sequence.

When a player accomplishes this, he must only match the extra tile forming a pair and thus, completing his hand, having four complete sets and a pair. He announces "Mah-Jongg" wins, the game is over, the scores are settled and the wall built up for the next game.

As completing a hand entirely by draw from the wall would be a difficult task, the players are permitted to make use of any discard, as it is discarded, provided they have the required tiles already in their hand as explained below in "Chow" and "Pung."

E. To Chow:

A player having two tiles in his hand which, together with the tile just discarded by the player before him (to his left), would form a sequence or run of three, may by announcing "Chow" pick up the discard, add it to the two in his hand, and place the three in sequence face up on the table to the right of his hand. This appropriating the discard serves as the player's draw and he must then discard and the play goes on in the usual manner.

For example: If one has a 5-6 of character and the player preceding him discards either a 4 or a 7 of character, he may "Chow" the tile, and discard; or ignore it and draw from the wall and discard, in hopes of building a better hand, as often will be found advisable.

The main point to be remembered in "Chowing" is that a player may "Chow" only in his regular turn, i.e., he may "Chow" only tiles discarded by the player to his left and then only when he has the other two tiles in his hand to form the sequence. Sequences can only be built up in sets of three.

F. To Pung:

A player may also appropriate another player's discard to fill a set of three of a kind or four of a kind by announcing "Pung." In order to do this, the player must have a pair, or three of a kind in his hand to match with the discard, thus completing three or four of a kind, which he places, as in the case of a "Chow," to the right of his hand, face up on the table. For example: A player having a pair or three fives of the character suit, may pung when another player discards a five character, expose his set and discard, the play going on in the regular direction from him.

It is not necessary for it to be the player's turn to draw in order to "Pung" as it is in the case of a "Chow." A player having a pair similar to a tile discarded, may announce "Pung" and appropriate the tile, regardless of who discarded it and of whose turn it is to draw. Also after a player "Pungs" and discards, the play goes on from him to the right. It can be seen that due to punging one or even two players are liable to lose their turn.

There are a few rules applying to the "Chow" and "Pung." They are as follows:

1. All tiles must be "punged" or "chowed" as they are discarded; for a tile discarded by a player and allowed to remain in discard until the next player discards, becomes "dead" and cannot be touched during the rest of the game.

2. It has been stated that one cannot "pung" unless it makes up three or four of a kind. This is true with one exception. In the case: when a tile will complete a player's hand allowing him to "Mah-Jongg," the tile may be punged. Example: A player with four sets and an odd tile may pung a tile which matches his odd one. The rule is that "a player may at any time 'Pung' a discard which will complete his hand and allow him to Mah-Jongg."

3. The denomination and suit of each tile must be announced as it is discarded, a player discarding a 3 of character, announcing 3 character, to prevent confusion of a player who may be studying his hand. This is more of a courtesy of the game, than a rule.

4. A "Pung" has precedence over a "Chow" and if one player can pung the same discard that another player can chow, the former has the right to appropriate the tile.

5. If a player can pung a discard which will complete his hand and another player can pung the same discard to complete a set, the former has the right to take the discard.

6. If two players pung the same tile to complete their hands, the precedence is given to the player claiming the tile nearest to the discarder in a counter-clockwise direction around the table.