Chinese Official Mahjong · 1 pt
Melded Kong in Chinese Official Mahjong (MCR): Points, Promoted Kongs and Examples
In Chinese Official Mahjong, Melded Kong (明杠) is worth 1 point: you win with one kong that uses another player's tile. There are two ways: you hold three and claim the fourth from a discard, or you pung first and later add the fourth tile you draw (a promoted kong).
On this page
The rules for Melded Kong
- One of the four tiles came from another player: a claimed kong or a promoted kong
- A kong of four self-drawn tiles is a Concealed Kong (2), not a melded one
- After a kong you draw a replacement tile; winning on it is Out with Replacement Tile (8)
- A melded kong is exposed, so the hand cannot be Concealed
What Melded Kong does not combine with
Melded Kong is the fan for a single kong; more kongs score something else:
- Two melded kongs: Two Melded Kongs (4), Melded Kong not counted
- Three or four kongs of any kind: Three Kongs (32) or Four Kongs (88), Melded Kong not counted
- One melded plus one concealed: the table has no combined fan, so it is Melded Kong + Concealed Kong, 3 points
The kong is still a pung: a White Dragon kong scores Dragon Pung, a terminal kong scores Pung of Terminals or Honors.
Scoring examples
Won on a discard
| Mixed Straight | 8 |
| Dragon Pung | 2 |
| Melded Kong | 1 |
| Single Wait | 1 |
| Total | 12 pt |
|---|
Reaches the 8-point minimum — a legal win.
Won on a discard
| Concealed Kong | 2 |
| Pung of Terminals or Honors | 1 |
| Melded Kong | 1 |
| No Honors | 1 |
| Single Wait | 1 |
| Total | 6 pt |
|---|
Below 8 points — not allowed to win.
Why a 1-point kong matters for reaching 8
One point never reaches 8 by itself, but it closes small gaps:
- One point short: All Pungs plus one terminal pung is 7; turning one of the pungs into a melded kong makes it exactly 8.
- An extra draw: every kong gives a replacement tile, and a chance at Out with Replacement Tile.
- The cost: you show four tiles and lose flexibility; if those three tiles were part of a chow shape, the kong can break your hand.
Related fan
- Concealed Kong: four self-drawn tiles, 2 points, keeps the hand concealed.
- Two Melded Kongs: two melded kongs, 4 points.
- Out with Replacement Tile: self-drawing the replacement tile, 8 points.
- Robbing the Kong: if the tile you add to a pung is someone's winning tile, they can rob it and your kong never happens.
How often it happens
In 4,000 hands of the site's AI playing normally, wins with a melded kong were 3.9%, averaging 14.9 points.
FAQ
How many points is a Melded Kong?
1 point in Chinese Official Mahjong. Two melded kongs are scored as Two Melded Kongs (4) instead.
Is a promoted kong melded or concealed?
Melded. The pung it is built on was claimed from another player's discard.
Is my hand still concealed after a melded kong?
No. A melded kong is exposed like a chow or pung, so Concealed Hand and Fully Concealed Hand no longer apply. To practise kong timing, play MCR online.
Related fan
Concealed Kong 2 pt
A kong of four self-drawn tiles for 2 points: the hand stays concealed, it counts as a concealed pung, and the replacement draw can win.
Two Melded Kongs 4 pt
Two melded kongs for 4 points: replaces Melded Kong, one-of-each is scored separately, and you still need 4 more points.
Out with Replacement Tile 8 pt
Win on the replacement tile after a kong: 8 points, no Self-Drawn on top. Any kind of kong counts; a flower replacement doesn't.
Try it at the table
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