Chinese Official Mahjong · 32 pt

Three Kongs in Chinese Official Mahjong (MCR): Points, Examples and Odds

In Chinese Official Mahjong, Three Kongs (三杠) is worth 32 points: your winning hand contains three kongs — exposed, concealed, or promoted from a pung all count. Any mix will do, and Three Kongs alone is far past the 8-point minimum.

The rules

• Three kongs when you win: an exposed kong from a discard, a concealed kong you drew yourself, or a pung you added the fourth tile to — all count
• The fourth set can be a chow or a pung; any pair
• Only declared kongs count: four identical tiles kept in hand are Tile Hog, not a kong

What it does not combine with

Under the non-repeat principle these are not counted:

• Two Melded Kongs (4 points), Two Concealed Kongs (6 points)
• Melded Kong (1 point), Concealed Kong (2 points)

These still count:

• Concealed pungs: a concealed kong is a concealed pung, so three concealed kongs give Three Concealed Pungs (16 points); two give Two Concealed Pungs
• All Pungs: if the fourth set is a pung too, add All Pungs (6 points)
• Dragon Pung, Prevalent Wind, Seat Wind, Pung of Terminals or Honors: a kong counts as a pung for these
• Out with Replacement Tile: self-draw the win on a kong replacement tile for another 8 points

One more kong makes Four Kongs (88 points), which replaces Three Kongs.

Scoring examples

Every hand below is scored live by this site's scoring engine — the same code as the game — including the fan left out by the non-repeat rules.

How it relates to other fan

• Four Kongs: all four sets are kongs, 88 points; replaces Three Kongs and All Pungs.
• Two Melded Kongs, Two Concealed Kongs: the two-kong versions, not counted once you have three.
• Three Concealed Pungs, Four Concealed Pungs: concealed kongs are concealed pungs, so three concealed kongs always include Three Concealed Pungs.
• All Pungs: three kongs plus one more pung is All Pungs.
• Out with Replacement Tile: every kong gives you another replacement draw to win on.

Odds

Three Kongs is very rare: you need the fourth copy of three different tiles. About 8.7% of 13-tile opening hands contain a triplet, only 0.18% contain two, and the fourth tile still has to be drawn or discarded to you.

In 4,000 games of normal play by this site's AI (3,849 wins), Three Kongs appeared only 0 times — far too few to give a rate. Even a single kong isn't common: about 3.9% of wins had a melded kong and 1.1% a concealed kong.

When to declare a kong

• Consider every kong: in MCR a melded kong is 1 point and a concealed kong 2 points, plus an extra draw and a shot at Out with Replacement Tile.
• Concealed beats exposed: a concealed kong keeps your hand concealed and counts as a concealed pung.
• Promoting a pung is a risk: someone waiting on that tile can rob the kong.
• Lots of pungs? Go All Pungs: hands with three kongs are usually full of pungs; make the fourth set a pung too.

Try it at a real table — play Chinese Official Mahjong online against the AI, with every point counted for you.

Three Kongs in other mahjong styles

• Japanese (riichi) mahjong also has Three Kongs (sankantsu), worth 2 han (Japanese mahjong yaku list).

FAQ

How many points is Three Kongs?

32 points in Chinese Official Mahjong, not combined with Two Melded Kongs, Two Concealed Kongs, Melded Kong or Concealed Kong.

Do the kongs have to be concealed?

No. Exposed, concealed and promoted kongs all count, in any mix.

Do three concealed kongs also score Three Concealed Pungs?

Yes. A concealed kong is a concealed pung, so you score Three Kongs (32) plus Three Concealed Pungs (16).

Related fan

Four Kongs 88 pt Four kongs and a single-wait pair for 88 points: every kind of kong counts, what it doesn't combine with, and how it stacks with Four Concealed Pungs. 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. Two Concealed Kongs 6 pt Two self-drawn kongs for 6 points: replaces Concealed Kong and Two Concealed Pungs, and it is one pung away from Three Concealed Pungs.