16 BIT
MAHJONG

One hand, narrated. You are East, so you are the dealer.

THE DEAL

You are dealt 13 tiles. They are a mess — a pair of 3 bamboo, a loose 7 and 8 dot, three unconnected winds, and assorted junk.

This is normal. Nobody is dealt a good hand.

TURN 1 — YOU

As dealer you go first. You draw: a red dragon. Nothing yet, but dragons score, so it is worth holding briefly.

You discard a lone 2 character. Early discards should be your most isolated tiles, and that is the loneliest thing you have.

TURN 2 — PLAYER TO YOUR RIGHT

They draw and discard a 9 dot.

You hold 7 and 8 dot. That 9 completes a run — but can you take it?

No. Chow is legal only from the player immediately before you, and this is the player immediately AFTER you. You watch it go.

This is the rule from lesson 7-4, and it costs you a tile within the first minute of a real hand.

TURNS 3-4

Play continues around. The player before you discards a 3 bamboo.

You hold a pair of them. You pung — legal from anyone — and lay the three tiles face-up.

You have gained: a completed set, immediately.

You have lost: concealment. Everyone now knows you collect bamboo.

Because you claimed, play jumps to YOU. The player who would have gone next is skipped — lesson 7-6, and they lose a draw for it.

MIDGAME

You discard, play resumes. Over several turns you draw into a second run in dots and pick up a third bamboo set.

Now you hold three sets, a partial fourth, and your pair. One tile from a complete hand. You are TENPAI.

THE FINISH

The wall is getting low. Two things can happen.

EITHER you draw your tile, complete the hand, and — assuming it is worth the minimum fan — win on a self-draw.

OR a player discards it. If your hand meets the minimum, you claim to win — and remember from lesson 7-5 that a win claim outranks everything, so nobody can take that tile out from under you.

IF NEITHER HAPPENS

The wall runs out. The hand is a draw. You were tenpai, so you collect from the players who were not — and because a draw retains the deal, you are still East for the next hand.

THAT IS A HAND

Draw one, discard one, around the table. Claim when the tile is worth showing your hand for. Watch the player on your left, because they are your only source of runs. Count on nothing, because claims will take your turns away.

Go and play one.