Click on any heading below to jump to the desired section.
- Getting Started
- Game Features & Options
- Starting/ Leaving/ Returning to a Game
- Seating
- Plays & Moves
- Account Management
1. Getting Started
1.1 What basic system requirements do I need to play the game?
Minimum requirements are a Pentium II PC (or equivalent) with 128MB RAM (256 MB RAM preferable), and an Internet connection, preferably DSL/ADSL, cable or similar. A dial-up connection is not recommended.
1.2 Do I need any special software to play Mahjong?
You will need Flash Player v6.x or better. Download the latest version here:
You will also require Internet Explorer browser 5.x or higher, on a Windows 98/NT/2000/ME or XP platform.
1.3 Do I need any special hardware?
You need a functioning mouse and a video card. We recommend a VGA graphics card with minimum resolution 800x600 and 16 bit colors. A sound card and speakers are optional.
1.4 I don't have a Windows-based PC. Can I play Mahjong on my MAC?
Not yet. We are working on special Mahjong for MAC version. Stay tuned.
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2. Game Features & Options
2.1 How many tables are in each room?
Tables are created according to demand, so the number of tables is potentially limitless.
2.2 Can I choose at which table I want to sit? Can I choose my opponents?
No, you cannot choose tables or your opponents in paying games. Random seating is the rule.
2.3 How do I turn the animation on/off?
Click the “Help/Settings” button located in the lower right-hand corner of any screen. Choose the “Game Settings” sub-menu. The default for animation is on. Deselect, or click the checkmark to remove it from the box to stop animation. Your selections should be "remembered" for future games. Note: some animation is central to the game and cannot be turned off.
2.4 How do I turn the sound on/off?
Click the “Help/Settings” button located in the lower right-hand corner of any screen. Choose the “Game Settings” sub-menu. The default for sound is “on”. Deselect, or click the checkmark from the box to turn the sound off. Your selections should be "remembered" for future games.
2.5 Why isn't chat offered in the rooms?
Chat will be available in the free play rooms in future versions.
2.6 Can amateur players play against advanced players in the same room?
Yes. Rooms are currently organized by table stakes and timeouts only.
2.7 Can I choose my own character?
No, you cannot choose your own character at this time.
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3. Starting/ Leaving/ Returning to a Game
3.1 What happens if there aren't enough players to start a game?
You wait in the system queue (“Waiting Room”) until enough players have joined. Should you wish to exit, you can click on the “Want to Quit” button to attempt to return to the Lobby.
Note: As soon as the required number of players enters the Waiting Room, funds transfer from your account to the house begins. Once this transaction is underway, the button will not respond and you will not be able to opt out of the queue.
3.2 What happens if I leave the game for a moment and my turn arrives?
The timer will run its course. If you have not played by timeout, the Auto Discard feature will take over and discard a tile on your behalf. The tile chosen for discard is always the last one dealt to you from the wall. It stands slightly apart at the right edge of your hand. If you are absent when the Action Bar appears, the Auto Pass feature will trigger and ignore the option. You may take over from the system and resume playing any time before the game ends.
3.3 What happens if I leave/another player leaves the game completely?
Play continues but the player who dropped out is considered to have abandoned the game and cannot win. They cannot win because the Auto Pass option will activate in their absence and reject all available moves – kong, pong, chow and Win/Mahjong.
A player who does not return to the game is still obliged to pay his share of the table stake amount to the winner. The Discarder Pays All rule also still applies.
Note that a player who drops out of a game is still registered in the system. S/he may resume play on their current game at any time but will be unable to start a new game until the first game is over.
3.4 I left my game. Can I return to the lobby and choose a new game?
A player who drops out of a game is still registered in the system and will be unable to play a new game until the first is over. Should you return to the lobby and click on the “Play Game” button, and the game you just left is still in progress, you will be returned to that game. If the first game has ended, you will be moved back into the Waiting Room until a new game begins.
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4. Seating
4.1 Why do the players sometimes change seats before the game begins?
Initial player seating at the table is random. After the random Wind seating process is executed, a player or players may appear to jump seats, in order to correspond with the proper wind seat arrangement. (South sits to the right of East, West sits to the right of South, etc)
4.2 How is the East wind seat chosen?
There are various methods by which the East seat can be chosen in live play. In Mahjong , the four Wind tiles are electronically “shuffled” and randomly distributed to each player. The player who is dealt the East Wind tile also becomes the dealer.
4.3 How are the remaining Winds chosen?
The remaining Wind tiles are also randomly assigned to the other players. Wind indicators are posted beside each player's nameplate before the game begins for easy reference.
Note: in Mahjong, Wind seating does not correspond to conventional compass directions. North and South face each other as usual, but East and West are reversed.
4.4 Why does the player who draws the East wind play first?
The east position is of paramount importance in China . The Chinese word used for East is dongjia, or zhuang-ja in Mandarin, which means “house” and hence the “dealer”, or starting point. In many Mahjong games, assigning the Wind seating and choosing the dealer are separate processes that often involve time-consuming and intricate steps. The process is simplified in Speed Mahjong by simply assigning the East Seat player dealer status.
4.5 How can I tell which player is the dealer?
The East wind indicator in the nameplate will indicate which player is the dealer. The Wall is also broken on the dealer's side at the start of the game and the dealer is the first to play.
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5. Plays & Moves
5.1 In which direction does play move?
Play moves counter-clockwise around the table.
5.2 How do I know when it is my turn?
Listen for a beeping sound to indicate that your turn has arrived. Look for your name in the timer box. Your nameplate will turn green. You will see an extra tile standing slightly apart in the extreme right edge of your hand. Some avatars will also turn to "face" your direction as well.
5.3 I don't see any buttons to let me Pong, Chow, Kong or Mahjong! How do I make play?
The system knows when the tile combinations are right to make those plays. It will bring up an ACTION BAR on screen at the right moment. You will be offered the choice to make the available play or pass on the opportunity by clicking on any of the brightly lit action button(s).
5.4 I think my turn was skipped.
Your turn is skipped if another player picks up the most recently discarded tile and lays down a matching set. Play resumes to the right of the player who picks up the tile - not from the discarding player.
5.5 I had the option to Chow and I pressed the Chow button but my move was not accepted.
Different plays have different rank. The option to Pong and Kong takes precedence over the option to Chow. The Mahjong option, “Win”, takes precedence over all other moves. In your case, another player had a better option and exercised it with the tile you wanted.
5.6 I had the option to Pong and I pressed the Pong button but my move was not accepted.
Different plays have different rank. A win takes precedence over all other possible moves. In this case, another player was able to Mahjong with the same tile you wanted, and that player's move took precedence over your option to Pong.
5.7 I had the option to Kong and I pressed the Kong button but my move was not accepted.
D ifferent plays have different rank. The Kong is a powerful play, but the option to win, or “Go Mahjong”, takes precedence over a Kong. In this case, another player was able to go Mahjong with the same tile you wanted, and that player's win took precedence over your option to Kong.
5.8 I had the option to Mahjong and I pressed the Mahjong button but someone else won!
When two players can potentially win on the same discarded tile, the player nearest the discarder's right is given the first option to use the tile.
5.9 I had an option to Chow/Pong/Kong and clicked on the button, but my move was delayed.
Another player had a higher ranking play to make with the same tile. Although you are able to click on your action button immediately, the system will not respond unless the player with the better option decides to PASS on the play. If s/he passes up on the tile, the system remembers your first button click and will activate your play after a short delay.
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6. Account Management
6.1 Why is my point taken from my account before I play a game?
To guarantee that the winner will be able to collect his/her full winnings at game end.
6.2 What is the payment protocol when a game ends in a draw?
The point that was transferred from your account to the House account will be returned in full.
6.3 Do I lose my point if the game disconnects?
The Auto Play functions will take over until you re-enter the game or the game ends, whichever occurs first. While the Auto Play features work on your behalf to keep your hand active, you cannot win. If you do not reconnect and return to the game, you may have to pay out some point to a winner. You might pay a portion of the table stakes value (if the winner goes Mahjong on a self-pick). If the game ends in a draw, all initial deposits are returned.
6.4 What happens to my point if I leave the game and don't return?
If someone wins from a dealt ("self-drawn") tile, your share of the table stakes will be paid to the winner, and the remainder retuned to your account. If the game ends in a draw, all initial deposits are returned.
6.5 How do I view my account activity?
Click the “Help/Settings” button located in the lower right-hand corner of any screen. Click on the “Account” sub-menu.
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