Taiwanese Mahjong · 1 tai

Win After a Kong (Gang Shang Kai Hua) in Taiwanese Mahjong: Tai, Rules and Odds

In Taiwanese mahjong, Win After a Kong (槓上開花, gang shang kai hua) is worth 1 tai: you declare a kong (or reveal a flower), take a replacement tile from the back of the wall, and that tile completes your hand. It is always a self-draw, so self-draw or concealed self-draw tai are added too.

The rules for Win After a Kong

• You declared a kong: concealed, exposed (on a discard) or added to a pung — all count
• After a kong you draw a replacement from the back of the wall, and you self-draw your win on that tile
• On this site flowers count too: reveal a flower, draw a replacement from the back, win on it — same tai
• If the replacement is another flower, you replace again; the tile that finally wins still counts

How Win After a Kong is scored

Win After a Kong is a kind of self-draw, so it sits on top of self-draw or concealed self-draw. The tai below are computed live by the same scoring code the game uses (dealer and dealer-streak tai are added on top).

Common combinations:

How it relates to other hands

• Self-draw, concealed self-draw: Win After a Kong is always self-drawn. With chows, pungs or exposed kongs it's self-draw for 1 tai; with nothing exposed (a concealed kong doesn't count as exposed) it's concealed self-draw for 3 tai.
• Last Tile Self-Draw: if the replacement tile is the last drawable tile of the wall, both count.
• Concealed pungs: a concealed kong counts as a concealed pung; three or more score extra. Exposed and added kongs don't.
• Robbing a Kong: when you add a tile to a pung, others can rob that tile to win. If it's robbed there's no replacement, so no Win After a Kong.

Win After a Kong odds

In 12,000 hands of four normal-level computers on this site, 249 of 11,677 wins were Wins After a Kong, 2.1%; those hands averaged 3.7 tai in total. Self-draws were 24% of all wins.

• On this site it's one of the more common timing tai, mainly because flowers count: the set has 8 flowers, and every flower drawn means another replacement tile from the back.
• At tables that only count kongs it's much rarer — few players kong in a typical hand.

When to kong

A kong gets you an extra tile and another chance to self-draw, but it isn't always worth it:

• Concealed kongs are usually worth it: the hand stays concealed, it counts as a concealed pung, and you get an extra tile.
• Added kongs can be robbed: if someone is waiting on the tile you add, they win on it and you pay alone. Late in the hand, with others looking ready, an added kong is riskier.
• When ready, check your waits first: taking four tiles out changes your hand; make sure you don't lose winning tiles before you kong.

To try it out, open a table of online Taiwanese mahjong — the computers play with you and count the tai for you.

Win After a Kong in other mahjong styles

• Japanese mahjong: "Rinshan kaihou", 1 han (Japanese mahjong yaku list)
• Hong Kong mahjong: "Win on a kong", 1 fan (Hong Kong mahjong fan list)
• Sichuan mahjong: "Win after a kong", 1 fan (Sichuan mahjong fan list)
• Chinese Official (Guobiao): "Out with Replacement Tile", 8 fan (Guobiao fan list)

FAQ

How many tai is Win After a Kong?

In Taiwanese mahjong Win After a Kong is worth 1 tai, plus self-draw 1 tai, or concealed self-draw 3 tai if nothing is exposed.

Does winning on a flower replacement count?

On this site, yes. Revealing a flower and winning on its replacement tile scores the same as winning on a kong replacement. Some tables don't count it — agree before you play.

Is the hand still concealed after a concealed kong?

Yes. A concealed kong uses none of anyone else's tiles, so it doesn't count as exposed. Winning on its replacement is concealed self-draw plus Win After a Kong.

Does a kong score tai by itself?

No. A kong just gives you an extra tile; tai such as Win After a Kong or concealed pungs only count when you win.

Related hands

Self-Drawn 1 tai Drawing your own winning tile — 1 tai, paid by all three opponents. Self-draw vs concealed self-draw, scoring combos and how often it happens. Last Tile Draw 1 tai Self-draw the last tile of the wall for 1 extra tai: which tile is the last one, the difference from a last-discard win, and how rare it is. Robbing a Kong 1 tai Win on the tile someone adds to their pung for 1 tai: which kongs can be robbed and who pays.