Scoring Guide
What is a Faan?
Understanding the scoring unit that derives every decision at the Hong Kong New Style table
The Basics
Faan (番) is the unit of scoring in Hong Kong New Style Mahjong. Think of it as score multipliers that stack. The more faan your winning hand is worth, the more points you get from the other players.
You earn faan by building a hand with recognized patterns such as a Full Flush, a Dragon Pung, a Fully Concealed Hand, and so on. These patterns stack: if your hand qualifies for multiple patterns, you add the faan together.
Why do the points grow so fast?
Because each extra faan doesn’t add to your payment, it doubles it. Getting 4 faan instead of 3 isn’t just a “bit more”, it is twice as much. Get 5 faan and you’ve doubled it again. It’s the same trick as folding a pice of paper in half over and over again. The first few folds barely changes its thickness but by the tenth fold it’s taller than a house. Faan works the same way. The first few steps feel gradual, and then the table explodes.
That is why a 13-faan hand doesn’t feel four times bigger than a 3-faan hand. It looks catastrophic. Look at what a discard win costs the loser:
| Faan | Discarder pays | vs. 3 faan |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 16 chips | — |
| 5 | 64 chips | 3× |
| 7 | 256 chips | 16× |
| 9 | 1,024 chips | 64× |
| 10 | 2,048 chips | 128× |
| 13 | 16,384 chips | 1024× |
from 3 to 13 faan
13-faan self-drawn win
From 3 to 13 faan, the discarder’s payment goes up 1024×. This is why the limit exists — without one, a single unlucky discard can wreck someone’s game.
What is the limit and why does it matter?
The limit is a ceiling. Once a hand reaches or exceeds the limit faan, everyone pays the limit amount to the winner. No further counting.
It matters because:
1. Protects players from catastrophic one-hand losses
2. Affects strategy because if your limit is 10, there is no point chasing an 11-faan hand. Every faan above the limit is wasted effort
What limit shall I play with?
It depends on the kind of game experience your table prefers. A lower limit usually leads to faster games with more balanced scoring, while a higher limit allows for bigger hands and more dramatic point swings.
In this guide, counters are used only to keep track of points during play. They do not represent money or gambling. The limit is simply a scoring preference that your group agrees on before starting the game.
The honest trade-off: a higher limit makes the game more exciting but also more punishing. A single 13-faan self-drawn win collects 2,304 chips from the table. If that sounds fun, raise the limit. If it sounds ruinous, keep it at 10.
Look at the table below and decide which style of play suits your group best.
| Limit | Best for | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 8 faan | Beginners, casual or social play | Caps payments early; keeps swings small |
| 10 faan | Most recreational groups; traditional choice | Balanced — most patterns below limit; special hands capped |
| 13 faan | Experienced players; competitive play | Special hands pay their full value; higher variance |