Kong
A set of four identical tiles. Can include jokers in American Mahjong.
Definition
A kong is a group of four identical tiles — for example, four 2 Dots or four North Winds. Kongs appear in many hands on the NMJL card and can include Joker substitutions in American Mahjong. A kong requires one more tile than a pung, making it harder to complete but often necessary for higher-value hands.
How It Works in Gameplay
Like a pung, you can build a kong by drawing tiles from the wall or by calling a discard when you already hold three matching tiles (or a combination with Jokers). Exposing a kong reveals significant information — four of the same tile is a strong signal about your target hand. Some players delay exposing a kong until they are confident about their hand direction. Kongs are common in categories like "2468" and "Consecutive Run" on the NMJL card.
Example
You hold three 6 Bams and a Joker in your concealed hand. You could already form a kong, but you keep it concealed to avoid tipping off your opponents. Two turns later, you draw a fourth natural 6 Bam from the wall, so you swap the Joker out of the group and use it elsewhere in your hand — maximizing your flexibility.
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