Kong
A kong is a group of four identical tiles, such as four 2 Dots. In American Mahjong a kong can include Jokers, and many hands on the NMJL card use one.
Definition
A kong is a group of four identical tiles, for example four 2 Dots or four North Winds. In American Mahjong a kong can also be four Flowers, and Jokers can stand in for any of its tiles. A kong needs one more tile than a pung, so it is harder to complete. Many hands on the NMJL card use kongs.
How It Works in Gameplay
You can build a kong from tiles you draw and receive, or by calling a discard when you already hold three matching tiles (or a mix of matching tiles and Jokers). A kong made by calling a discard goes face up on your rack as an exposure, which tells everyone which tile you're collecting. A kong you build without calling stays hidden in your hand until you declare Mah Jongg.
Example
You hold three 6 Bams and a Joker. That is already a kong, hidden in your hand where no one can see it. Two turns later, you draw the fourth 6 Bam from the wall. Now your kong is all natural tiles, and the Joker is free to use in another group.
Kong vs Pung and Quint
A kong sits in the middle of the family of matching groups on the NMJL card:
- A pung is three identical tiles.
- A kong is four identical tiles.
- A quint is five identical tiles. A set has only four of each suit, Wind and Dragon tile, so a quint of those needs at least one Joker.
- A sextet is six identical tiles, the largest group in American Mahjong.
The more tiles a group needs, the harder it is to complete and the more a Joker matters.
When to Call for a Kong
Calling a discard for a kong tells the table exactly which tile you are collecting, so timing matters. Once your kong is exposed, the other players are likely to stop discarding that tile. Some players hold off on calling until they are committed to one hand.
A useful habit: before you call a discard to make a kong, check the card and confirm that the hand you want uses a kong of that tile, not just a pung. Exposed tiles stay on your rack for the rest of the hand, so a wrong exposure can leave you with no hand on the card that fits.
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