Pung
A set of three identical tiles. Can be exposed by calling a discard or kept concealed in the hand.
Definition
A pung is a group of three identical tiles — for example, three 5 Bams or three West Winds. Pungs are one of the fundamental building blocks of mahjong hands across all variants. In American Mahjong, a pung can include Jokers as substitutes for natural tiles.
How It Works in Gameplay
You can form a pung in two ways. First, you can collect all three tiles naturally by drawing from the wall. Second, you can hold two matching tiles and call a third when any player discards it — this creates an exposed pung that goes face-up on your rack. Pungs appear in many hands on the NMJL card and are often the easiest groups to complete. When deciding whether to expose a pung, consider how much information it reveals about your hand.
Example
You hold two 8 Craks in your concealed hand. The player across the table discards an 8 Crak. You call "8 Crak" (or simply announce the tile), take it, and place all three 8 Craks face-up on your rack as an exposed pung. You then discard a tile you don't need, and play continues.
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