Wall Game
A wall game is a hand with no winner: the last tile is drawn and discarded, and nobody declares Mah Jongg. No one pays, and the deal moves to the next player.
Definition
A wall game happens when every tile in the wall has been drawn, the last tile has been discarded, and no player has declared Mah Jongg. The hand ends as a draw and nobody pays. In American Mahjong the deal moves one seat to the right after every hand, so after a wall game the next player becomes East, just as after a win. Wall games are a normal part of American Mahjong; not every hand produces a winner.
How It Works in Gameplay
As the wall shrinks, players weigh going for their hand against playing it safe. Chasing a difficult hand gets riskier as fewer tiles remain. Experienced players may give up on a long-shot hand and switch to pure defense, discarding only tiles they think no one can use. When the last tile has been drawn and discarded and no one has won, the game simply moves on.
Example
Three players each need just one more tile to win, but the wall is down to its last four tiles. Each player draws and discards carefully. The last tile is drawn and discarded, and nobody can use it. "Wall game," someone announces, and the tiles are shuffled for the next hand.
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