Babcock's Rules for Mah-Jongg/Chapter 5
A thorough knowledge of the scoring and the value of all combinations is essential to intelligent play. Every player should be able to score his own and his opponent's hands without reference to the score sheet.
It is recommended that the illustrative hands and examples of scoring given in Chapter VI be studied carefully.
The scoring in MAH-JONGG is not as complicated as it might at first appear. In order to score readily without reference to the Score Sheet it is useful to remember that
Runs are not scored.
The smallest score is for an ordinary three of a kind (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8) Punged on the table. This combination counts 2 points.
Ones, Nines, Winds, and Dragons score twice as much as the ordinary tiles.
All combinations of four of a kind score four times as much as similar combinations of three of a kind of the same tile.
All concealed combinations count twice as much as corresponding exposed combinations; with the exception of a pair of Dragons or a pair of a player's own Wind, which score two points whether concealed or exposed.
Dragons and a player's own Wind count alike in all respects.
Winds other than a player's own and Ones and Nines count alike in all respects.
MAH-JONGG on Special Draw of a Loose Tile After Four of a Kind.
This is fully explained on Page 22. See explanation in connection with Fig. 19.
To complete the hand by filling in the only possible place to win. There are three situations in which a player may complete his hand in this way.
1. By filling a Run open at one end, as by obtaining the 7 to an uncompleted combination of 8, 9, or the 3 to an uncompleted combination of 1, 2.
2. By filling a Run open in the middle, as by obtaining the 6 to an uncompleted combination of 5 and 7.
3. By obtaining the second to a pair, as when the player has only one tile which he must match in order to obtain the final pair for MAH-JONGG.
For the above, the winner is entitled to two points, but only provided that the winning tile is the only tile which would complete the hand, i. e., no other tile could be used in any combination to complete the hand.
This is illustrated and explained more fully under Fig. 21 on Page 46.
No Score, other than Game (MAH-JONGG).
This special bonus score of 10 points can only be claimed when the hand contains no score whatever other than for winning the Game (MAH-JONGG). It is in the nature of a consolation to the winning player who holds a hand which would otherwise score only 20. This bonus is not given if the winning tile was drawn or if the hand was completed by filling in the only place to win—such hands score 22 and not 30.
See example and explanation given under Fig. 21 on Page 46.
No Runs. Concealed or Exposed: This hand is made up entirely of sets of threes (or fours) and a pair. It is not an easy hand to obtain and entitles the holder to a bonus of 10 points. See example given in Fig. 19.
Stealing the Fourth to Win: This is fully explained on Page 22. It is an important play and should be thoroughly understood, as it occurs not infrequently and is sometimes overlooked.
MAH-JONGG on the Last Tile Drawn: This is explained on Page 29. The play is of rare occurrence.