For friends who are new to Mahjong, one of the most commonly asked questions is "What is Hu in playing Mahjong?" Simply put,Hu cards are when the cards in your hand are formed into a specific card type according to the rules to win the game。But what specific conditions must be met? What are the common Hu methods? This article will break down one by one for you, allowing you to quickly get started from a novice.

The basic conditions of Hu Pai: four faces and one pair of generals

In most Mahjong rules, Hu cards require hand cards (including touched cards or cards played by others).Four "faces" and one "pair"，总共14张牌（有些规则是13张加一张胡牌）。

There are two types of "face":

  • shunzi: Three cards of the same suit and consecutive numbers, such as "10,000, 20,000, 30,000" or "5, 6, 7".
  • pung: Three identical cards, such as "Three East Winds" or "Three Eight Barrels".

A "pair" is also called a "general card" or "sparrow head". It is two identical cards, such as "two red midges" or "two ninety thousand".

Therefore, as long as your hand can be disassembled into the structure of "straight/carved son × 4 + pair × 1", the basic requirements of Hu cards will be met. For example:

  • 1.23 million + 456 pieces + 789 cylinders + East, South and South
  • 1.11 million + 222 pieces + 333 cylinders +4.56 million + 99 pieces

It should be noted that the rules of mahjong in different regions may be slightly different. For example, Sichuan mahjong requires "one door missing", and Guangdong mahjong may allow special card types such as "thirteen ones", but the above basic structure is the most common.

Common methods of playing cards: self-touching and firing

After understanding the basic card types of "What is Hu?", you should also know that there are two main ways to play Hu:

1. Playing Hu's cards

self-drawnIt means that you draw cards yourself and get the card that allows you to complete the card type. Self-touching usually scores higher because you don't need to rely on others to play your cards.

2. Click on the cannon Hu card (also known as "cannon")

fireIt means that someone else plays a card, and you just need this card to complete the card type. At this time you can shout "Hu" and show your hand cards. The person who plays this card is the "shot shooter" and needs to pay the corresponding points.

In addition, some rules also have special methods such as "grabbing a gun", but novices can only master self-touching and firing first.

Several types of Hu cards that are most easily confused by novices

In addition to the basic "four faces and one general", there are also some special card types in Mahjong that do not follow the conventional structure, but can also be played. Understanding these can help you better understand "what is Hu".

1. seven pairs

seven pairsIt means that the hand consists of seven pairs, with a total of 14 cards. For example:

  • 110,000 + 22 strips + 33 barrels +440,000 + 55 strips + 66 barrels +770,000

The seven pairs do not require straight and cut, which is a relatively common special Hu method.

2. Thirteenth one

Thirteenth oneIt is a very famous card type in Mahjong. It consists of one card in each of 13 types of 19 cards (10,000, 90,000, 1,000, 1,0,000, 1,000, 1,00, 1,0,000, and 1,000 For example:

  • 10,000, 90,000, 1, 9, 1 barrel, 9 barrel, East, South, West, North, Middle, Fair, White + any of the above cards

The thirteen-one Hu card is difficult, but the score is extremely high.

3. exclusively

exclusivelyIt means that the cards in the hand are all composed of the same color (one of ten thousand, strips, and barrel), excluding the cards. For example:

  • 123万 + 456万 + 789万 + 111万 + 99万

Unisex usually requires a higher number of times and is a big name pursued by many players.

Common misunderstanding for novices: Why can't I play cards when I clearly set up the cards?

When playing mahjong, many novices clearly feel that their cards have formed "four faces and one general", but are told that they cannot play. This is often because they ignore the following rules:

  • Missing door rule: Some areas (such as Sichuan Mahjong) require Hu cards not to contain a certain color, that is,"one card is missing". If your cards contain three suits: ten thousand, bar, and tube, you may not be able to play.
  • Don't eat anything: Some rules only allow self-touching and do not allow you to click hoot cards.
  • undernumber: Some gameplay sets a minimum number of plays. If the card type has not enough plays, it cannot be played even if the structure is correct.
  • xianggong: If the number of cards in your hand is wrong (one more or one less) due to operations such as eating, touching, and bars, you will not be able to play.

Therefore, before starting the game, it is best to understand the specific local rules first to avoid confusion due to differences in rules.

Summary: Mastering "What is Hu" is the first step to getting started with Mahjong

Back to the original question--What's wrong with playing mahjong?？The answer is: If your hand (including cards played by yourself or others) meets the requirements of a specific card type, usually "four faces plus a pair of generals", or special card types such as seven pairs and thirteen ones, and you abide by local rules (such as missing doors, doubles, etc.), you can declare a card and win the game.

For novices, it is recommended to familiarize themselves with the basic card structure first, and then gradually understand the special card types and local rules. Practice more and observe more, and soon you will be able to confidently shout "Hu" at the poker table!