Filipino Mahjong Scoring and Payouts, With Examples
Filipino mahjong scoring works in two steps. First add up the hand value: 1 unit for the win plus any ambitions. Then collect it: on a tódas the discarder pays double and everyone else pays the hand value, and on a búnot all three players pay double.
Separate instant payments for kangs and flowers change hands during play. Payout amounts vary from family to family, so this page shows the payment rules that nearly every table shares, then compares three common payout scales so you can pick one. New to the game? Start with the Filipino mahjong rules.
How does scoring work in Filipino mahjong?
Every win is worth 1 unit, and ambitions in the winning hand add to that. The total is the hand value, and each loser pays it, doubled for the discarder or for everyone on a búnot.
A unit can be a peso amount, a chip or a point. Many families play for small stakes, but the math is the same if you play for points.
Who pays when you win?
On a tódas (a win from a discard), the player who discarded the winning tile pays double and the other two pay the hand value. On a búnot (a win from your own draw), all three players pay double.
How you won | Discarder pays | Each other player pays | You collect (hand value 1) |
|---|---|---|---|
Tódas | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Búnot | Nobody discarded | 2 | 6 |
Some tables add one more doubling: if the máno rolls doubles at the start of the hand, every payout for that hand doubles.
How much is a winning hand worth?
A plain win collects 4 units on a tódas and 6 on a búnot. Ambitions raise the hand value before the doubling, so a búnot with an ambition pays much more than a plain win.
Example | Hand value | Tódas collects | Búnot collects |
|---|---|---|---|
Plain win | 1 | 4 | 6 |
Win with siete pares (+½ scale) | 1½ | 6 | 9 |
Win with siete pares (+1 scale) | 2 | 8 | 12 |
Plain win, doubles rolled | 1, doubled | 8 | 12 |
The tódas math: the discarder pays 2 × hand value and the two others pay 1 × each, so you collect 4 × the hand value. A búnot always collects 6 × the hand value.
What are instant payments?
Instant payments are paid the moment you declare them, whether or not you go on to win. Each of the other three players pays you.
Most tables pay instantly for:
- Kang: an open set of four, completed by claiming a discard
- Secret: a concealed kang you drew yourself
- Sagása: adding a self-drawn fourth tile to your exposed pong
- No flowers: being dealt no flowers at all
- Thirteen flowers: collecting any 13 flowers
A secret and a sagása usually pay double an open kang, because you drew the tile yourself. Some tables also pay a small amount for holding exactly 1 flower after the deal.
Which hands count as ambitions?
Ambitions are special winning hands that raise the hand value. They pay only if you win, unlike instant payments.
- Siete pares: seven pairs plus one set
- Escaléra: 1 through 9 of one suit
- All pong: every set is a pong or kang
- Flush: every tile in one suit
- Bisaklát: the máno wins on the deal, before any discard
Tables disagree most on how much an ambition adds. Some add ½ unit for siete pares or escaléra; others add a full unit for each ambition. That difference can double the payout on a big hand, so settle it before you play.
What small bonuses do some tables pay?
Many tables pay a small extra amount, usually ¼ or ½ unit, for winning on a hard wait or winning fast. These come from how the winning tile fits your hand.
Paníngit: you win on the middle tile of a chow.
Edge: you hold 1-2 and need the 3, or 8-9 and need the 7.
Back to back: you're waiting on two pairs, and either one becoming a pong wins.
Single: you're waiting on one exact tile to finish your eye.
Other common bonuses are all chow (every set is a chow), a concealed hand (you claimed no discards), and a quick win before your fifth discard.
How do payout scales differ between tables?
The published Filipino house rules we compared use three different scales. All three share the same base: 1 unit per win, double from the discarder on a tódas, and double from everyone on a búnot.
Event | Scale A: light | Scale B: flat ambitions | Scale C: small bonuses |
|---|---|---|---|
Siete pares | +½ | +1 | +½ |
Escaléra | +½ | +1 | +½ |
All pong | Small bonus | +1 | +¼ |
Flush | Small bonus | +1 | +½ |
Kang (instant) | ¼ each | ¼ each | ¼ each |
Secret (instant) | ½ each | ½ each | ½ each |
Sagása (instant) | ½ each | ½ each | ½ each |
No flowers (instant) | ¼ each | ½ each | ¼ each |
Thirteen flowers (instant) | ¼ each | ¼ each | ¼ each |
Paníngit, single, back to back | Small bonus | +¼ | +¼ |
Quick win (before the 5th discard) | Small bonus | +½ | +¼ |
Scale A keeps payouts close to the base win, which suits learners. Scale B makes ambitions worth chasing, so games turn more strategic. Scale C sits between them and rewards hard waits.
How do you set your table's payout sheet?
Pick one scale, write the values on a card and keep it on the table. Payouts are where house rules differ most, so settle them before the first deal.
- Choose the base unit: a peso amount, chips or points.
- Pick Scale A, B or C, or mix them.
- Decide whether doubles rolled at the deal doubles everything.
- Decide whether you play jai alai (below).
- Agree on what happens with jokers if you use one; some tables cancel small bonuses like paníngit for a hand that holds a joker.
What happens if nobody wins?
If the wall runs out before anyone wins, nobody collects for the hand. The tiles are reshuffled and the hand is played again.
How does jai alai work?
Jai alai is an optional side pot. Each player puts the same amount in, every win earns markers, and the first player to five markers takes the pot.
- A win earns 1 marker.
- A búnot earns 1 extra.
- Some tables give 1 extra marker for each ambition.
- Markers above five usually carry over to the next race.
A búnot with siete pares earns 3 markers at a table that counts ambitions, which gets you most of the way to five in one hand.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you win in Filipino mahjong?
A plain win is worth 1 unit. On a tódas you collect 4 units in total (2 from the discarder, 1 from each other player), and on a búnot you collect 6 (2 from each player). Ambitions raise the hand value before the doubling.
Who pays double in Filipino mahjong?
On a tódas, the player who discarded your winning tile pays double. On a búnot, all three players pay double. Some tables also double every payout when the máno rolls doubles at the start of the hand.
How much is a kang worth in Filipino mahjong?
An open kang usually earns ¼ unit from each other player the moment you declare it. A secret (concealed kang) or a sagása usually earns ½ unit from each player.
How much is siete pares worth?
It depends on the table. Some add ½ unit to the hand value for siete pares, and others add a full unit. Either way the bonus is paid only if you win.
What is paníngit in mahjong?
Paníngit is winning on the middle tile of a chow, such as holding the 4 and 6 of balls and winning on the 5. Many tables pay a small bonus for it, usually ¼ unit.
What happens if nobody wins a hand?
If the wall runs out with no winner, nobody collects for the hand. The tiles are reshuffled and the hand is replayed.