Mahjong Dominoes Paigow
glossary highlights the top 3 tiles games played worldwide.
Rules, terms and playing tips are published for all games in our
exclusive glossary format.
Paigow Poker is a derivative played with cards, however the paigow tile
game or the
game without cards is different as explained below.
Mahjong Dominoes Paigow Glossary
has a common
thread in that all 3 tiles games have a long history and boast
passionate players worldwide. Let's begin this glossary with the
ancient
game of mahjong.
The skill game of Mahjong dates back to 500 AD when the game became
legal

entertainment among the common people living in China. Over two
thousand years back, during the era of King of Wu, this lucrative
pastime was for the royal class only.
In all probability, this game was devised by Confucius, who traveled
in China during that era. He was fond of birds – perhaps that is why
the game was christened as Mahjong, which denotes a sparrow. Some
experts say that the three cardinal virtues professed by Confucius
were represented through three dragon tiles – red, green, and white.
Later, with cultural changes, the game was accepted as one of the most
entertaining games not only in China, but other countries as well.
Mahjong Tile Games Rules at
Mahjong Dominoes Paigow glossary
The game is set with 4 players seated at a square table depicting the
four wind directions of North, South, East, and West. All tiles are
placed face down and after shuffling, each player selects a total of 36
tiles.
These tiles are arranged in 2 rows with an equal number of tiles
in each and stacked one on top of the other. The dice is then rolled
and flower tiles are exchanged.
The winning player completes a hand before anyone else. This completed
hand would have four sets of three tiles in a suit. Additionally, there
would be an identical pair of any other suit.
Mahjong Terms at Mahjong
Dominoes Paigow glossary
Mastering this unique game is easier when one knows the terms of
Mahjong.
Mahjong tiles have 3 divisions: Suits, Honor, and Flowers.
Suits: can be Stones, Bamboo,
or Characters depending on what the tile
represents. For example, if a tile consists of a number of bamboo
sticks, it is a Bamboo Suit.
Honor: suit is further divided
into Wind tiles and Dragon tiles.
Flower: suit has flower tiles
such as plum, chrysanthemum, orchid, and
bamboo.
These are four plants historically referenced by Confucius.
Meld: a
player completes a
Meld when he/she abandons a tile and any
other opponent calls or bids for it.
Pong or Pung: are 3 similar
tiles:
Kong: are 4 identical tiles.
Chow: occurs when three tiles
of the same suit are in a particular
sequence.
Eye: mahjong term for two
similar tiles.
Mahjong Bidding at Mahjong
Dominoes Paigow glossary
Players use various types of bids such as Tse, Pung, and Gaung.
If money is placed on the bid, the loser has to pay the score
difference between him/her and the winner.
The winner earns 20 points. The other players win points based on the
type of tiles they have. Each tile has a certain amount of points.
If you like playing games of strategy, you are sure to be drawn to
Mahjong.
Dominoes History at Mahjong Dominoes Paigow
glossary

The first brush with a skill game most people experience is in the
form of Dominoes.
After learning dominoes, one realizes the numerous possibilities and
odds this game throws open.
The name comes from the Latin
dominus
that means
master. It
arrived at this name via the French winter hoods and Venetian Carnival
masks. The game however originated, like most of the non-card skill
games in Asia. The first mention of dominoes or pips carved from bones
is made in Mahabharata, the longest epic.
The present day version can be attributed to the Chinese who made it
popular and standardized the game.
The game was introduced and subsequently became popular in Europe in
the 18th century. The US got its first taste of this skill game in the
1900s.
Domino Tile Games Rules at Mahjong Dominoes Paigow
glossary
The player who disposes of all their tiles before other players
determines a win in the game of Dominoes. This player racks up points
based on the other players' remaining tiles. The game begins with all
tiles face down, shuffled and each player selecting 7 tiles.
The player receiving the highest double tile starts the game.
Play proceeds in one of 2 ways:
1) After the first player places their domino tile or bone, the next
player has to match the pips at either end of that domino and place the
tile accordingly. If a player does not have a match in hand, he/she
must choose from the domino pile not selected by other players.
2) After the first player sets down a tile on the board, subsequent
players have to play a tile that adds up the total of the open-ended
pip and their tile total to a previously agreed sum. For example, if
the open end has 2 pips and the previously agreed sum is 9, then the
next player has to play a 7.
Domino Terms at Mahjong Dominoes Paigow
glossary
Dominoes are made of ivory, wood, synthetic material and ceramics with
all possible dice combinations ranging from 0 to 6.
These combos can total from 18 to 190 tiles. Popular sets offer 6, 9,
12, 15 and 18 double tiles.
Dominoes Glossary A - D at Mahjong Dominoes Paigow
glossary.
- Ace: dominoes with only
1 dot, pip or spot.
- Bar, Center or Divider:
term for the line separating either end of a
domino.
- Blank, Zero, White or Pale:
refers to a domino with no dots/pips. A
double blank is a domino with both sides blank.
- Block or Jam: term for a
domino game where no player can make a move or
advance usually resulting in an end to the game.
- Bones: another name for
domino tiles.
- Boneyard or Reserve: refers
to area where all dominoes are shuffled and
placed face down available for players to choose at the beginning or
during a game in progress.
- Deuce: term for a domino
with 2 dots/pips.
- Domino: a single bone or
game tile and/or last tile to be played before
the end of a game.
- Dot or Pip or Spot:
numbers on a domino tile.
- Double Value Tiles: an
example is 0 to 12 set of tiles=double twelve as
the highest pip for this set would be 12 spots on both sides. The
number of tiles in a set also varies with the highest valued pip. Thus,
a three-six is a tile that has 3 on one side and 6 on another.
- Double or Doublet: tiles
with same number on each side.
Tile Games: Dominoes Glossary H - Z at Mahjong Dominoes
Paigow glossary
- Hand: number of dominoes
picked by each player to play that game.
- Open End: term for a
tile not connected or linked to any other tile.
Play can only continue at an open end.
- Rank: is determined by
the sum of pips. The higher the sum, the heavier
the bone.
- Set: action of placing a
tile on the table either at the beginning or
during a game. Also, if a player does not make his/her bid during the
game, then he/she is set.
- Spinner: term for first
double played in game. Depending on the agreed
rules, this domino tile can be designated to have 4 open ends available
for play.
- Suit: all tiles with a
common end. Example: all tiles with 5 on one
side would belong to the suit of 5.
- Tie Game: determined by
the first team in clockwise direction, counted
from the first hand played wins. In case of teams, the team with the
lowest score wins..
There are many other tile games besides dominoes that are a spin off or
played with dominoes. Dominoes are also played professionally in
tournaments and enjoys a special place among passionate players of
skill games.
Paigow Tile Games at
Mahjong Dominoes Paigow glossary
Ancient China has given us many gems and this tile game happens to be
one of them.
Paigow Rules at Mahjong
Dominoes Paigow glossary
Paigow simply means to make nine; therefore, you have to get a tile
score as close to 9 as possible.
Points are counted up to nine after which the modulus 10 rule applies
with subsequent numbers starting again from 1. The woodpile is four
tiles long in height and eight tiles wide in length.
The dice are thrown three times, the numbers added up and counted
counter clockwise from the bank to determine which player would be the
first one to draw a hand. Players get a four tiles stack.
At the start, the banking authority resides with the house but as ones
play progresses, the bank is passed around to other players in counter
clockwise direction. A player can refuse to take on the bank.
The dealing is referred to as Paigow Cuts. These tile games can have up
to eight players, one being the banker. Later, any number of people can
chip in.
Each player has two hands in the game. This is done by dividing the
four tiles into sets of two. The usual chips are used as stakes--at
home as the fake currency and at bank as the real currency that can be
cashed in later.
Winning Paigow Tile Games at
Mahjong Dominoes Paigow glossary
The game is won when a player’s high hand beats the bank’s high hand,
and the player’s low hand beats the bank’s low hand.
If only one of the hands of a player outranks the bank, the game is
drawn and the player gets his/her money back. If both the bank’s hands
outrank the player’s hand then he/she loses the game.
Once all the players have examined their tiles and placed their stakes,
other people can participate by tossing in their stakes alongside the
players. Also, the banker can set an upper limit for the stakes.
The players then show their high hands in counter clockwise direction
from the bank. The bank then reveals its high hand.
This procedure is followed by the players showing their low hands, as
does the bank. Either the bank or a player has to outrank the other on
both the hands to win a round.
There is the possibility of a draw with two players winning a hand
each. The bank pays these players plus the people who had bet with
these players, on the lines of their stakes. The game continues with
the player to the banker’s right taking over the bank in following
rounds.
Paigow Poker is an American derivative of Paigow played with standard
playing cards requiring that the player set two hands--a high and a
second highest, --trying to beat the banker’s two hands. It should not
be confused with Paigow, the tile game.
Paigow
Poker rules are detailed in the Poker Games Glossary #7.
Paigow Strategies at Mahjong Dominoes Paigow
glossary
Keep in mind that even one point is enough to beat the bank’s hand, so
pairing up the good tiles for a strong high hand and leaving the weak
tiles for a low hand will only result in a draw. Balance out the tiles
properly and win the game.
Look out for the unmatched pairs that might give you a winner. If you
get a [6-6] or [1-1], play them with tiles totaling 7, 8 or 9.
Be certain that you make the required 9 and you will be in the game!
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