Sichuan Mahjong · 1 fan
Robbing a Kong (Qiang Gang Hu) in Sichuan Mahjong: Fan, Examples and Odds
In Sichuan mahjong, robbing a kong (搶槓胡, qiang gang hu) adds 1 fan: someone who has punged a tile draws the fourth copy and upgrades the pung to a kong — and that tile is exactly what you need, so you "rob" it and win. Even a plain hand scores 1 fan this way, and the player upgrading the kong pays 2 units.
On this page
The rules for robbing a kong
- Only an upgraded kong (a pung plus the fourth tile you drew yourself) can be robbed; concealed and exposed kongs can't
- The added tile has to be a tile you can win on
- Robbing counts as winning on a discard, not a self-draw: the player upgrading the kong pays alone
- Like every Sichuan win, you can't hold your void suit; and after passing on a win, you can't rob until your next draw
How robbing a kong happens
All four copies of the robbed tile belong to the konger (three in the pung, one in hand), so the robber never holds that tile: you're on a two-sided, closed or edge wait that happens to need it.
- If someone pungs a tile you need, it isn't necessarily dead: when they draw the fourth and upgrade, you get one more shot
- If several players can rob it, it's a multiple win: each of them wins and the konger pays each one
How robbing a kong is scored
Fan add up, and each extra fan doubles the payment, up to the cap of 4 fan. The hands below are scored live by the same code the game uses (the self-draw bonus and kong payments come on top).
Won on a discard
| Robbing a kong (搶槓胡) | 1 fan |
| Total | 1 fan |
|---|---|
| Each payer pays 2 units | |
Units = 2 to the power of fan, up to the cap. Self-draw bonus and kong payments come on top.
Won on a discard
| Pure one suit (清一色) | 2 fan |
| Robbing a kong (搶槓胡) | 1 fan |
| Total | 3 fan |
|---|---|
| Each payer pays 8 units | |
Units = 2 to the power of fan, up to the cap. Self-draw bonus and kong payments come on top.
Common combinations:
| Combination | Fan | The konger pays |
|---|---|---|
| Robbing a kong | 1 | 2 units |
| + root | 2 | 4 units |
| + Seven Pairs | 3 | 8 units |
| + pure one suit | 3 | 8 units |
How it relates to other hands
- Win after a kong: if the upgrade isn't robbed, self-drawing the replacement is a win after a kong; once robbed, there's no replacement.
- Deal-in after a kong: the other way a kong goes wrong — the replacement gets discarded and someone wins on it. Robbing happens before the kong even stands.
- Root: the robber never holds that kind of tile, so the robbed tile never becomes your root.
- Golden hook: with four sets claimed and one or two tiles in hand, drawing the fourth of a pung makes you want to upgrade — think about being robbed first.
Robbing a kong odds
In 40,000 hands of normal computer play, robbing a kong was 0.18% of all wins, about once every 190 hands; of all kongs (concealed, exposed and upgraded together), 0.71% were robbed. Robbed-kong wins averaged 1.2 fan.
| Bonus fan | Share of wins |
|---|---|
| Win after a kong (槓上開花) | 0.88% |
| Deal-in after a kong (槓上炮) | 1.3% |
| Robbing a kong (搶槓胡) | 0.18% |
| Last-tile self-draw (海底撈月) | 0.30% |
| Last-tile discard (海底炮) | 0.31% |
| Heavenly hand (天胡) | 0.019% |
| Earthly hand (地胡) | 0.03% |
Source: 40,000 hands of computer play on this site (four normal-level players, 115,067 wins in total), cap 4 fan.
Before upgrading a pung
- Who might be ready? A player who stopped changing their hand or keeps throwing safe tiles is a warning sign.
- The upgrade pays little: "wind" is only 1 unit from each player, while being robbed costs a whole win.
- Upgrade less late in the hand: with the wall running low, more players are ready; a fourth tile kept in hand still counts as a root.
- Ready yourself and able to upgrade? The extra draw could be a win after a kong — then the risk is easier to justify.
To try it, open a table of online Sichuan mahjong — the computers play blood battle with you and count the fan for you.
Robbing a kong in other mahjong styles
- Taiwanese mahjong: 1 tai (Taiwanese mahjong scoring)
- Japanese mahjong ("Chankan"): 1 han (Japanese mahjong yaku list)
- Hong Kong mahjong: 1 fan (Hong Kong mahjong fan list)
- Chinese Official (Guobiao): 8 fan (Guobiao fan list)
FAQ
How many fan is robbing a kong?
It adds 1 fan to everything else; with a plain hand, the konger pays 2 units.
Can you rob a concealed kong?
No. In Sichuan mahjong only upgraded kongs (a pung plus a self-drawn fourth tile) can be robbed — not concealed or exposed kongs.
Who pays when you rob a kong?
The player who tried to upgrade the kong, as if they had dealt in; nobody else pays.
Does the robbed kong still collect "wind" money?
No. A robbed kong doesn't stand: the tile goes to the winner and the pung stays a pung.
Related hands
Win After a Kong 1 fan
Deal-in After a Kong 1 fan
Try it at the table
Sichuan Mahjong — Play Sichuan mahjong “blood battle” free in your browser against three computer opponents. 108 tiles, swap three, pick a void suit, pung and kong, and keep playing after someone wins. Automatic fan scoring, no sign-up.