Let's Learn Mahjong - Part 4

It would be ideal to win with only the tiles you draw yourself, but Mahjong is a game of luck, so it's rare to easily draw the tiles you want. That's why there's 'Chi', 'Pon', and 'Kan' to take tiles from your opponents. In these cases, it's referred to as 'calling' a tile. For 'Chi', if you have two consecutive numbered tiles, and the player to your left (the one who just played) discards a tile that completes the sequence, (e.g., you have a 3 and 4 of bamboo, and the previous player discards a 2 or a 5 of bamboo), you can 'Chi' to take it. 'Chi' can only be done with a tile discarded by the player immediately to your left. For 'Pon', if you have two identical tiles, you can 'Pon' and take it if anyone discards the third matching tile. This applies to both numbered tiles and honor tiles. For 'Kan', if you have three identical tiles, you can 'Kan' and take it if anyone discards the fourth matching tile. 'Kan' is broadly divided into 'Ankan', where you complete the set of four yourself, and 'Minkan', where you take a tile discarded by another player.