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5TH PLAYER BETTING RULES AND PAYMENTS (Article 150)
The National Mah Jongg League established guidelines for playing the game with five players. Before the first game starts, one of the players is not seated at the table to play. Instead, they observe and serve as a “bettor.”
After the Charleston, the 5th player chooses whom they think will win. Their bet is cast on a disk with indicators related to the seated players. Discs typically denote the seated players by number, 1 is East, 2 is the player seated to the right of East, and so on. There is also an indicator for the wall, usually a hanzi. If the bettor does not think any player will win, they select the kanji and hope for a draw (e.g., wall game). Once the bettor makes their choice, they rotate the disk to show their choice and place it upside down on the table. The bettor may socialize with the players during the game, but if they interfere with the game itself (e.g., comment on a hand, remind someone of a joker exchange, call a player’s hand dead), they lose their bet.
After the game, the bettor pays or receives payment just as the player they bet on. After payment, whoever was East gives their seat to the bettor, and the player who was East becomes the new bettor.
Rules
- The bet may not be changed
- The bet may not be disclosed
- The bettor may not interfere with the game
- Any infraction results in forfeiture.
Settlement
Standard scoring applies unless house rules stipulate otherwise
The bettor pays or receives the same amount as the player bet upon.
Betting on a Wall Game
When a bettor chooses a wall game, that bet is correct only if no seated player declares mah jongg. When the game ends in a draw (e.g., wall game), the bettor receives the lowest value on the card from the seated players.
If a seated player wins, the wall bet is considered incorrect. In that case, the bettor is not exempt from payment. They pay the winner the same value as the losing, non-discarding players.
For a fun variation, check out 5-STAR MAH JONGG (Article 244)!
Source: Mah Jongg Made Easy (2024 page 25)