Skip to content 
The Big Card Scoring: Wins, Points and Money
Scoring with The Big Card
Through one million simulated games, we identified which hands are more likely to win and which ones truly challenge even the most experienced players. Easier hands earn lower scores, while tougher, less frequently won hands are rewarded with higher points. The result is a dynamic scoring system—from 10 to 85 points—where each hand’s value reflects its real-world odds of winning.
Winning players receive the point value assigned to their winning hand.
Extra points are awarded when:
No exposures: +10
Players who win without exposures, provided the hand is not marked “C” (concealed).
Playing for Wins
If your group is just playing for fun, the simplest way to keep score is to count each player’s wins - the one with the most wins takes the crown for the day.
For those seeking a bit more friendly competition and strategic play, we’ve also outlined enhanced scoring options and ways to play for money.
Playing for Points
Winning players receive the point value assigned to their winning hand.
Wall game: +10
All players except those with a dead hand receive +10 for a wall game. Dead hands receive 0 points. Players who erroneously declare an opponent’s hand dead receive 0 points.
Extra points awarded when:
No exposures: +10
Players who win without exposures, provided the hand is not marked “C” (concealed).
Jokerless: +20
A player who declares mahjong without jokers and did not play a single and pairs hand (marked with a “C” on the card).
Self-picked: +10
Players who pick their winning tile from the wall or complete a joker exchange just prior to declaring mahjong.
Penalties
Discard the winning tile: The player who discards another player’s winning tile is penalized points, with the penalty amount determined by how many exposures are in the winning hand.
0 to 1 exposures: -10
2 exposures: -20
3 exposures: -25
Playing for Money
Money awarded when mahjong with no exposures:
+10 to the value of the hand
Players who win without exposures, provided the hand is not marked “C” (concealed).
Money awarded when self-picked mahjong:
2x the value of the the hand
Players who pick their winning tile from the wall or complete a joker exchange just prior to declaring mahjong.
Money awarded from a discard:
The player who discards the winning tile pays based on the number of exposures in the winning hand:
0-2 exposures: 2x value of the hand. All other players pay the single value of the hand.
3 exposures: discarder pays for the table (4x the value of the hand).
Money awarded for a jokerless* mahjong:
Self-picked: receives 4x the value of the hand by all players (2x for self picked, plus 2x for jokerless, also known as “double-double”).
Winning from a discard: discarder pays 4x the value of the hand and all other players pay 2x.
* Singles and pairs hands (marked with a “C” on the card) are excluded as they must be played jokerless by definition.