Glossary
Diao Zheng
Diao Zheng is when the dealer wins the hand and so deals the next one too. In standard Mandarin it is lian zhuang, 連莊.
By Gerald Ajam Updated
How it works
The dealership moves one seat to the right after every hand, unless the dealer wins. A dealer who wins keeps the seat and deals again.
The dealer starts each hand with 14 tiles and discards first. When anybody else wins, the next player counter-clockwise becomes dealer. When the dealer wins, nothing moves: the same player deals the next hand, and that is Diao Zheng.
See ending the hand for the rule as the guide gives it.
Why a round runs long
Every Diao Zheng adds a hand to the round. That is why a round has at least 16 hands, not exactly 16.
The prevailing wind only changes once every player has had a turn as dealer. A dealer who keeps winning keeps the round in the same wind for longer. See a round of mahjong.
When the hand is a draw
Whether the dealer keeps the deal after a draw is a house rule. Agree it before the first hand.
Tables settle it in one of four ways:
- the dealer keeps the deal if they have a Kong or an Um Kong,
- the deal moves on if anybody has a Kong or an Um Kong,
- the deal always moves on after a draw, or
- the dealer always keeps the deal after a draw.
Eight in a row: Super Dealer
Some tables reward a long run. A dealer who has held the deal eight hands running scores the limit on any win from the ninth hand onwards.
From that ninth hand the dealer also needs no minimum Doubles to win. It is one of the unusual hands, so decide before the game whether it counts. See Super Dealer.