Robbing the Kong (搶槓)
Winning by claiming a tile that another player added to upgrade an open pung into a kong.
How Robbing the Kong (搶槓) works
Winning on the exact tile another player adds to upgrade an existing exposed pung into a kong.
When an opponent already has an exposed pung and draws the fourth matching tile to promote it to a kong, a player waiting on that tile may claim it as the winning tile instead. It is a bonus faan tied to the manner of winning rather than the hand's shape, so it layers on top of any structural pattern. It applies to the upgrade of an exposed pung, not to a freshly declared concealed kong.
- •Only the added tile of a melded (promoted) kong can be robbed, not a concealed kong.
- •The robbed tile completes the winning hand, so it pairs with the discard-style win.
- •This is a circumstance bonus and stacks freely with shape and suit faan.
Robbing the Kong (搶槓) — FAQ
Can I rob a concealed kong?
Standard rules allow robbing only the tile used to upgrade an exposed pung to a kong; concealed kongs generally cannot be robbed.
Does the hand need to be waiting on that tile?
Yes. You must already be ready to win on that exact tile so that the kong's added tile completes your hand.