When The Wall Runs Low

When the wall runs low, push on only if your hand is close and worth it; otherwise fold by throwing tiles that are already safe. Fresh tiles near the end can bring Bao, and the very last tile can win Hai Di Lao Yue.

Near the end of the wall, every player who’s still in is close, and every discard is riskier. The late game rewards players who know when to push and when to fold.

How The Hand Ends

In this game the last fifteen tiles of the wall are a reserve that’s never drawn. When the last playable tile has been drawn and nobody wins, the hand is a draw. Nobody pays for the hand, though Kong and bonus payments made earlier stand.

After a draw, the Banker stays unless someone completed a Kong during the hand. Ask your table if they play it differently.

Hai Di Lao Yue

Win on the very last tile there is to draw and you score Hai Di Lao Yue (海底撈月, “fishing the moon from the bottom of the sea”), worth 1 tai on top of the hand. It only counts on that last draw itself. A win on the discard after it doesn’t get the extra tai.

So if you’re ready late, stay ready. That last draw is one more chance, and a bonus tai if it lands. See Lucky Wins for its cousins.

The Late Bao

Singapore tables punish careless late throws. In this game, once five or fewer playable tiles are left, discarding a fresh tile (one nobody has discarded yet) that lets another player win makes you pay the whole bill: Bao.

Throw tiles that have already been discarded instead, ideally ones that went past the dangerous players without them claiming. The game’s Hint warns about this when it applies.

Kongs carry their own late risk. Claiming a fresh discard for a Kong close to the end makes its discarder pay that Kong’s whole payment, and a Kong declared on the last playable draw gets no replacement tile, so the hand usually just ends.

When To Fold

Folding means giving up your own hand and throwing only safer tiles until the hand ends. It feels like losing, but a draw costs you nothing, and feeding a win costs the most of anything at the table.

Fold when:

you’re two or more tiles from ready and someone shows three sets face up;
a player is clearly on a flush or Pong Pong Hu and you hold their tiles;
only a few tiles are left and your hand still needs several.

Keep going when you’re ready, especially on two or more kinds of tile with copies still unseen. A real chance to win is worth a little risk.

Folding Well

Safest first: tiles the threatening player has passed since their last draw, which can’t win for them this turn. Then honours with three copies already showing, then tiles that player threw themselves.

Three East showing: the fourth can’t make anyone a Pong.

Count before every throw. Counting Tiles and Reading Discards will tell you which tiles are least likely to be the one.