Tui Tong Zi Rules: The 2-8 Bar, Pairs and the Half-Point White Dragon
Tui Tong Zi (also called 2-8 Bar or Dots Mahjong) uses only the dot tiles and white dragons from a mahjong set. Each hand has two tiles, and what counts is the 2-8 Bar, pairs and points. The rules are short and a round takes seconds, but the half-point white dragon and how equal points are compared trip up most beginners. This guide ranks every hand in one table and plays out three rounds.
Basic rules
- 40 tiles: 1 to 9 dots and the white dragon, 4 of each.
- There are four hands on the table: the bank and three doors, First, Heaven and Last. Each gets 2 tiles.
- You can bet on one door, two or all three. Each door plays the bank on its own.
- Before the deal the dealer rolls two dice, which decide which hand is dealt first.
Counting points
- 1 to 9 dots are worth their face value.
- The white dragon is worth half a point.
- Add the two tiles and keep only the last digit, plus any half point: white + 9 dots = 9.5, white + 5 dots = 5.5.
- A last digit of 0 is a Zero (bie shi), for example 3 + 7 or 1 + 9.
Hand ranking
| Hand | Made of | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2-8 Bar | 2 dots + 8 dots | The best hand. |
| White pair | Two white dragons | The best pair. |
| Dot pairs | Two identical dot tiles | Pair of 9s > pair of 8s > … > pair of 1s. |
| 9.5 points | White + 9 dots | The best points hand. |
| 9 down to 1 point | Every other mix | 9 > 8.5 > 8 > … > 1.5 > 1. |
| Zero | Last digit 0 | The lowest hand. |
When points are equal, compare the higher tile in each hand: white dragon first, then 9 dots, 8 dots and so on down to 1 dot. Zero against Zero is compared the same way. If the higher tiles also match, the bank wins.
Tong Zi rules vary from place to place: in some, a white pair beats the 2-8 Bar, and in others every equal-points hand goes to the bank. In MacePlay the 2-8 Bar is always the top hand, and equal points are decided by the higher tile, with the bank winning only an exact tie.
Settling and payouts
| Bet | Pays | Wins when |
|---|---|---|
| First | 1 to 1 | The First door beats the bank. |
| Heaven | 1 to 1 | The Heaven door beats the bank. |
| Last | 1 to 1 | The Last door beats the bank. |
When all three doors beat the bank it's "Bank pays all"; when the bank beats all three it's "Bank takes all". In MacePlay a winning door always pays 1 to 1, whether it holds a 2-8 Bar or a Zero; there are no extra multipliers for strong hands.
Three rounds
Example 1: the 2-8 Bar and 9.5
Bank: 3 dots + 6 dots = 9.
- First: 2 dots + 8 dots, a 2-8 Bar. It beats the bank, so First wins.
- Heaven: white + 9 dots, 9.5. That beats 9, so Heaven wins.
- Last: 4 dots + 5 dots = 9, the same as the bank. Compare the higher tile: Last has a 5, the bank a 6, so the bank wins.
Example 2: even a Zero compares the higher tile
Bank: 4 dots + 6 dots = 10, a Zero.
- First: 3 dots + 7 dots, also a Zero, but its 7 beats the bank's 6, so First wins.
- Heaven: two white dragons, a white pair. Heaven wins.
- Last: 1 dot + 9 dots, a Zero, and the 9 beats the 6, so Last wins too. All three doors win: Bank pays all.
Example 3: two doors, one hit and one miss
You put 1,000 on First and 500 on Heaven. The bank gets a white pair.
- First: 8 dots + 2 dots, a 2-8 Bar, which beats the white pair. First returns 2,000 (your 1,000 plus 1,000).
- Heaven: a pair of 9s, below the white pair, so that 500 goes to the bank.
- Last: white + 9 dots, 9.5, also below the white pair (you had nothing on it).
You put in 1,500 this round and got 2,000 back.
Beginner questions
What is a white dragon plus a 1 dot?
1.5 points. The white dragon only adds half a point, so it beats 1 and loses to 2.
Do the dice affect the result?
No. The dice only decide which hand is dealt first; every hand's tiles are drawn at random.
Can I bet on all three doors?
Yes. Each door is settled separately, and it's common for some to win and others to lose in the same round.
Play Opera Tong Zi in MacePlay
MacePlay's Opera Tong Zi takes the game onto a Peking opera stage. The dealer rolls the dice and deals, the four hands turn over one by one, and the 2-8 Bar, Bank pays all and Bank takes all each get their own effects and call. In Opera Tong Zi Live the whole room shares one round and bets during the same countdown. If you like tiles, Supreme Pai Gow is a good next game.
MacePlay is for adults 18+ and for entertainment only. Virtual coins have no cash value and cannot be exchanged for cash or goods.
Ready? Open a table in MacePlay
Opera Tong Zi on a Peking opera stage: bet any of three doors, or share one round in the live room.
