Mahjong Ways wins and the x1 to x10 multiplier ladder
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A mahjong win at a table is a finished hand that a player declares. A win in Mahjong Ways, the PG Soft slot, is something else: a set of matching tiles across 1,024 ways, paid from one stake and then multiplied by a ladder that climbs while the tiles keep cascading. This guide explains how that ladder works, what PG Soft's own game sheet says about how often wins, free spins and big hits arrive, and why the advertised 25,000x ceiling and the biggest win in PG Soft's own simulation are very different numbers. All examples are in RM.
| Contents |
|---|
| Which mahjong slot this is |
| How a Mahjong Ways win is counted |
| The multiplier ladder in RM |
| How often the game pays, by PG Soft's figures |
| 25,000x on paper, 2,893x in simulation |
| FAQ |
Which mahjong slot this is
"Mahjong" covers several different products in a casino lobby, and their rules do not mix:
- Table mahjong is the tile game itself, won by completing a valid hand. Its suits, melds and deal are covered in mahjong game rules.
- Mahjong Ways is a PG Soft slot that uses mahjong tiles as symbols. It is the subject of this page.
- Mahjong Ways 2 is a later PG Soft title with the same theme, a different grid and different numbers.
- Mahjong Wins is a separate series from Pragmatic Play, with titles such as Mahjong Wins Super Scatter. Same theme, different studio, so read its own rules.
The two PG Soft games are the ones most often confused, so here they are side by side:
| Item | Mahjong Ways | Mahjong Ways 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Grid | 5 reels, 4 rows | 5 reels, 4 rows plus an extra row on reels 2, 3 and 4 |
| Ways to win | 1,024 | 2,000 |
| RTP | 96.92% | 96.95% |
| Session volatility | Medium | Medium |
| Free spins from 3 scatters | 12, plus 2 per extra scatter | 10, plus 2 per extra scatter |
| Base game multipliers | x1, x2, x3, x5 | x1, x2, x3, x5 |
| Free spins multipliers | x2, x4, x6, x10 | x2, x4, x6, x10 |
| Advertised maximum win | 25,000x the bet | 100,000x the bet |
| Source: PG Soft game information sheets for Mahjong Ways and Mahjong Ways 2. |
If a video quotes 100,000x, it is about Mahjong Ways 2. If it quotes 12 free spins, it is about the original Mahjong Ways. Check the title on the loading screen before trusting any number.
How a Mahjong Ways win is counted
Mahjong Ways has five reels with four rows each, and wins pay on 1,024 ways. There are no lines to choose. The paytable on the tile shows which symbol combinations win and what each pays as a multiple of the stake.
After a win, the winning symbols are removed and new ones cascade in. If the new arrangement wins again, that win is paid too, inside the same spin. One press of the spin button can therefore pay several times, all from the one stake you placed.
Two features change what each cascade is worth:
- Gold plated symbols. Some symbols on reels 2, 3 and 4 can appear in gold. If a gold symbol is part of a win, it turns into a Wild for the next cascade. The Wild substitutes for every symbol except the Scatter.
- The multiplier above the reels. Every win is multiplied by the value shown above the reels, and that value rises with each winning cascade in a row.
A mahjong player's instinct is to wait for a hand to come together. The slot does not work that way. It checks the grid after every cascade, pays what qualifies, and ends the spin when nothing more matches.
The multiplier ladder in RM
PG Soft sets out the ladder precisely. In the base game, the first cascade is paid at x1. A win in the first cascade lifts the next one to x2, a win in the second lifts the third to x3, and a win in the third lifts the fourth cascade and every one after it to x5. In free spins, the same four steps become x2, x4, x6 and x10.
To see what that means, take a single cascade that would pay RM0.40 before any multiplier, on an RM1 spin:
| Cascade in a winning chain | Base game multiplier | Base game pays | Free spins multiplier | Free spins pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | x1 | RM0.40 | x2 | RM0.80 |
| 2nd | x2 | RM0.80 | x4 | RM1.60 |
| 3rd | x3 | RM1.20 | x6 | RM2.40 |
| 4th and later | x5 | RM2.00 | x10 | RM4.00 |
| Source: multiplier rules in the PG Soft Mahjong Ways game information sheet. The RM0.40 cascade value is an illustration; real values come from the paytable. |
Three things follow:
- The ladder rewards chains, not single wins. A spin that wins once is paid at x1 in the base game, however large the tiles look.
- The base game tops out at x5. Every cascade from the fourth onward is paid at x5, so a long chain keeps paying at that rate rather than climbing further.
- Free spins double every step. The same chain pays twice as much at each step, and the top step is x10.
When the spin ends, the multiplier resets to x1 for the next one. Nothing carries over between spins in the base game.
How often the game pays, by PG Soft's figures
PG Soft's sheet does more than state the RTP. It gives the hit rates behind it, which turns vague words like "volatile" into numbers you can plan with.
- Any win: 28.54% of spins, roughly one spin in three and a half.
- Free spins trigger: 0.49% of spins, about one in 204 on average.
- RTP split: 68.89% of the return comes from the base game and 28.03% from free spins, for 96.92% in total.
That split means close to 30% of everything the game pays back arrives in a feature that most short sessions never see. The table shows the chance of seeing each event at least once in a session of a given length:
| Event (PG Soft rate) | 50 spins | 100 spins | 200 spins | 500 spins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free spins (0.49%) | 21.8% | 38.8% | 62.6% | 91.4% |
| Big Win (1 in 287) | 16.0% | 29.5% | 50.2% | 82.5% |
| Mega Win (1 in 970) | 5.0% | 9.8% | 18.6% | 40.3% |
| Super Mega Win (1 in 1,222) | 4.0% | 7.9% | 15.1% | 33.6% |
| Source: arithmetic on the rates in the PG Soft Mahjong Ways game information sheet, chance = 1 − (1 − rate)^spins. PG Soft defines Big Win as 20x to 35x the bet, Mega Win as 35x to 50x and Super Mega Win as 50x. |
Read it as a planning tool. A 100-spin session is more likely than not to end without free spins. Even a 200-spin session misses them more than a third of the time. If you size a budget in MYR, size it for the base game, and treat the feature as a bonus that may or may not arrive.
What the RTP costs per session
At 96.92%, the average cost is 3.08% of everything staked. Two hundred spins at RM1 puts RM200 through the game, with an average cost of about RM6.16. Real sessions land far above or below that figure. It is useful for setting a budget, not for predicting a result. For how RTP and volatility work together, see RTP, volatility and max win.
25,000x on paper, 2,893x in simulation
The headline number for Mahjong Ways is a maximum win of 25,000 times the bet. PG Soft's sheet also lists a second, less quoted figure: the largest win that appeared when the game was simulated over one billion spins. That figure is 2,893x.
| Example stake per spin | Advertised maximum (25,000x) | Largest win in 1 billion simulated spins (2,893x) |
|---|---|---|
| RM0.20 | RM5,000 | RM578.60 |
| RM0.50 | RM12,500 | RM1,446.50 |
| RM1 | RM25,000 | RM2,893 |
| RM2 | RM50,000 | RM5,786 |
| Source: "Max Win (Advertised Value)" and "Max Exposure (Simulated in 1 Billion Spins)" in the PG Soft Mahjong Ways game information sheet; RM figures are arithmetic. |
The advertised maximum is the ceiling the rules allow. The simulated figure is what actually turned up across a billion spins, far more than any player will ever play. The gap between the two is the honest answer to "how big can it get": the ceiling exists, and it is very far from what a session of a few hundred spins is likely to show.
Practise before staking MYR
Practice mode, where it is offered, is the cheapest way to watch the ladder and the gold symbols at work. What it cannot teach, and how to use it well, is covered in Mahjong Ways demo. Other slots are in the slots category, and a broader look at practice play is in demo slot Malaysia.
FAQ
How is a Mahjong Ways win different from a mahjong hand?
A mahjong hand is completed and declared by a player, following the table's rules. A Mahjong Ways win is a matching combination across 1,024 ways, found by the slot after every cascade and paid from a single stake.
What multipliers does Mahjong Ways use?
In the base game, x1, x2, x3 and x5 on consecutive winning cascades. In free spins, x2, x4, x6 and x10. The multiplier resets when the spin ends.
How many free spins does Mahjong Ways give?
Three scatters give 12 free spins, and each extra scatter adds 2 more, according to PG Soft. Free spins can be retriggered.
What is the RTP of Mahjong Ways?
PG Soft publishes 96.92%, with 68.89% from the base game and 28.03% from free spins. If the help panel of the version you open shows another figure, that figure applies.
Is Mahjong Ways the same as Mahjong Wins?
No. Mahjong Ways is a PG Soft slot. Mahjong Wins is a separate Pragmatic Play series.
18+ only. Every spin can lose, and the free spins that carry much of the return may not arrive in a session. Set a MYR limit before you play, stop when you reach it, and contact Gambling Therapy if you need support.