What is the dealer in mahjong?

Question

Accepted Answer

The dealer is the player sitting East. They deal the tiles, play first, and in most variants win or pay a larger share — and if they win or the hand draws, they usually keep the deal and play again. In mahjong the dealer is whoever sits in the East seat. The role matters more than in card games: They start. East deals the tiles and takes the first turn. They score double. In most variants the dealer wins more and pays more than the other seats — East is the high-stakes chair. The deal can repeat. If the dealer wins, or the hand ends in a draw, East usually keeps the deal (renchan) and plays again, often with an escalating bonus for a streak. The deal rotates: when East finally loses the hand, it passes to the next player, and a full game cycles the East chair around the table (and often through all four "prevailing winds").

What is the dealer in mahjong?

Keep score, beautifully