What is a Pung in Mahjong?

A Pung is a group of three identical tiles. For example, three 5 Dots or three Red Dragons. Pungs can include Jokers in American Mahjong and can be formed by calling another player's discard.

A Pung is one of the basic tile groups in Mahjong: three identical tiles, either same number and same suit or three of the same honor tile (Winds, Dragons). You can build a Pung by drawing all three yourself or by calling another player's discard when you already hold two matching tiles, then laying all three face-up on your rack. In American Mahjong, Jokers substitute for tiles inside a Pung, so two naturals plus one Joker works fine. Pairs have to be natural tiles only, but Pungs accept Jokers and form the backbone of most winning hands.