Definition
A chow is a run of three consecutive tiles in one suit, such as 3, 4 and 5 Bam, which Chinese and Japanese mahjong count as a set and American Mahjong does not.
In Chinese play a discard can be claimed for a chow only from the player whose turn comes just before yours, and winds and dragons can never form one. The American card still prints numbers in sequence, but they are single tiles, so no joker can stand in for any of them and none can be called from a discard unless it is the tile that wins the hand.
At the table
The mistake comes from other mahjong games. A player used to chows reaches for the 4 Bam to finish 3 and 5, but at an American table that call is not allowed unless the 4 Bam completes Mah Jongg, and a joker cannot fill the gap either. Hold the run as singles and plan to draw them yourself, since only the tile that wins can come from a discard.
Also called chi, sequence.
Read the full guide: American vs. Chinese Mahjong: What's Actually Different?
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Related: Consecutive Run, Calling, Meld, Joker, Singles and Pairs, Suit. All 52 terms.