obtained in a round, and other factors, players pay each other money. Chips or similar tokens can be used instead, or a score can simply be calculated. Each player begins the game with the same score. When settling up, in many cases only the winner is paid with the winner's gain being deducted from the three losers' scores (that is, the losers pay the winner). However, payment between players can be arranged in other ways. A common set of modifiers (for which this article will call the standard payment variations) include: In the case where a player wins by a discard (a player picks off an opponent), the player who performs the discard pays double In the case where a player wins by a draw (a player wins by self-pick), every losing player pays double. In the case where a player wins from a high-risk scenario (see below), the player who performs the discard pays for the other two losing players (in addition to the normal double share). If playing with chips, there is no universal rule for the situation when a player runs out. In some circles, the match is immediately aborted, with the player furthest ahead in score declared the winner, while in others, a player out of chips continues to play without risk of further losses. Alternatively, the loser may pay cash to buy back chips from the winners and the game continues. The rules mentioned below are by no means exhaustive or common to every variation, but are common to many 13-tile and 16-tile variations. Scoring rules Hong Kong scoring In the traditional Hong Kong scoring system or the Cantonese scoring system, scoring tends to be low due to the few criteria used. The general scoring modifiers apply (see above), with the point translation function being a piecewise function: a constant amount is given for scoreless hands, and the score is doubled for each point (that is, an exponential function). Because zero-point hands are common, players often play with the additional restriction that a winning hand must be of some point value, often anywhere between one and five points, with three being the most common. Chinese Classical scoring Scoring in the Chinese Classical system, from which the Babcock system is derived, proceeds as follows. When one player has won the hand by obtaining mahjong each player adds up basic points for his hand based on possession