What does it mean when the wall runs out of tiles before anyone wins?

When the wall runs out of tiles (excluding the dead wall reserved for kong draws) and no one has declared mahjong, the hand ends in a draw, sometimes called a "goulash" or exhausted wall. No payments are made in most rulesets, and the dealer retains their seat for the next hand. Some local rules penalize players who were in tenpai (one tile away from winning) or reward them, depending on the house rules in play.