Yaku (Japanese mahjong)

In Japanese mahjong, yaku (Japanese: ๅฝน) is the primary source of doubling points (han) for a winning player's hand. A one yaku minimum is set for all winning hands, making it essential to know the yaku for basic play. Each yaku is a set of requirements on the shapes of a winning hand that awards an amount of han if the conditions are met. Multiple yaku conditions may be combined to produce hands of greater value. Dora are also crucial to high scoring hands, awarding han instead of fu, but they do not count as yaku. Altogether, a hand's points value increases exponentially with every han up to the mangan and counted yakuman limits.

Overview

Yaku are somewhat similar to poker hands. They fit certain patterns based on the numbers or types of tiles included, as well as the relative value of the tiles. Unlike poker, however, multiple yaku may be combined to produce hands of greater value. The same applies to limit hands or yakuman, which separate from yaku and dora.

All hands start closed. A hand becomes open as soon as the player "calls" a tile discarded by an opponent, in order to complete a group from their own hand. This is called "melding." For example, if a player has โ ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽโ  in their hand, and an opponent discards a โ ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽโ , the first player may call the discard, and thus create a melded triplet. This process can also create melded sequences (e.g. 2-3-4 of the same suit), and open quads. The calling player must display the completed group by placing the tiles face-up on the table. This makes the hand "open".

Because no open hand can become closed, certain yaku combinations either reduce its value by one if the hand is open ("Eat and decrease", a literal translation of kuisagari, ๅ–ฐใ„ไธ‹ใŒใ‚Š), or deemed impossible to complete due to the yaku requiring its hand to be closed (menzen-nomi, ้–€ๅ‰ใฎใฟ).

The only time a player can call an opponent's discard and still have their hand remain closed is when they are calling the winning tile. For scoring purposes (specifically the "Three / Four Concealed Triplets" yakus), the group with the winning called tile is considered open, but the overall hand stays closed (menzenchin ้–€ๅ‰ๆธ… or menzen ้–€ๅ‰).

The basic concept of a yaku is that it fits into one of three basic criteria:

  • It contains a pattern of some kind
  • It can consistently be formed during a game, although it does not necessarily need to be common
  • It is based on specific game situations, such as discards or actions taken by the players

Finally, when it comes to points scoring, the total number of han in the hand is counted. When the han value is 4 or less, fu is also counted. The combination of the han value and fu value corresponds to a points table.

List of yaku

The following is a list of all the yaku, their names in English and Japanese, their han values, and any special conditions related to them. They are listed here in groups according to the underlying patterns that define the yaku. Example hands are given, but often, many other arrangements are possible for each yaku. All yaku can be divided into seven basic categories, depending on the dominant feature. The features are as follows: patterns based on sequences, patterns based on triplets/quads, patterns based on terminals/honors, patterns based on suits, maximum-value hands (yakuman), lucky circumstances, and special criteria.

Special criteria

Name Japanese Han value Remarks
Riichi / Ready rฤซchi โ€“ ็ซ‹็›ด, ใƒชใƒผใƒ ("ready") 1 Closed hands only

When a player's hand needs only one tile to win (tenpai) while the hand is closed (i.e. the player has not called any opponent's discards to make melds), the player can opt to declare riichi. This yaku is often called "reach" because its Japanese name is phonetically similar to the English word.

Conditions after declaration

To make a declaration, the player calls out โ€œriichiโ€, discards their tile by placing it sideways, and places a 1,000-point stick on the table, as a deposit. From then on, any tile they draw must be automatically discarded if it does not give them a winning hand. In this way, they cannot change the content of their hand in any way (except declaring certain closed quads).

In some rulesets, a player can declare riichi only when there are four or more tiles remaining in the wall. That is, if they cannot draw another tile, they cannot declare riichi. The player is not penalized if drawing another tile is prevented due to opponents making open melds or closed quads after the declaration.[1]

If all four players have declared riichi, a hand ends as an abortive draw. Players show their hands to confirm they are tenpai, or they are penalized with chombo.[2]

Ura dora ("underneath dora")

When a player wins, any underneath dora indicator tiles are revealed. These are just like regular dora, but the indicator lies beneath the dora tile in the dead wall. The number of ura dora tiles to be revealed is based on how many dora tiles are open via kan calls.

Riichi deposits

The winner of a hand receives all 1,000-point riichi sticks that are present. In the case of multiple winners, the player closest to the discarding player (moving forward) receives all riichi deposits. If a hand ends in a draw, any riichi deposits carry over to the next game and are placed near the counters. The next winner receives those riichi deposits. In most cases, if a draw results in ending the game (such as exhaustive draws in the final round with the last dealer not ready to win, or exhaustive draws causing one or more players to reach a negative score), the game immediately ends while all riichi deposits are forfeited.

Claiming a riichi discard

When a player declares riichi and discards a tile (sideways), an opponent may call that tile for a meld. The riichi player, on their next turn, places their next discard sideways. Additionally, if a riichi discard tile is called by another player to win, then the would-be riichi declaration is considered incomplete and therefore no forfeiture of riichi deposit.[1]

Declaring closed quads

A player declaring riichi is allowed to call a closed quad (kan). This can only happen when they have a triplet in their hand and they draw the fourth tile. Even though the hand remains closed, the quad is still displayed on the table. While in riichi, a quad call must not otherwise change the composition of the hand or its waits.[1][2] For example, when a player has โ ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽโ , they can declare a closed quad when drawing the fourth โ ๐Ÿ€Ÿโ . However, when they have โ ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€ž๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽโ  waiting for โ ๐Ÿ€œโ , โ ๐Ÿ€Ÿโ  or โ ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽโ , they cannot declare a quad when drawing โ ๐Ÿ€Ÿโ , because โ ๐Ÿ€Ÿโ  and โ ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽโ  would no longer be winning tiles.

Seven Pairs chฤซtoitsu โ€“ ไธƒๅฏพๅญ, or chฤซtoi โ€“ ไธƒๅฏพ 2 Closed hands only
๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€—
A hand completely composed of pairs. As the hand contains neither a four-meld-and-a-pair combination, the hand is one of the two exceptions to the rule requiring winning hands to have four groups and a pair, the other being Thirteen Orphans. This hand also has its own special rules for scoring, where it has fixed fu value of 25. Because of the scoring, Seven Pairs hand separates from Single Identical Sequences. Due to the nature of the hand being sequences, this hand is also separate from Double Identical Sequences.

In general Japanese rules, all seven pairs must be unique, meaning that the same four tiles may not be split into two pairs. Some rules, such as in the Kansai region, may accept four of the same tile, but they are not considered a quad.[3]

Nagashi mangan nagashi mangan โ€“ ๆตใ—ๆบ€่ฒซ mangan Open or closed
This hand is based on discarded tiles instead. A player's discards must be all terminals (1s and 9s) and honors (dragons/winds), and the hand must end in a draw (not including abortive draws). In most rules, the yaku only applies if no opponent called a discard from the player's discard pile. Certain rules allow the player to make open melds.[4] In most cases, the value of this hand is mangan. When determining points, the hand is regarded as winning by self-draw. The rule of nล-ten bappu is usually not applied to this case, as it is no longer regarded as a draw. This hand cannot be combined with other hands.

The World Riichi Championship as of 2025 and the European Mahjong Association as of 2016 do not include this hand in their rulesets.[5][6]

Yaku based on luck

Name Japanese Han value Closed/Open
Tsumo / Self-pick menzenchin tsumohล โ€“ ้–€ๅ‰ๆธ…่‡ชๆ‘ธๅ’Œ, or shortly tsumo โ€“ ่‡ชๆ‘ธ, ใƒ„ใƒข 1 Closed hand only
When a player has a closed hand and draws a winning tile from the wall or the dead wall, one han is added, regardless of the hand value.
Ippatsu / One-shot ippatsu โ€“ ไธ€็™บ 1 Requires riichi (or double riichi)
After declaring ready hand, one han is added if the player wins within one go-around of play. They may win by calling an opponent's discard, or by a self-drawn tile. One-shot do not count if the go-around is interrupted by another player calling a meld, including the player declaring closed quads.
Last Tile Draw / Under the Sea haitei raoyue โ€“ ๆตทๅบ•ๆ’ˆๆœˆ, or haitei โ€“ ๆตทๅบ• 1 Open or Closed
A player wins when they draw the very last tile (not including the dead wall). The term haitei raoyue translates as "scooping up the reflection of the moon from the bottom of the sea."
Last Tile Claim / Under the River hลtei raoyui โ€“ ๆฒณๅบ•ๆ’ˆ้ญš, or houtei โ€“ ๆฒณๅบ• 1 Open or Closed
A player wins when they call the very last tile, discarded by an opponent. Houtei raoyui is a pun on haitei raoyue (see previous yaku explanation). It means "catching fish from the bottom of the river."
Dead Wall Draw / After a Quad / After a Kan rinshan kaihล โ€“ ๅถบไธŠ้–‹่Šฑ, or rinshan โ€“ ๅถบไธŠ 1 Open or Closed
A player wins by drawing a supplemental tile from the dead wall, which is done after declaring a quad. Rinshan kaihล means "a flower blooms on a ridge".

Sometimes the pao (ๅŒ…) rule is applied to this hand. If a player claims a discard to make an open quad and then completes their hand with a tile drawn from the dead wall, the hand is considered as a discard instead of self-drawn.

Robbing a Quad / Robbing a kan chankan โ€“ ๆถๆง“, ๆงๆง“ 1 Open or Closed
A player wins when they call a tile that an opponent just used to declare a quad. Under sacred discards rule or furiten, any previously discarded tiles by that player used in that quad are not allowed to be robbed.

Robbing a closed quad

In most rulesets, a player cannot rob a closed quad, only an open one (i.e. after their opponent has "upgraded" an open triplet to a quad). Some rulesets have an exception: robbing a closed quad is allowed if it's used to complete Thirteen Orphans (in this situation, a limit would be awarded instead of the hand).

Double Riichi / Double-ready daburu rฤซchi โ€“ ใƒ€ใƒ–ใƒซใƒชใƒผใƒ, or daburii โ€“ ใƒ€ใƒ–ใƒชใƒผ 2 Closed hand only
A player declares ready on their first turn. All other conditions apply.

Yaku based on sequences

Name Japanese Han value Closed/Open
Pinfu / No-points hand pinfu โ€“ ๅนณๅ’Œ 1 Closed hand only
๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€ˆ๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€œ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€ ๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€“๐Ÿ€”๐Ÿ€• ๐Ÿ€š
A hand that earns no fu points (which are calculated separately from han).

While there are certain melds or a set that awards fu, the hand must be entirely made of sequences and its pair is neither a dragon tile, or winds tiles corresponding to the round or seating itself; any triplets, quads, or pairs of such award fu. Its hand must also be waiting for multiple winning tiles that does not form a pair. For example,[7] such as having โ ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€žโ  and thus waiting for โ ๐Ÿ€œโ  or โ ๐Ÿ€Ÿโ . All single-tile "waits" earn fu, namely an "inside wait" (e.g. โ ๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€‹โ  waiting for a โ ๐Ÿ€Šโ ); an "edge wait" (e.g. โ ๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€˜โ  waiting for a โ ๐Ÿ€–โ ); or waiting to complete any pair.

Combination of no-point hand and self-draw

When the winning hand is a no-point hand, those 2 fu from a self-draw are normally waived. Such a hand allows both of these to be stacked.

Some (uncommon) rulesets say that a no-points hand disallow self-drawing. In this case, 2 fu are awarded, and only 1 han. The rule is called "pinfuโ€“tsumo nashi" (ๅนณๅ’Œ่‡ชๆ‘ธ็„กใ— or ๅนณๅ’Œใƒ„ใƒขใชใ—, pinfuโ€“tsumo invalid), sometimes contracted to "pinzumo nashi" (ใƒ”ใƒณใƒ…ใƒขใชใ—). The opposite rule is called "pinfuโ€“tsumo ari" (ๅนณๅ’Œ่‡ชๆ‘ธๆœ‰ใ‚Š or ๅนณๅ’Œใƒ„ใƒขใ‚ใ‚Š, pinfuโ€“tsumo valid).[8]

No-point hand when open A hand that is open but satisfies the pinfu shape is awarded with 2 fu in lieu of the yaku.

Comparison to other variants

This yaku is Japanese Mahjong's equivalent of the semi-common "All Sequences" scoring pattern, with extra restrictions to stop it from being a too dominant strategy - e.g. you cannot develop a hand in "either yakuhai or all sequences" shape to hedge against the third tile of a yakuhai pair never being discarded.

Single Identical Sequences ฤซpeikล โ€“ ไธ€็›ƒๅฃ 1 Closed hands only
๐Ÿ€ˆ๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€ž๐Ÿ€ž๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€… ๐Ÿ€‰
Two sequences consisting of the same numbers, in the same suit. For example, the above hand has two copies of โ ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€ž๐Ÿ€Ÿโ .
(Three) Mixed Sequences / Three Color Straight sanshoku doujun โ€“ ไธ‰่‰ฒๅŒ้ †, or sanshoku โ€“ ไธ‰่‰ฒ 2 (1 if open) Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€ˆ๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€œ๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€’๐Ÿ€“๐Ÿ€ ๐Ÿ€
A hand containing a sequence in each of the three suits. For example, the above hand has 2-3-4 in all three suits.
Full Straight ikkitsuukan โ€“ ไธ€ๆฐ—้€š่ฒซ, or ittsuu โ€“ ไธ€้€š 2 (1 if open) Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€’๐Ÿ€“๐Ÿ€”๐Ÿ€•๐Ÿ€–๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€† ๐Ÿ€
A hand containing three single-suited sequences of 1-2-3, 4-5-6, and 7-8-9 (thus creating a full run from 1 to 9).
Double Identical Sequences ryanpeikล โ€“ ไบŒ็›ƒๅฃ 3 Closed hand only
๐Ÿ€Œ๐Ÿ€Œ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€œ๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€ ๐Ÿ€œ
Two independent sets of identical sequences. For example, the above hand has two copies of โ ๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€œโ  and two copies of โ ๐Ÿ€Œ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€Žโ .

Some rules may not allow the two sets to be the same, i.e. four identical sequences.

Yaku based on triplets and/or quads

When the following hands involve triplets, quads are also acceptable. But if they require quads, triplets do not count. Each hand is worth 2 han, regardless of whether the hand is closed or open.

Name Japanese Han value Closed/Open
All Triplets toitoihล โ€“ ๅฏพใ€…ๅ’Œ, or toitoi โ€“ ๅฏพใ€… 2 Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€–๐Ÿ€–๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€ƒ ๐Ÿ€–
The hand consists entirely of triplets (or quads) and no sequences. The hand can also be closed but only via a discarded tile.
Three Concealed Triplets san'ankล โ€“ ไธ‰ๆš—ๅˆป 2 Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€‘ ๐Ÿ€‡
A hand with at least three sets of triplets (or quads) formed via drawing without melding any. The fourth group can either be melded (i.e. formed by calling an opponent's discard), a sequence or open triplet. A closed quad can qualify as a concealed triplets/quad, despite being visible to the opponents.
(Three) Mixed Triplets sanshoku doukล โ€“ ไธ‰่‰ฒๅŒๅˆป 2 Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€ž๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€ ๐Ÿ€’๐Ÿ€’๐Ÿ€’๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€‚ ๐Ÿ€‰
A hand containing three similarly numbered triplets in each of the three suits. For example, the above hand shows 3-3-3 in all three suits.
Three Quads / Three Kan sankantsu โ€“ ไธ‰ๆง“ๅญ 2 Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€‘ ๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€ƒ ๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€Ž ๐Ÿ€ซ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€ซ ๐Ÿ€™
A hand consist of three quads (kan), either closed or open.

Yaku based on terminal or honor tiles

These hands involve terminals and/or honors, or lack thereof (such as tan'yao and yakuhai, due to their simplicity).

Name Japanese Han value Closed/Open
All Simples tan'yaochลซ โ€“ ๆ–ญไนˆไน, or tan'yao โ€“ ๆ–ญไนˆ 1 Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€ˆ๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€ž๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€ ๐Ÿ€”๐Ÿ€•๐Ÿ€–๐Ÿ€— ๐Ÿ€”
A hand with no honor tiles (dragons/winds) nor terminal tiles (1s and 9s). The hand may only contain numbered tiles from 2 through 8. If the hand is open, it is called "kuitan" (ๅ–ฐใ„ๆ–ญ), which means tan'yao made by "eating" discards. In some rulesets, this hand can be closed only. The rule that does not allow kuitan is called "kuitan nashi" (ๅ–ฐใ„ๆ–ญ็„กใ—; no kuitan, or kuitan invalid).
Honor Tiles yakuhai โ€“ ๅฝน็‰Œ, or huanpai/fanpai โ€“ ้ฃœ็‰Œ 1 (per triplet) Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€ž๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ
Any triplet (or quad) consisting of dragons, the seat wind, or the round wind. A triplet matching both the Seat and Round Wind stacks together (such the East player in an East round with โ ๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€โ ).
Common Ends honchantai yaochลซ โ€“ ๆททๅ…จๅธฏไนˆไน, or chanta โ€“ ใƒใƒฃใƒณใ‚ฟ 2 (1 if open) Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€ ๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€† ๐Ÿ€ก
A hand where its set and a pair include at least one terminal or honor tile. This hand must contain at least one sequence (1-2-3 or 7-8-9) and any honor tiles.
Perfect Ends junchantai yaochลซ โ€“ ็ด”ๅ…จๅธฏไนˆไน, or junchan โ€“ ็ด”ใƒใƒฃใƒณ 3 (2 if open) Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€ˆ๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€–๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€˜ ๐Ÿ€’
Similar to Common Ends where a hand requires at least one terminal title with at least a sequence of 1-2-3 or 7-8-9, but without honor tiles.
Common Terminals/All Terminals and Honors honrลtล โ€“ ๆทท่€้ ญ, or honrล โ€“ ๆทท่€ 2 Open or Closed
(All triplets)
๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€… ๐Ÿ€
(Seven pairs)
๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€€
The hand consists entirely of terminals (1s & 9s) and honors (dragons & winds). This hand stacks with either All Triplets or Seven Pairs (examples shown above).
Little Three Dragons shลsangen โ€“ ๅฐไธ‰ๅ…ƒ 2 Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€œ๐Ÿ€•๐Ÿ€–๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€†
Two triplets (or quads) of dragons, plus a pair of the third dragon. This hand stacks with two Honor tile triplets.

Yaku based on suits

The following two hands are related to a single suit. Both hands lose one han when they are open, and can be stacked with Seven Pairs.

Name Japanese Han value Closed/Open
Half Flush / Common Flush hon'ฤซsล โ€“ ๆททไธ€่‰ฒ, or hon'itsu โ€“ ๆททไธ€ 3 (2 if open) Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€œ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€ ๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€† ๐Ÿ€
A hand containing tiles from only one suit, plus honors of any kind.
Full Flush / Perfect Flush chin'ฤซsล โ€“ ๆธ…ไธ€่‰ฒ, or chin'itsu โ€“ ๆธ…ไธ€ 6 (5 if open) Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€’๐Ÿ€“๐Ÿ€“๐Ÿ€“๐Ÿ€”๐Ÿ€”๐Ÿ€•๐Ÿ€•๐Ÿ€•๐Ÿ€–๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€˜ ๐Ÿ€‘
A hand containing tiles from only one suit.

Yakuman hands

Certain hands had stringent requirements to complete, with a scoring that automatically award maximum points if completed. This value, along with the hands themselves, are called limit hands, or yakuman (ๅฝนๆบ€, or yaku-mangan ๅฝนๆบ€่ฒซ).[9] Limit hands are separate from han values, and can stack with other limit hands, but many rulesets do not award more points for this. On the other hand, some rulesets will allow doubling of its points, which is also called daburu yakuman (ใƒ€ใƒ–ใƒซๅฝนๆบ€).

A limit is always valued at 13 han; any non-limit hands and dora that add up to at least 13 han becomes kazoe-yakuman (ๆ•ฐใˆๅฝนๆบ€) ("counted yakuman"), so long the hand does not contain any limit hands.

The hands known as Thirteen Orphans, Four Concealed Triplets, and Big Three Dragons are considered relatively easy to complete among limit hands, and are collectively called "the three big families of yakuman" (Japanese: ๅฝนๆบ€ๅพกไธ‰ๅฎถ).[9]

Some limit hands may have different names in some regions. The names used here come from the World Riichi Championship ruleset, which is also used by the American Riichi Mahjong League.[10]

Name Japanese Value Closed/Open
Thirteen Orphans kokushi musล / kokushi musล jลซsanmen machi โ€“ ๅ›ฝๅฃซ็„กๅŒ / ๅ›ฝๅฃซ็„กๅŒ13้ขๅพ…ใก (13 wait) Limit / Double limit (13 wait) Closed hand only
(Single-tile wait)
๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€
(13-way wait)
๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€
Along with Seven Pairs, this is the only other hand that contradicts the requirement for a hand to have four melds and a pair. This hand consist of one of each terminal (โ ๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€˜โ ) and honor tile (โ ๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽโ ), and a duplicate of any of the 13 aforementioned tiles. In certain common rulesets, a 13-tile wait (which is when the player acquired all 13 tiles without a duplicate) will double its points.

The Japanese name of this hand, kokushi musล, means "a peerless distinguished person in a country."[11] Other names for this yaku are shฤซsan yaochลซ (ๅไธ‰ไนˆไน) which means "thirteen of smallest numbers and 9's [and honors]," or its abbreviation shฤซsan yao (ๅไธ‰ไนˆ).

Four Concealed Triplets sลซankล โ€“ ๅ››ๆš—ๅˆป / sลซankล tankimachi - ๅ››ๆš—ๅˆปๅ˜้จŽๅพ…ใก (single wait) Limit / Double limit (single wait) Closed hand only
(Double wait - must win by tsumo)
๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€ ๐Ÿ€Ž
(Single wait)
๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€… ๐Ÿ€…
A hand with four closed triplets/quads. A hand waiting for two waits could only be won via self-draw; a single-waiting tile require to complete the hand (which usually awards double points) can be won either through a discard or self-draw.
Big Three Dragons / Big Dragons daisangen โ€“ ๅคงไธ‰ๅ…ƒ Limit Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€Œ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€“๐Ÿ€“๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€…
A triplet (or quad) of each type of dragon tile.
Little Four Winds / Little Winds shลsลซshฤซ โ€“ ๅฐๅ››ๅ–œ Limit Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€•๐Ÿ€–๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€ƒ ๐Ÿ€‚
A hand consisting of three triplets/quads of winds, and a pair of the fourth wind. This hand is also called a four winds hand (sลซshฤซhล - ๅ››ๅ–œๅ’Œ).
Big Four Winds / Big Winds daisลซshฤซ โ€“ ๅคงๅ››ๅ–œ Double limit (when allowed) Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€ƒ ๐Ÿ€ƒ
A variant of Little Four Winds hand, where it consist of four triplets/quads of winds. Some rulesets may double its value if allowed.
All Honors tsลซฤซsล โ€“ ๅญ—ไธ€่‰ฒ Limit Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€… ๐Ÿ€€
A hand composed exclusively of wind and dragon tiles.
All Terminals chinrลtล โ€“ ๆธ…่€้ ญ Limit Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€˜ ๐Ÿ€‡
A hand containing only terminals (1s & 9s).
All Green ryลซฤซsล โ€“ ็ท‘ไธ€่‰ฒ Limit Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€’๐Ÿ€’๐Ÿ€“๐Ÿ€“๐Ÿ€•๐Ÿ€•๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€… ๐Ÿ€•
A hand containing only pure-green tiles. This is exclusively the bamboo tiles of 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8, as well as the green dragon tiles. Many of the Japanese tile-sets color these specific tiles with just green, while all other tiles use another color (including the bamboo tiles of 1, 5, 7, and 9, which have red on them). Regardless of the scheme, only the aforementioned bamboo tiles are still required for this hand to fulfill. A hand can also be a Full Flush, meaning that the green dragon tiles are not generally required.
Nine Gates chลซren pลtล โ€“ ไน่“ฎๅฎ็‡ˆ / junsei chลซren pลtล - ็ด”ๆญฃไน่“ฎๅฎ็‡ˆ (nine wait) Limit / Double limit (9-wait) Closed hand only
(Normal wait)
๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€ˆ๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€Œ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€ ๐Ÿ€Ž
(9-way wait)
๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€œ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€ž๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€ ๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€ก ๐Ÿ€™
A hand composed of 1-1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-9-9 of one suit, with a duplicate of any one of the aforementioned tiles. In most rules, the points are doubled for a nine-tile waiting (when the hand is a 1-1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-9-9). Regardless of the value of the extra tile, this is always a standard mahjong hand of four melds and a pair, as shown in the animation below:

Four Quads / Four Kan sลซkantsu โ€“ ๅ››ๆง“ๅญ Limit Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€™ ๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€‘ ๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€Ž๐Ÿ€Ž ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€Ÿ ๐Ÿ€ซ๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€ซ ๐Ÿ€™
A hand consisting of four quads, either open or closed. The abortive draw of calling four quads (by multiple players) do not apply under normal rules and play would resume otherwise until a winner is decided or a fifth quad is called.

Yakuman on opening hands

The following are yakuman hands completed on the first go-around.

Name Japanese Value Closed/Open
Blessing of Heaven tenhล โ€“ ๅคฉๅ’Œ Limit Closed hand only, dealer only
A hand won by the dealer on the very first draw (which considered as a closed self-drawn tile), regardless of its contents.
Blessing of Earth chฤซhล โ€“ ๅœฐๅ’Œ Limit Closed hand only, non-dealer only
A hand won by any non-dealer on the first tile they draw (which fulfills the self-drawn tile hand), regardless of its contents, and without declaring any open-meld, including closed quads.[12]
Blessing of Man renhล โ€“ ไบบๅ’Œ Depends on ruleset Closed only, non-dealer only
When a player has yet to have a turn, but they call an opponent's discard to win. It must also be the first called tile of the hand.

Depending on the ruleset, this hand can be valued at either a yakuman, baiman, or mangan. In stricter rulesets, this is not considered a hand at all, and requires other hands to win. Some rulesets are laxer as the player can still achieve Blessing of Man after their first turn, if the tile they are calling was their opponent's first discard. Because of these variations, this hand is considered optional.[13]

Ancient or local yaku

The following table details yaku and yakuman hands that are usually not recognized as valid but may appear in house rules.

Name Japanese Value Closed/Open
Three Chained Triplets sanrenkล โ€“ ไธ‰้€ฃๅˆป 2 Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€’๐Ÿ€“๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ
A hand with three number triplets (or quads) in one suit with successive numbers. This hand is a local rule and not an officially recognized rule for Japanese mahjong.[14]
Four Chained Triplets sลซrenkล โ€“ ๅ››้€ฃๅˆป Limit Open or Closed
๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€‰๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€Š๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€Œ๐Ÿ€Œ๐Ÿ€Œ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ
A hand with four number triplets (or quads) in one suit with successive numbers. This hand is a local rule and not an officially recognized rule for Japanese mahjong.[15]
Chariot Suit specific names (see below) Limit Closed only
๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€œ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€ž๐Ÿ€ž๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€Ÿ๐Ÿ€ ๐Ÿ€  ๐Ÿ€œ
A hand composed of 2-2-3-3-4-4-5-5-6-6-7-7-8-8 of one suit. This hand is a local rule and not an officially recognized rule for Japanese mahjong.[16]

Each of the numbered suits may also use special names for this hand:

Pinzu (circles), daisharin โ€“ ๅคง่ปŠ่ผช or big wheels
Sลzu (bamboo), daichikurin โ€“ ๅคง็ซนๆž— or bamboo forest
Manzu (characters), daisลซrin โ€“ ๅคงๆ•ฐ้šฃ or numerous neighbours
Big Seven Stars daichisei โ€“ ๅคงไธƒๆ˜Ÿ Double limit Closed hand only
๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€…๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€†
Seven pairs, all of which are honor tiles (dragons or winds). It is very unusual to play with rules that allow this.
Thirteen Unconnected Tiles shฤซsanpลซtฤ / shฤซsanbudล - ๅไธ‰ไธๅก” Limit Closed only
๐Ÿ€ˆ๐Ÿ€Œ๐Ÿ€™๐Ÿ€œ๐Ÿ€ ๐Ÿ€‘๐Ÿ€•๐Ÿ€˜๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€
The hand contains thirteen tiles such that there are no groups, no pairs, and no number tiles closer than three apart from one another, plus an additional one of any of the tiles in the hand. Can only be claimed by a player on their first draw.
Fourteen Unconnected Tiles shฤซsลซpลซtฤ - ๅๅ››ไธๅก” Limit Closed only
๐Ÿ€‡๐Ÿ€‹๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€ž๐Ÿ€ก๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€—๐Ÿ€€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€‚๐Ÿ€ƒ๐Ÿ€†๐Ÿ€„๏ธŽ ๐Ÿ€…
The hand contains fourteen tiles so that there are no groups, no pairs, and no number tiles closer than three apart from one another. Can only be claimed by a player on their first draw.
Eight Consecutive Wins pฤrenchan โ€“ ๅ…ซ้€ฃ่˜ Limit Dealer only
A player wins eight times consecutively. The conditions of the hand depend on rules, which can be triggered by achieving either the ninth consecutive win onwards, or per every eight wins. It has nothing to do with the number of counters because the number increases when a hand is a draw. In some rules, no other yaku is necessary in the eighth winning. Some rules require the player to be a dealer from the first time. The player is always a dealer when the hand is accomplished. The hand is often optional.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Wikipedia contributors, "็ซ‹็›ด," Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, August 30, 2011, 02:45 UTC.
  2. ^ a b EMA's Japanese/riichi revised ruleset, effective as of March 01, 2012, "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-17. Retrieved 2012-07-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ Wikipedia contributors, "ไธƒๅฏพๅญ," Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, September 23, 2011, 12:27 UTC.
  4. ^ Wikipedia contributors, "ๆตใ—ๆบ€่ฒซ," Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, March 10, 2011, 11:40 UTC, retrieved June 16, 2011.
  5. ^ Riichi: Rules for Japanese Mahjong (PDF). European Mahjong Association. April 2016. p. 23.
  6. ^ World Riichi Championship Rules (PDF). World Riichi Limited. May 2025. p. 7.
  7. ^ When a player has โ ๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€š๐Ÿ€›๐Ÿ€œโ  and wins by โ ๐Ÿ€šโ , the winning โ ๐Ÿ€šโ  is considered to have made a sequence, not a pair, when the player applies the yaku. Players can choose the composition so that the value of the hand becomes the highest. See the following reference: Wikipedia contributors, "ๅนณๅ’Œ (้บป้›€)," Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, August 16, 2011, 06:14 UTC.
  8. ^ Wikipedia contributors, "ๅนณๅ’Œ (้บป้›€)," Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, June 16, 2011, 13:02 UTC, retrieved July 17, 2011.
  9. ^ a b Wikipedia contributors, "ๅฝนๆบ€่ฒซ," Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, December 24, 2011, 08:40 UTC.
  10. ^ "WRC Rules". World Riichi Championship. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  11. ^ Wikipedia contributors, "ๅ›ฝๅฃซ็„กๅŒ," Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, September 23, 2011, 14:17 UTC, retrieved October 7, 2011.
  12. ^ Wikipedia contributors, "ๅœฐๅ’Œ," Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, October 12, 2011, 12:36 UTC.
  13. ^ Wikipedia contributors, "ไบบๅ’Œ," Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, February 28, 2012, 15:37 UTC.
  14. ^ Wikipedia contributors, "ไธ‰้€ฃๅˆป", Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, April 12, 2011 01:09, UTC, retrieved April 16, 2013.
  15. ^ Wikipedia contributors, "ๅ››้€ฃๅˆป", Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, July 2, 2012, 00:48 UTC, retrieved April 16, 2013.
  16. ^ Wikipedia contributors, "ๅคง่ปŠ่ผช (้บป้›€)", Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, April 4, 2013 18:39, UTC, retrieved April 16, 2013.
  17. ^ Wikipedia contributors, "ๅ…ซ้€ฃ่˜," Wikipedia: Japanese-language version, November 20, 2010, 18:09 UTC, retrieved June 17, 2011.