Riichi Mahjong
Last updated: 2025-02-22
Overview
Riichi Mahjong (リーチ麻雀) is one of the most popular competitive mahjong variants today, known for its "riichi" declaration and precise yaku and scoring system. With rigorous rules, deep strategic depth, and emphasis on closed hands and offense-defense balance, it is widely used in both online and offline competitive tournaments.
Key Features of Riichi Mahjong
- Uses 136 tiles (no flower tiles)
- Must have at least one han (yaku) to win
- Unique "riichi" declaration mechanic
- Dora (ドラ) system adds randomness and strategy
- Precise han-fu scoring system
- Furiten rule restricts winning by ron
Basic Setup
Tiles Used
Riichi Mahjong uses 136 tiles, with no flower tiles:
- Characters (m): 1–9 Man, 4 of each, 36 total
- Dots (p): 1–9 Pin, 4 of each, 36 total
- Bamboos (s): 1–9 Sou, 4 of each, 36 total
- Wind tiles (z1–z4): East, South, West, North, 4 of each, 16 total
- Dragon tiles (z5–z7): Chun, Hatsu, Haku, 4 of each, 12 total
Complete Numbered Tiles
Characters 1–9Complete Honor Tiles
Red Dora
Some rulesets use red dora (赤ドラ), replacing one five from each suit with a red-colored five. Holding one counts as 1 extra han:
- Red five of Characters (Red 5m) ×1
- Red five of Dots (Red 5p) ×1
- Red five of Bamboos (Red 5s) ×1
Round Wind & Seating
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| East-only game | Only East round (East 1–4), 4 hands (may extend with dealer repeats) |
| Half game (Hanchan) | East + South rounds (East 1–4, South 1–4), 8 hands |
| Dealer (Oya) | Winning score ×1.5; honba count increases on dealer repeat |
| Non-dealer (Ko) | The three non-dealer players |
| Starting points | 25,000 points each |
Game Flow
Hand Progression
- Deal: Dealer gets 14 tiles, non-dealers get 13 each
- Dealer starts: Dealer discards one tile
- Counter-clockwise turns: Next player draws → discards (or calls)
- Win or draw: Someone wins and the hand ends; or the wall is exhausted (draw)
- Next hand: Dealer rotates or repeats based on the outcome
Dealer Repeat (Renchan)
When the dealer wins or is tenpai at an exhaustive draw, they repeat as dealer and the honba count increases by 1. Each honba adds 300 points (tsumo: +100 per player, ron: +300).
Melding (Naki / Furo)
Melding means using tiles discarded by other players to form sets. After melding, you lose your closed hand status, and some yaku are reduced or invalidated.
Chi (チー)
Take one tile from the player to your left to form a sequence with two tiles from your hand.
Example: Chi
Pon (ポン)
Take one tile from any player to form a triplet with two identical tiles from your hand. Pon takes priority over chi.
Example: Pon
Open Kan (Daiminkan)
Take one tile from any player to form a quad with three identical tiles from your hand. After declaring kan, draw a replacement tile from the dead wall and flip a new kan dora indicator.
Example: Open Kan
Closed Kan (Ankan)
When you have four identical tiles in hand, you can declare a closed kan. Closed kan preserves your closed hand status.
Example: Closed Kan
Added Kan (Shouminkan)
When you've already called pon on a triplet and draw the fourth tile, you can upgrade it to a kan. Note: other players may declare "robbing the kan" (chankan) to win.
⚠️ Melding Notes
- After melding, your hand size decreases and melded sets are exposed
- Melding opens your hand (except closed kan)
- Some yaku (riichi, iipeiko, pinfu, etc.) require a closed hand and are invalidated by melding
- Some yaku (sanshoku, ittsu, etc.) lose one han when the hand is open
Riichi (リーチ)
Riichi is the signature rule of Riichi Mahjong and the most commonly used 1-han yaku.
Riichi Conditions
- Closed hand: No chi, pon, or open kan (closed kan is allowed)
- Tenpai: Your hand is in tenpai (waiting) state
- Points: You must have at least 1,000 points
- Wall remaining: At least 4 drawable tiles remain in the wall
Riichi Procedure
- Declare "Riichi"
- Place the discarded tile sideways (indicating the riichi declaration tile)
- Pay a 1,000-point riichi deposit (riichi stick)
- You cannot change your hand afterward; drawn tiles must be discarded as-is (with special exceptions for closed kan)
Example: Riichi Hand
Ippatsu
Winning within one turn cycle after declaring riichi (before any player's next discard completes a full round) earns ippatsu, an extra +1 han. If any player calls (chi/pon/kan) during this period, ippatsu is cancelled.
Double Riichi (ダブルリーチ)
Declaring riichi on your very first draw (before any calls have been made) counts as double riichi, worth 2 han.
Winning Conditions
Ways to Win
- Tsumo (ツモ): Self-draw — you draw the winning tile from the wall
- Ron (ロン): Winning off another player's discard
Must Have Yaku
In Riichi Mahjong, you must have at least 1 han of yaku to win. Without yaku, you cannot declare a win (called "no yaku").
Furiten Rules
Furiten (フリテン) is a unique and important rule in Riichi Mahjong that restricts winning by ron:
Three Types of Furiten
- Discard furiten: If any of your waiting tiles appears in your own discard pile, you cannot ron any tile (but you can still tsumo)
- Temporary furiten: If someone discards your waiting tile during the current turn cycle but you don't win, you cannot ron until your next turn (resets on your draw)
- Riichi furiten: After declaring riichi, if someone discards your waiting tile and you don't win (or can't win), you can only win by tsumo for the rest of the hand
Yaku Details
1-Han Yaku
Riichi (リーチ)
Declare riichi when tenpai with a closed hand.
Ippatsu (イッパツ)
Win within one turn cycle after declaring riichi. Combined with riichi.
Menzen Tsumo (ツモ)
Win by self-draw with a closed hand.
Tanyao (タンヤオ)
No terminals (1, 9) or honor tiles — all tiles are numbered 2–8.
Pinfu (ピンフ)
Closed hand, four sequences, non-yakuhai pair, two-sided wait.
Iipeiko (イーペーコー)
Closed hand with two identical sequences in the same suit.
Yakuhai - Seat Wind (ヤクハイ)
A triplet or quad of your own seat wind tile. For example, East player holding a triplet of East.
Yakuhai - Round Wind (ヤクハイ)
A triplet or quad of the current round wind tile. For example, a triplet of East during East round.
Yakuhai - Dragons (ヤクハイ)
A triplet or quad of Chun (z5), Hatsu (z6), or Haku (z7). Each is worth 1 han.
Chankan (チャンカン)
Win by robbing another player's added kan — the tile they use to upgrade a pon to a kan is your winning tile. 1 han.
Rinshan Kaihou (リンシャンカイホウ)
Win by self-drawing the replacement tile after declaring kan. 1 han.
Haitei (ハイテイ)
Win by self-drawing the very last tile from the wall. 1 han.
Houtei (ホウテイ)
Win by ron on the very last discarded tile after the wall is exhausted. 1 han.
2-Han Yaku
Double Riichi (ダブルリーチ)
Declare riichi on your first draw (before any calls). 2 han.
Sanshoku Doujun (サンショクドウジュン)
The same numbered sequence in all three suits. Reduced to 1 han when open.
Ittsu (イッツー)
123 + 456 + 789 sequences in the same suit. Reduced to 1 han when open.
Chanta (チャンタ)
Every set and the pair contains a terminal (1, 9) or honor tile. Reduced to 1 han when open.
Chiitoitsu (チートイツ)
Seven different pairs. Fixed at 2 han, 25 fu.
Toitoi (トイトイ)
Four triplets (or quads) + one pair. 2 han.
San Ankou (サンアンコウ)
Three concealed triplets in hand. 2 han.
San Kantsu (サンカンツ)
Three kan declarations. 2 han.
Honroutou (ホンロウトウ)
Hand consists entirely of terminals (1, 9) and honor tiles. Always combined with toitoi or chiitoitsu. 2 han.
Shousangen (ショウサンゲン)
Two dragon triplets + one dragon pair. 2 han (plus 2 han from the two dragon yakuhai, so at least 4 han in practice).
Sanshoku Doukou (サンショクドウコウ)
The same numbered triplet in all three suits. 2 han.
3-Han Yaku
Ryanpeikou (リャンペーコー)
Closed hand with two sets of identical sequences (four sequences total forming two iipeiko). 3 han.
Junchan (ジュンチャン)
Every set and the pair contains a terminal (1 or 9), with no honor tiles. Reduced to 2 han when open.
Honitsu (ホンイツ)
Hand consists entirely of one suit plus honor tiles. Reduced to 2 han when open.
6-Han Yaku
Chinitsu (チンイツ)
Hand consists entirely of one suit, no honor tiles. Reduced to 5 han when open.
Yakuman (ヤクマン)
Yakuman are the highest-tier yaku, typically worth 32,000 points (non-dealer) or 48,000 points (dealer).
Tenhou (テンホウ)
Dealer wins with their initial 14-tile deal. Yakuman.
Chiihou (チーホウ)
Non-dealer wins by self-draw on their very first turn (before any calls). Yakuman.
Kokushi Musou (コクシムソウ)
One of each of the 13 terminal and honor tiles + one duplicate as the pair. Yakuman.
Suu Ankou (スーアンコウ)
Closed hand with four concealed triplets + pair. Yakuman.
Daisangen (ダイサンゲン)
Triplets or quads of all three dragon tiles (Chun, Hatsu, Haku). Yakuman.
Tsuuiisou (ツーイーソー)
Hand consists entirely of honor tiles. Yakuman.
Ryuuiisou (リューイーソー)
Hand consists entirely of 2s, 3s, 4s, 6s, 8s of Bamboos and Hatsu (z6). Yakuman.
Chinroutou (チンロウトウ)
Hand consists entirely of 1s and 9s (no honors). Always combined with toitoi. Yakuman.
Chuuren Poutou (チューレンポウトウ)
1112345678999 of a single suit + any tile of the same suit. Closed hand only. Yakuman.
Suu Kantsu (スーカンツ)
Four kan declarations (open or closed). Yakuman.
Shousuushii (ショウスーシー)
Three wind triplets + one wind pair. Yakuman.
Double Yakuman
The highest-tier yaku recognized in some rulesets:
Kokushi Musou 13-Sided Wait
One of each terminal/honor tile, waiting on all 13 kinds. Double Yakuman.
Suu Ankou Tanki
Four concealed triplets already complete, waiting on a single tile for the pair. Double Yakuman.
Daisuushii (ダイスーシー)
Triplets or quads of all four wind tiles. Double Yakuman.
Junsei Chuuren Poutou
1112345678999 of a single suit, waiting on all 1–9 (nine-sided wait). Double Yakuman.
Dora (ドラ) System
Dora are not yaku by themselves, but each dora tile adds +1 han.
Omote Dora (Face-up Dora)
At the start of the hand, one dora indicator tile is flipped face-up from the dead wall. The tile next in sequence after the indicator is the dora:
| Indicator | Dora |
|---|---|
| 1m | 2m |
| 9m | 1m (wraps around) |
| 9p | 1p (wraps around) |
| East (z1) | South (z2) |
| North (z4) | East (z1) (wraps around) |
| Haku (z7) | Chun (z5) (wraps around) |
Ura Dora
After winning with riichi, the tile beneath the dora indicator is flipped as the ura-dora indicator, and similarly the "next tile" is the ura-dora.
Red Dora (Aka Dora)
Red 5m, red 5p, and red 5s — one of each. Holding one adds +1 han.
Kan Dora
After each kan declaration, a new dora indicator is flipped, adding another dora.
Points Calculation
Fu Calculation
Fu (符) is one of the basic units for calculating points:
| Item | Fu |
|---|---|
| Base fu | 20 fu (30 fu for closed ron) |
| Tsumo | +2 fu |
| Single wait / closed wait / edge wait | +2 fu |
| Open triplet of simples (2–8) | +2 fu |
| Open triplet of terminals/honors | +4 fu |
| Closed triplet of simples | +4 fu |
| Closed triplet of terminals/honors | +8 fu |
| Open quad of simples | +8 fu |
| Open quad of terminals/honors | +16 fu |
| Closed quad of simples | +16 fu |
| Closed quad of terminals/honors | +32 fu |
| Yakuhai pair | +2 fu |
Han-Fu Points Table
Common Points Reference (Non-dealer Ron)
| Han＼Fu | 30 fu | 40 fu | 50 fu | 60 fu | 70 fu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 han | 1,000 | 1,300 | 1,600 | 2,000 | 2,300 |
| 2 han | 2,000 | 2,600 | 3,200 | 3,900 | 4,500 |
| 3 han | 3,900 | 5,200 | 6,400 | 7,700 | Mangan |
| 4 han | 7,700 | Mangan | Mangan | Mangan | Mangan |
Mangan and Above
| Han | Name | Non-dealer Ron | Dealer Ron |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 han (or 4 han 30+ fu) | Mangan | 8,000 | 12,000 |
| 6–7 han | Haneman | 12,000 | 18,000 |
| 8–10 han | Baiman | 16,000 | 24,000 |
| 11–12 han | Sanbaiman | 24,000 | 36,000 |
| 13+ han | Counted Yakuman | 32,000 | 48,000 |
| Yakuman | Yakuman | 32,000 | 48,000 |
| Double Yakuman | Double Yakuman | 64,000 | 96,000 |
Tsumo Payment Split
- Non-dealer tsumo: The other two non-dealers each pay 1/4, the dealer pays 1/2
- Dealer tsumo: Each of the three non-dealers pays 1/3
Draw Rules
Exhaustive Draw (Ryuukyoku)
When the wall is exhausted (14 tiles in the dead wall are not drawn), and no one has won, the hand ends in a draw. Tenpai players collect a penalty (noten bappu) from non-tenpai players (total 3,000 points).
Abortive Draws
The following situations can cause an abortive draw (typically without dealer repeat):
- Nine different terminals/honors: On the first turn (before any calls), if a player holds 9 or more different terminal/honor tiles, they may declare a draw
- Four wind discards: All four players discard the same wind tile on the first turn
- Four kan draw: Four kan have been declared by different players
- Triple/Quadruple riichi: Three or four players all declare riichi
Penalties
Chombo (チョンボ)
Falsely declaring a win (e.g., no yaku, wrong tile count). Pay mangan-level penalty points.
Noten Bappu (No-ten Penalty)
When the hand ends in an exhaustive draw, non-tenpai players pay tenpai players:
- 1 player tenpai: Other 3 each pay 1,000 points
- 2 players tenpai: The 2 non-tenpai players each pay 1,500 points
- 3 players tenpai: The 1 non-tenpai player pays 3,000 points