In Riichi mahjong, four players start with 13 tiles each, with 14 for the dealer. On your turn, draw one tile and discard one. You can also call discards to complete sets. To win, you need four sets and a pair, plus at least one yaku, a scoring pattern. You can declare riichi if your closed hand is one tile from winning. A game usually runs through at least the East and South rounds.
Setting up
- Build the wall. Each player builds a row 17 tiles long and 2 tiles high, for 136 tiles in all.
- Seat the players. Seats are chosen by drawing wind tiles or a similar method. East is the dealer.
- Break the wall. The dealer rolls two dice, and the result sets where to break it.
- Set aside the dead wall. Separate the last 14 tiles. Nobody draws from them in normal play.
- Reveal the dora indicator. Flip the top tile of the third stack from the break, inside the dead wall. Learn how dora works.
- Deal. The dealer ends with 14 tiles, and the others have 13.
Under EMA rules, each player starts with 30,000 points. Many games in Japan start at 25,000.
Your turn
- Draw a tile from the live wall.
- Discard one tile into your own neat row of discards.
Unlike other styles, each player keeps their own discard area, in rows of six. It matters, since you need to see what each player has thrown. Play moves counterclockwise.
Calling discards
| Call | What it does | From whom? |
|---|---|---|
| Chi | Completes a run of three | Only the player on your left |
| Pon | Completes a set of three identical tiles | Any player |
| Kan | Completes a set of four identical tiles | Any player, or from your own tiles |
| Ron | Wins on a discard | Any player |
Calling chi, pon, or an open kan makes your hand open. An open hand cannot declare riichi, and many patterns are lost or worth less. Keep your hand closed if you can, at least while you are learning.
If you draw the winning tile yourself, say tsumo. If you win on a discard, say ron.
The one-yaku rule
A winning hand has four sets and a pair, and at least one yaku.
If you complete a shape with no yaku, you cannot win on it. Dora does not count as a yaku. See the patterns to learn first.
Two special hands break the four-sets shape: seven pairs and thirteen orphans.
Declaring riichi
You may declare riichi if all of these are true:
- Your hand is closed, with no called sets. A closed kan is allowed.
- You are one tile from winning.
- You have at least 1,000 points to bet.
- At least four tiles remain in the wall, under the EMA rules.
To declare, say “riichi,” turn your discard sideways, and put a 1,000-point stick on the table. From then on, you cannot change your hand. You discard whatever you draw, unless it wins.
Riichi adds a yaku worth 1 han. It may also win you a bonus if you finish within one uninterrupted go-around, called ippatsu. If you win with riichi, you also reveal extra dora.
Furiten
You cannot win by ron if one of your winning tiles sits in your own discards. This is called furiten, and it catches almost every beginner. You can still win by drawing the tile yourself.
Ending a hand
A hand ends when someone wins, or when the wall runs out. If the wall runs out, players show whether they are waiting. Players who are not waiting pay those who are, for a total of 3,000 points.
The dealer’s seat passes to the right, unless the dealer wins or was waiting at the end. A common game has an East round and a South round.
Scoring in brief
A hand’s value comes from han (mostly from yaku and dora) and fu (small points based on the hand’s details). You look up the result in a table. Beginners can let others count at first. Our scoring guide explains it further.
Common beginner mistakes
- Winning with no yaku. Check that you have one, especially if your hand is open.
- Calling too early. It often costs you more than it gains.
- Forgetting furiten. Glance at your discards before you claim a win.
- Ignoring dora. It is easy to miss, and often worth a lot.
- Forgetting that discards are public. Other players read them, and so should you.