A yaku is a scoring pattern. In Riichi mahjong, a hand needs at least one to win. Start with these five: riichi (declare your closed hand), fully concealed self-draw (tsumo), all simples (tanyao), value sets (yakuhai), and pinfu. Together they cover many of the hands you will finish as a beginner. You can pick up the others as you play.
The first five
Riichi: 1 han
Your closed hand is one tile from winning, and you declare it. This is the most reliable way to get a yaku, since it works with any closed shape. See the riichi rules.
Fully concealed self-draw (menzen tsumo): 1 han
If your hand is closed and you draw the winning tile yourself, you have a yaku. It does not matter what your hand looks like.
All simples (tanyao): 1 han
Your hand has no ones, nines, or honors. Under EMA rules, it can be open or closed.
Value sets (yakuhai): 1 han each
A set of dragons, your seat wind, or the round wind is worth 1 han, even in an open hand. A wind that is both counts twice.
Pinfu: 1 han
Your hand is closed. All four sets are runs. The pair has no value, so it is not a dragon, your seat wind, or the round wind. You also win on a two-sided wait.
Next steps
These appear often, too:
- Half flush (honitsu): one suit plus honors. 3 han closed, 2 open.
- All pungs (toitoi): four sets of three or four. 2 han.
- Seven pairs (chiitoitsu): seven different pairs. 2 han, closed only.
- Mixed triple run (sanshoku): the same run in all three suits. 2 han closed, 1 open.
- Straight (ittsu): 1 through 9 in one suit. 2 han closed, 1 open.
The full table
Here are the standard yaku under the EMA 2016 rules. “Closed” and “Open” show han. A dash means the yaku requires a closed hand.
| Yaku | Meaning | Closed | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riichi | Declared closed hand | 1 | – |
| Ippatsu | Won within one go-around of riichi | 1 | – |
| Menzen tsumo | Closed hand, drawn win | 1 | – |
| Pinfu | All runs, no-value pair, two-sided wait | 1 | – |
| Iipeikou | Two identical runs | 1 | – |
| Tanyao | All simples | 1 | 1 |
| Yakuhai | Set of a dragon or value wind | 1 | 1 |
| Rinshan kaihou | Win on a kan replacement tile | 1 | 1 |
| Chankan | Win on a tile added to a kan | 1 | 1 |
| Haitei | Win on the last wall tile | 1 | 1 |
| Houtei | Win on the last discard | 1 | 1 |
| Double riichi | Riichi on your first turn | 2 | – |
| Chiitoitsu | Seven pairs | 2 | – |
| Sanshoku | Same run in three suits | 2 | 1 |
| Ittsu | 1 to 9 straight in one suit | 2 | 1 |
| Chanta | Every set and pair has a terminal or honor | 2 | 1 |
| Toitoi | All pungs and kans | 2 | 2 |
| Sanankou | Three concealed pungs | 2 | 2 |
| Sanshoku doukou | Same pung in three suits | 2 | 2 |
| Sankantsu | Three kans | 2 | 2 |
| Honroutou | Only terminals and honors | 2 | 2 |
| Shousangen | Two dragon sets and a dragon pair | 2 | 2 |
| Honitsu | One suit plus honors | 3 | 2 |
| Junchan | Every set and pair has a terminal | 3 | 2 |
| Ryanpeikou | Two sets of identical runs | 3 | – |
| Chinitsu | All one suit | 6 | 5 |
Some very rare limit hands, called yakuman, also exist. Thirteen orphans is the most famous. You do not need them yet.
How to practice
- Aim for riichi in your first games. It is simple and teaches you to stay closed.
- Add tanyao and yakuhai once you are comfortable.
- Use the Scoring Quiz to see how patterns combine.
Common beginner mistakes
- Finishing a shape with no yaku. Your hand cannot win. If you are open with no yaku, you have a problem.
- Counting dora as a yaku. It adds han only after you have a real yaku.
- Thinking any wind counts. Only your seat wind and the round wind are value winds.