Learn Every Yaku in Riichi Mahjong

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Understanding Yaku in Mahjong
3. Han Yaku
   1. Each
   2. Menzen Chin
   3. Tanya
   4. Sumo
   5. Seat Wind
   6. Prevailing Wind
   7. Dragons
   8. Pinfu
   9. Epico
   10. Chang Khan
4. Two Han Yaku
   1. Double Reach
   2. Sanchez Sancho
   3. Toi Toi
   4. San Anko
   5. Sho Sange
   6. All Terminals and Honors
   7. Chi Toitsu
   8. Chanta
   9. Itsu
   10. Sanshoku
5. Three Han Yaku
   1. Ryanpeikou
   2. Junchan
   3. Hon Ittsu
   4. Toitoi
   5. Honroto
6. Six Han Yaku
   1. Chin Itsu
   2. Ryujinkei

Understanding Yaku in Mahjong

Mahjong is a popular game that involves strategy, skill, and an understanding of yaku. Yaku are specific winning combinations or patterns that players aim to achieve in order to score points and ultimately win the game. In this article, we will explore the different types of yaku in Mahjong and delve into each one in detail.

Han Yaku

Each

Each is the most important yaku in Mahjong and a must-know for every player. It is a yaku that can only be obtained with a closed hand, meaning that you have never taken anyone else's tiles. Each allows you to win regardless of the quality of your hand and opens up possibilities for other yaku such as ikotsu and uradora.

Menzen Chin

Menzen Chin, or fully concealed hand, is another important yaku that requires your hand to be entirely closed and to win via Tsumo. Even if you make a call such as reach, it will still count as a fully concealed hand as long as the winning tile is self-drawn.

Tanya

Tanya, also known as all symbols, is a simple yaku to achieve. It only requires you to not have any of the symbol tiles (winds, dragons) in your hand.

Sumo

Sumo, or fully concealed hand, is similar to Menzen Chin but does not require reaching. As long as all the tiles in your hand are self-drawn and the winning tile is obtained through Tsumo, you will have a Sumo yaku.

Seat Wind

Seat Wind is a yaku that consists of three of your own wind tiles. If you have three wind tiles that match your seating position, you will have the Seat Wind yaku.

Prevailing Wind

Prevailing Wind is similar to Seat Wind but consists of three table wind tiles. If the table wind matches your seating position and you have three of those wind tiles, you will have the Prevailing Wind yaku.

Dragons

Dragons yaku is achieved when you have three of the red, white, or green dragon tiles in your hand, irrespective of whether they are open or closed.

Pinfu

Pinfu is a complex yaku that requires your hand to be entirely composed of sequences, with a specific type of waiting tile known as a dionmen wait. It is important to understand the intricacies of this yaku to maximize your winning potential.

Epico

Epico, also known as pure double sequence, is achieved when you have two identical sequences of the same suit in your hand. It is a relatively easy yaku to obtain.

Chang Khan

Chang Khan, or robbing a con, is an extremely rare yaku that is obtained when you win by robbing a quad from another player. It is not limited to winning after a con and has specific conditions for its occurrence.

Two Han Yaku

Double Reach

Double Reach is the same as regular reach, but it awards you with two points instead of one. It occurs when you start the game with a reach declaration.

Sanchez Sancho

Sanchez Sancho yaku is obtained when you have three identical triplets from all three suits. It can be three identical triplets or three quads, and they can be open or closed.

Toi Toi

Toi Toi, or all triplets, is achieved when your hand consists entirely of triplets or quads. It can even include quads obtained through a con.

San Anko

San Anko, or three concealed triplets, is achieved when you have three triplets that are obtained entirely by yourself. It does not matter if your hand is open, as long as these three triplets are concealed.

Sho Sange

Sho Sange, or little Three Dragons, is obtained when you have two triplets from any of the three dragon tiles and a pair of the third dragon. It can be either open or closed.

All Terminals and Honors

All Terminals and Honors yaku requires your hand to consist solely of triplets of either the terminal or honor tiles. It is the complete opposite of All Symbols yaku.

Chi Toitsu

Chi Toitsu, or seven pairs, is an easy yaku to achieve as it only requires your hand to have seven pairs of tiles. It is a quick way to score points in Mahjong.

Chanta

Chanta, or half outside hand, is a yaku where every sequence or triplet in your hand must contain at least one terminal or honor tile. It is important to note that Chanta can be penalized with minus one Han after making a call.

Itsu

Itsu, or pure straight, is obtained when you have a complete sequence of one to nine in the same suit. It must be uninterrupted, and making a call will reduce its value to one Han.

Sanshoku

Sanshoku, or triplets of the same suit, occurs when you have three identical sequences in three different suits. It is important to note that making a call will reduce the Sanshoku yaku to one Han.

Three Han Yaku

Ryanpeikou

Ryanpeikou, or twice pure double sequence, is obtained when you have two sets of identical sequences in the same suit. It is another valuable yaku in Mahjong.

Junchan

Junchan, or pure outside hand, requires every sequence or triplet to contain at least one terminal tile. It is similar to Chanta but does not allow any honor tiles.

Hon Ittsu

Hon Ittsu, or all terminals, is achieved when your hand consists solely of triplets or quads of either terminal or honor tiles. It is the opposite of Chanta.

Toitoi

Toitoi, or all triplets, is similar to the Two Han yaku but requires your hand to consist entirely of triplets or quads. It can include quads obtained through a con.

Honroto

Honroto, or all terminals and honors, requires your hand to consist solely of terminal and honor tiles, whether they are triplets or quads. It is a high-scoring yaku.

Six Han Yaku

Chin Itsu

Chin Itsu, or full flush, is achieved when your entire hand consists of tiles from a single suit. It is a powerful yaku that awards a substantial number of points.

Ryujinkei

Ryujinkei, or nine gates, is an extremely rare yaku that requires your hand to be composed of a specific combination of tiles from one suit. It is considered a top-ranking yaku due to its difficulty to obtain.

In conclusion, understanding yaku is essential in becoming skilled at Mahjong. Each yaku has its own requirements and scoring potential, and mastering them will significantly enhance your gameplay. Remember to familiarize yourself with the different combinations from Han yaku to six Han yaku, and practice applying them in your games. With time and experience, you will become a formidable Mahjong player.

Highlights

• Yaku are winning combinations or patterns in Mahjong.
• Each is the most important yaku, allowing you to win with any hand.
• Han yaku includes Each, Menzen Chin, Tanya, Sumo, Seat Wind, Prevailing Wind, Dragons, Pinfu, Epico, and Chang Khan.
• Two Han yaku consists of Double Reach, Sanchez Sancho, Toi Toi, San Anko, Sho Sange, All Terminals and Honors, Chi Toitsu, Chanta, Itsu, and Sanshoku.
• Three Han yaku includes Ryanpeikou, Junchan, Hon Ittsu, Toitoi, and Honroto.
• Six Han yaku consists of Chin Itsu and Ryujinkei.
• Understanding and mastering yaku is crucial for success in Mahjong.