Daburu riichi: Difference between revisions

'''Daburu riichi''' {{kana|両立直}} or {{kana|ダブルリーチ}}, is simply '''double riichi'''.  This is a special case for [[riichi]]. In this case, the player's [[haipai|start hand]] is already at tenpai from the [[Haipai|dealt tiles]], or the initial draw produces a tenpai hand. Effectively, this is the fastest possible tenpai hand.  Naturally, a player has the option to declare riichi at this time.  Rarely does a player decline such a call, but it does happen.  No tile call may interrupt the turn order before the declaration, where applicable. For the dealer, the only possible interruption would be a call for a closed [[kan]].

Double riichi is worth 2 han instead of 1 han for a normal riichi, as a bonus for the initial timing. With the added han value, a call for double riichi has a huge advantage over the other players in conjunction with the immediate speed of the hand. Of course, that advantage withers away with each unsuccessful draw, especially when the number of safe discards increases as the collective draws and discards progresses.

Double riichi's greatest advantage, aside from its speed, is the lack of information regarding [[safe tiles]] at the beginning of the hand.  Initially, every tile is considered to be dangerous, as no to few discarded tiles show any indication of safe tiles.  However, this advantage can be worn away as every non-winning tile becomes a safe tile upon discard.  Per the [[Furiten|furiten rule]], every tile not claimed for a win after the riichi call is considered to be a safe tile - against the riichi caller. If a winning tile does not come soon enough, then other players may actually attain tenpai in their own right and may leave the initial riichi declarer to be vulnerable. If affordable, a player may employ [[sashikomi]], in the hope of dealing into a cheaper hand.