Dora: Difference between revisions

[[Image:Dora and Wanpai.jpg|thumb|350px|Dead wall showing 2-pin as the dora indicator.]]'''Dora''' {{kana|ドラ}} is a feature to the game, where possession of specific tiles instantly grants the hand 1 han per tile. However, hands still require at least one [[yaku]] in order to score, regardless of the number of dora in the hand.  So, the possession of dora is best considered as a bonus.

At the beginning of every hand, fourteen tiles are set aside as the [[Wanpai|dead wall]] tiles. The dora is marked by the tile after the flipped tile. Additional dora may be revealed through the use of '''uradora''' and/or '''kandora'''. Finally, additional tiles underneath any revealed dora may also mark more dora as an added benefit for hands won with [[riichi]].

==Yaku==

{{main|Yaku}}

{{main|Wanpai}}

 

This lists the complete dora order. As a repeat, the dora is the next tile within each of the following orders.  Dora are not "cross indicated" among the different suits.  Furthermore, the dora order loops.

The wind order follows the same order as the [[Jikaze|seat winds]] in the same counterclockwise direction as the normal turn order.  Naturally, wind based dora are particularly advantageous to [[yakuhai]].  Yet, players seated off wind can still use this dora while implementing the appropriate yaku.

Additional indicators of dora may be found in the game.

:{{#mjt:0m0p0s}}

Sets may include other tiles marked "red" as automatic dora. Five happens to be the common choice because it is the center number within the 1 through 9 range.  Though rarely found, some older sets include a "red haku" tile (white dragon), with some marking not present on the usual haku tile, and some sets include red threes.

'''Uradora''' {{kana|裏ドラ}}, or '''underneath dora''' applies only to hands won using [[riichi]].  Thus, no open hand may ever have access to the uradora.  In the event a riichi declared hand has won, the tiles underneath the dora indicator(s) are revealed.  These newly revealed tiles serve as additional dora indicators.  Potentially, such hands may potentially gain substantial value, just off of the uradora.

If there are multiple identical indicators, each indicated tile counts as multiple dora correspondingly.

 

After a call for [[Kan|kan]], additional dora indicators, called '''kandora''' {{kana|カンドラ}}, are revealed.  These are tiles next to the dora indicator counter clockwise on the dead wall. Depending on the rules and/or formality of the game, the timing for flipping the kandora during a kan procedure may vary.  Casual games will simply flip the kan dora immediately after kan.  More technical games will differentiate between the kan types, where the kan dora may be flipped after the player makes a discard.

In some rules of three-player mahjong, North tiles may be [[kita|picked]]. The procedure is the same of forming a added kan. The North tiles picked becomes doras.

A number of strategic considerations surround dora tiles. Because of the 1-han value of a single dora tile, players often desire them within their hands.  This either involves possession of dora tiles or potential waits involving dora tiles.  Of course, in many instances, neither is the case.