Score table memorization

Memorizing the score table, or at least learning the common values, is important for strategy. However, learning the score table should only be done after learning the basic game procedures and yaku. The score table is large, but it can be memorized over time.

It may be helpful to divide the table into sections, then memorize them one by one, e.g. memorizing 30 fu values, then 40 fu values. Many sections share similar point values to other sections.

Counting Han / Fu

Hand scores can be expressed in terms of han and fu. In order to use the score table, you need to know how much the hand is worth. If you have not memorized the scoring table yet, you can calculate han/fu, then look at the table.

Han

Main article: List of yaku

Han is determined by the number and value of yaku in your hand. As a reminder, yaku can stack. Then, for each dora, one han is added. The total han is the hand's han value.

Fu

Main article: Fu

All hands start with a base of 20 fu. Then, a hand may increase fu by:

• Having triplets and/or kan calls.
• Having a kanchan, penchan, or tanki wait
• Having a pair of yakuhai.
• Winning by tsumo or closed hand ron.

(See the fu article for exact details).

After calculating fu, the fu count is rounded up to the next interval of 10 fu, unless it is chiitoitsu. For example, a hand with 32 fu is rounded to 40 fu. This rounding makes it easier to memorize the hand values.

Common Fu Values

The most common values of fu, by far, are:

• 30 fu - Most open hands; most closed hand tsumo; pinfu ron
• 40 fu - Most closed hand ron; most open toitoi
• 20 fu - Pinfu + tsumo
• 25 fu - Chiitoitsu

Therefore, by learning point values for each of 20 fu, 25 fu, 30 fu, and 40 fu, you'll cover a large majority of cases.

If a hand has declared kan, has at least 2 closed simple triplets, or 1 closed terminal/honor triplet, it is likely that the hand deviates from these shortcut values.

Mangan

Once a hand reaches 5 han, 4 han 40 fu, or 3 han 70 fu, it reaches mangan, and fu no longer matters for scoring. From mangan onwards, only han determines score. Mangan-or-higher hands are easy to remember - they all have round, convenient numbers and specific names (haneman, baiman, etc.).

Therefore, for any possible hand, it is not needed to learn fu values for 5+ han.

Common Patterns

Point patterns for ron

Overall, the majority of the points in the scoring table pertaining to ron can be learned with these patterned numbers:

1. 1000 -> 2000 -> 3900 -> 7700
2. 1300 -> 2600 -> 5200
3. 1500 -> 2900 -> 5800 -> 11600
4. 1600 -> 3200 -> 6400
5. 2400 -> 4800 -> 9600

The sum of tsumo values are equal or almost equal to these particular numbers.

Tsumo vs ron

The total points gained from a tsumo is (nearly) identical to the points from ron. When a non-dealer wins by tsumo, the dealer pays ~50% of the points, and the other players pay ~25% of the points. When a dealer wins by tsumo, the other players split points equally.

Any differences between tsumo and ron come from rounding. For example, a 1 han 30 fu ron is worth 1000 points. Without rounding, this would be split into 500 dealer / 250 non-dealer. Points in riichi mahjong are always rounded to the hundreds place, so for non-dealers 250 is rounded up to 300. Therefore, a 1 han 30 fu tsumo earns 500/300 (500 + 300 + 300), or 1100 points.

+1 han = doubled fu

When a hand gains +1 han, it is exactly equivalent to doubling the hand's fu. (This does not apply once a hand reaches mangan.)

• 1 han 40 fu = 2 han 20 fu
• 1 han 80 fu = 2 han 40 fu = 3 han 20 fu
• 2 han 30 fu = 1 han 60 fu
• 3 han 50 fu = 4 han 25 fu

Therefore, if you multiply fu by 2, then subtract 1 han, you'll end up with the same score value. Likewise, you can add 1 han, then divide fu by 2, and end up with the same score. This means by memorizing the 30 fu values, you will also memorize the 60 fu values. By memorizing the 25 fu values, you will also memorize the 50 fu values.

By proxy, this means that when a hand gains +1 han (without changing fu), it roughly doubles in point value. Due to rounding, a hand may not exactly double in value, but it will be close to double.

Memorizing common values

It is important to know the most common values first. Memorize the values for (1-4 han) + (20, 25, 30, 40) fu hands, as well as mangan+ hands, first, since they are far more common than anything else.

Mangan and more

Hands at mangan or higher are always worth a set amount.

Mangan or greater		Dealer		Non-Dealer
Name	Han	Ron	Tsumo†	Ron	Tsumo
Mangan	3 (70+ fu) 4 (40+ fu) 5	12000	4000	8000	4000/2000
Haneman	6 or 7	18000	6000	12000	6000/3000
Baiman	8, 9, or 10	24000	8000	16000	8000/4000
Sanbaiman	11 or 12	36000	12000	24000	12000/6000
Yakuman	13+ Any yakuman	48000	16000	32000	16000/8000
† Dealer tsumo applies to all non-dealer players

30 and 40 fu

30 and 40 fu are the most common point values. The smallest possible hand is 1 han 30 fu from ron, which is worth 1000 points.

Position	1 han 30 fu	2 han 30 fu	3 han 30 fu	4 han 30 fu
Non-dealer tsumo Non-dealer ron	300/500 1000	500/1000 2000	1000/2000 3900	2000/3900 7700
Dealer tsumo Dealer ron	500 1500	1000 2900	2000 5800	3900 11600

Position	1 han 40 fu	2 han 40 fu	3 han 40 fu
Non-dealer tsumo Non-dealer ron	400/700 1300	700/1300 2600	1300/2600 5200
Dealer tsumo Dealer ron	700 2000	1300 3900	2600 7700

25 fu

Only hands with chiitoitsu can score 25 fu. Unlike all other hands, the fu for chiitoitsu is not rounded - it always remains at 25 fu.

Position	2 han	3 han	4 han
Non-dealer tsumo Non-dealer ron	400/800 1600	800/1600 3200	1600/3200 6400
Dealer tsumo Dealer ron	800 2400	1600 4800	3200 9600

Equivalent point values

As mentioned above, adding one han is equivalent to doubling the hand's fu. This rule makes it easier to memorize, say, 20 fu, if you already know the 40 fu values.

20 fu and 40 fu

Only hands with pinfu + menzen tsumo can score 20 fu. Pinfu with ron is worth 30 fu (+10 from closed ron). All other hands cannot go below 30 fu. Because pinfu + tsumo is at least 2 han, there is no need to worry about 1 han 20 fu hands.

If you know the 40 fu values, you can add 1 han and divide fu by 2 to get the associated 20 fu value.

Position	1 han 40 fu = 2 han 20 fu	2 han 40 fu = 3 han 20 fu	3 han 40 fu = 4 han 20 fu
Non-dealer tsumo Non-dealer ron	400/700 1300	700/1300 2600	1300/2600 5200
Dealer tsumo Dealer ron	700 2000	1300 3900	2600 7700

25 fu and 50 fu

Now, the 25 fu values can be doubled to 50 fu. So, by knowing the "chiitoitsu" point values, one would already know the 50 fu column.

Position	2 han 25 fu = 1 han 50 fu	3 han 25 fu = 2 han 50 fu	4 han 25 fu = 3 han 50 fu
Non-dealer tsumo Non-dealer ron	800/400 1600	1600/800 3200	3200/1600 6400
Dealer tsumo Dealer ron	800 2400	1600 4800	3200 9600

30 fu and 60 fu

Position	2 han 30 fu = 1 han 60 fu	3 han 30 fu = 2 han 60 fu	4 han 30 fu = 3 han 60 fu
Non-dealer tsumo Non-dealer ron	500/1000 2000	1000/2000 3900	2000/3900 7700
Dealer tsumo Dealer ron	1000 2900	2000 5800	3900 11600

70 fu and more

This portion of the scoring table is the least used, but do occur from time to time. To score 70+ fu, a hand would need a closed kan of terminal/honor tiles, or have multiple kan calls.

For the 70+ fu scoring section, you only need to worry about 1-2 han hands, since 3 han 70 fu is mangan.

	Dealer					Non-Dealer
	70	80	90	100	110	70	80	90	100	110
1 han	1200 3400	1300 3900	1500 4400	1600 4800	1800 5300	600/1200 2300	700/1300 2600	800/1500 2900	800/1600 3200	900/1800 3600
2 han	2300 6800	2600 7700	2900 8700	3200 9600	3600 10600	1200/2300 4500	1300/2600 5200	1500/2900 5800	1600/3200 6400	1800/3600 7100

Like the other sections, the "double fu = -1 han" rule is in effect, so a 1 han 80 fu hand = 2 han 40 fu hand. However, the columns for 70 fu, 90 fu, and 110 fu all produce unique point values not found elsewhere on the scoring table. Again, they do not occur frequently; so it is best and practical to learn these values after learning the rest of the scoring table.

40 fu and 80 fu

Position	2 han 40 fu = 1 han 80 fu	3 han 40 fu = 2 han 80 fu
Non-dealer tsumo Non-dealer ron	700/1300 2600	1300/2600 5200
Dealer tsumo Dealer ron	1300 3900	2600 7700

50 fu and 100 fu

Position	2 han 50 fu = 1 han 100 fu	3 han 50 fu = 2 han 100 fu
Non-dealer tsumo Non-dealer ron	800/1600 3200	1600/3200 6400
Dealer tsumo Dealer ron	1600 4800	3200 9600

Once again, these two values are similar to the chiitoitsu values.

• 3 han 25 fu = 2 han 50 fu = 1 han 100 fu
• 4 han 25 fu = 3 han 50 fu = 2 han 100 fu

Impossible scores

There are no scoring values assigned for 1 han and 20 fu, 1 han and 25 fu, and 2 han and 25 fu (via menzen tsumo).

• 1 han and 20 fu (tsumo)

To score 20 fu, a hand must be pinfu + menzen tsumo. Pinfu and menzen tsumo are worth 1 han each, so a 20 fu hand needs a minimum of 2 han.

• 1 han and 25 fu

Chiitoitsu is by default worth 2 han and 25 fu. No other yaku worth 1-han can be set at 25 fu.

• 2 han and 25 fu (tsumo)

Chiitoitsu with menzen tsumo would be 3 han and 25 fu.

• 20 fu (ron)

Closed hands score +10 fu. An open hand which would otherwise be at 20 fu gains +2 fu for "open pinfu". Thus, you cannot ron with 20 fu; the lowest possible ron is 1 han 30 fu.

External links

• 麻雀の得点計算

Score table memorization in Japanese Wikipedia

• Scoring entry at Osamuko
• Tips for learning score table