Hanchan

A hanchan 「半荘」 is the standard length of a game of Japanese mahjong. By default, a hanchan lasts for two wind rounds: East and South.

Assuming no player falls below 0 points, the shortest hanchan is 8 hands long. Games can be extended through renchan and shortened if someone is bankrupted. The game can also be extended if the target score is not met.

Game rounds

Main article: Ba

Typical games begin with the east round, or tonba 「東場」. After that, the game moves into the south round, or nanba 「南場」. If the target score is not met, it can go into the west round, or shaaba 「西場」. During the game, a dealer indicator is used to either mark the initial dealer or the current dealer. It also shows the current wind round of either East or South.

Renchan

Main article: Renchan

When a renchan 「連荘」, or dealer repeat, occurs, a new hand is started but the wind seats do not change. Each renchan causes the game to last for one extra hand.

A renchan occurs when the dealer wins the hand, or after an abortive draw. In many rulesets, they also occur if the dealer is tenpai at exhaustive draw.

Meaning

Hanchan is literally "half game". A traditional "full game" (iichan) would last for four wind rounds, completing a rotation of East, South, West, North. However, the majority of games are played in a hanchan format (or shorter). The names of "half game" and "full game" are most likely derived from some variant of Chinese mahjong, which would last four wind rounds.

See also

• Tonpuusen 「東風戦」 - A shorter game length, only lasts 1 wind round
• End game scenarios - All the ways a hanchan can end

External links

• 半荘

Hanchan in Japanese Wikipedia