List of yaku
A yaku 「役」 is a certain pattern in a mahjong hand, or a special condition under which a win is declared. The yaku are comparable to "poker hands". They each have patterns, and they each have identifiable names. Unlike poker, yaku types do not trump each other. Instead, each yaku has specific values attached to them.
The yaku and their values are essential for scoring. The game rules define lots of different yaku, worth a different amount of han 「飜」 based on their difficulty or pre-assigned value. A player can incorporate several different yaku in the same hand and accumulate their han values for high-scoring hands. For additional scoring, the game also features dora. However, possession of dora are not considered as yaku, even though they provide han.
In order to win any hand in this game, a player requires at least one yaku. A hand having no yaku may not win, even if it has multiple dora. Declaring a win on a yakuless hand may result in chombo. So, as an early part of the game's learning process, it is essential to learn the different yaku listed here and eventually their han values.
One han closed only
[[Menzen tsumo]]
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This yaku may apply to any closed hand. Any player who draws a winning tile with a closed hand is awarded this yaku. | |
[[Riichi]]
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This is a special yaku applied to closed tenpai hands, which requires the player to make a declaration and "wager". | |
[[Ippatsu]]
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This is applied when the player calling riichi wins within 4 tile draws/discards. In addition, the cycle must not be interrupted by tile calls. | |
[[Pinfu]]
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Typically known as "all sequences", this is a hand that does not gain fu based on composition, other than that of a closed ron. | |
Agari: or |
[[Iipeikou]]
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This hand includes two identical sequences. | |
One han
[[Haitei raoyue]]
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The hand is completed with the last tile on the wall. | |
[[Houtei raoyui]]
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The hand is completed with the very last discarded tile. | |
[[Rinshan kaihou]]
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This yaku is awarded upon winning with a tile from the dead wall. | |
[[Chankan]]
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The winning tile for a hand is called on another player's Kan. Essentially, the tile needed to complete a Kan is stolen to complete a winning hand. | |
[[Tanyao]]
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A hand composed of only inside (numbers 2-8) tiles | |
Agari: or |
[[Yakuhai]]
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A hand with at least one group of dragon tiles, seat wind, or round wind tiles. This hand can be valued at 1 han for each group. | |
Agari: or |
Two han
[[Double riichi]]
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Riichi is declared with a dealt hand before the first discard. | |
[[Chanta]]
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All melds contain at least 1 terminals or honor. | |
Agari: or |
[[Sanshoku]]
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Three sequences have the same number across the three different suits. | |
Agari: |
[[Ittsu]]
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This hand has a complete sequence of 1 through 9 of a single suit. As a note, the sequence of 1-9 are actually three groups of sequences numbered 123, 456, and 789. | |
[[Toitoi]]
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The entire hand is composed of triplets. | |
Agari: or |
[[Sanankou]]
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The hand includes three groups of triplets (or closed quads) that have been formed without calling any tiles. The fourth group can be an open triplet or sequence. | |
Agari: or |
[[Sanshoku doukou]]
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The hand includes three groups of triplets with the same number. | |
Agari: |
[[Sankantsu]]
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Three kans are called for this hand. | |
Agari: |
[[Chiitoitsu]]
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This hand is composed of seven pairs. It is one of two exceptions to the standard 4 melds and a pair pattern. | |
Agari: |
[[Honroutou]]
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The hand is composed of nothing but all terminals and honors. † This hand may be considered as 4 han, because it is impossible to score this hand without either chii toitsu or toi toi. | |
Agari: or |
[[Shousangen]]
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The hand contains two sets of 3 dragon tiles and a pair of the third dragon tiles. † This hand may be considered as 4 han, because it is impossible to score this hand without two sets of yakuhai, from the two sets of dragons. | |
Agari: or |
Three han
[[Honitsu]]
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This is a single suit hand mixed with some honor tiles. | |
Agari: or |
[[Junchan]]
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All sets contain at least one terminal. | |
Agari: |
[[Ryanpeikou]]
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This hand has two sets of "iipeikou". This hand does not combine with chii toitsu, even though the hand can be interpreted as one. | |
Agari: |
Six han
[[Chinitsu]]
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This hand is composed entirely of tiles from only one of the three suits. It is the only yaku set at 6 han, where the number drops to 5 han when opened. | |
Agari: or |
Yakuman
[[Kazoe yakuman]]
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This is a special class of yakuman, where a hand is composed of 13+ han based on the combination of above regular yaku and/or dora. | |
[[Kokushi musou]]
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This hand has one of each of the 13 different terminal and honor tiles plus one extra terminal or honour tile. Some rules may allow double yakuman for a 13-wait set. | |
Agari: |
[[Suuankou]]
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This hand is composed of four groups of closed triplets. When this hand has a shanpon pattern and the win is via ron, then it would not be counted as such; only as the lesser toitoi with sanankou. | |
Tsumo: or |
[[Daisangen]]
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This hand possesses three groups (triplets or quads) of all the dragons. | |
Agari: |
[[Shousuushi]]
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This hand has three groups (triplets or quads) of the wind tiles plus a pair of the fourth kind. | |
Agari: |
[[Daisuushi]]
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This hand has four groups (triplets or quads) of all four wind tiles. | |
Agari: |
[[Tsuuiisou]]
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Every group of tiles are composed of honor tiles. | |
Agari: or |
[[Chinroutou]]
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Every group of tiles are composed of terminal tiles. | |
Agari: or |
[[Ryuuiisou]]
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A hand composed entirely of green tiles: 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 Sou and/or Hatsu. | |
Agari: or |
[[Chuuren poutou]]
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A hand consisting of the tiles 1112345678999 in the same suit plus any one extra tile of the same suit. | |
Agari: Any manzu. |
[[Suukantsu]]
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This hand with four Kan's. | |
Agari: |
Initial yakuman
[[Tenhou]]
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The dealer hand is a winning hand even before discarding a tile. | |
[[Chiihou]]
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The non-dealer hand is a winning hand after the first draw. | |
Special case
This yaku does not specifically deal with a player's hand, but rather the player's discards. In addition, the hand may or may not be at tenpai upon scoring. By default, this hand is set to mangan.
[[Nagashi mangan]]
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All the discards are terminals and/or honors. In addition, none of these discards were called by other players. | |
Optional
The above list is generally considered as the "standard yaku", including the yakuman. However, the game offers an even larger array of tile patterns. Various house rules may opt to use some of these yaku on their own.
External links
- List of yaku in Japanese Wikipedia
- Yaku frequency among Tenhou.net players (Japanese)
- Lists all the yaku occurrences in Tenhou.net by percentages and by room
- Pointing out which yaku to learn first
- Yaku list from Ron2
- Yaku list in Wikipedia.