List of yaku

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A yaku 「役」 is a certain pattern in a mahjong hand that scores points, and a necessary condition for winning. They are analogous to hands in poker. Unlike poker, multiple yaku can be combined into one hand. Under standard rules, there are 26 different yaku and 11 yakuman (a special class of high-scoring yaku). In addition, one special case may be allowed in nagashi mangan.

Example hand, containing many yaku.

In order to win any hand, the hand must have at least one yaku. Even if a hand has dora, it cannot score without a yaku. Declaring a win without yaku can score a chombo penalty. Therefore, when learning the game, it is essential to learn the different types of yaku.

Each yaku has a specified amount of han 「飜」, generally based on their rarity. You can also increase the hand's han count with dora, but this does not count as a yaku. A hand's total han value, counted from adding up yaku and dora, determines the points you'll get in the end.

The most important yaku to learn is riichi, since it is very common and very easy to achieve. A new player may find it easiest to never open their hand, always calling riichi, and get a few wins. However, this strategy is far too simple for serious play; a variety of yaku should be employed.

One han closed only

Menzenchin tsumohou
「門前清自摸和」
Win by self-draw
Closed only
Any closed hand that wins by self-draw scores this yaku.
Riichi
「立直」
Ready hand
Closed only
Any closed hand that reaches tenpai may declare "riichi", betting 1000 points and announcing the hand is in tenpai, to score this yaku.
Ippatsu
「一発」
One shot
Closed only
Declare riichi, then win by your next tile draw. In addition, no player can make tile calls between the riichi call and the win.
Pinfu
「平和」
All sequences
Closed only
A closed hand that scores the minimum fu, other than fu for winning. This requires the hand to have all sequences, among other conditions.
              Agari:   or  
Iipeikou
「一盃口」
Identical sequences
Closed only
A hand with two identical sequences.
              


One han

Haitei raoyue
「海底撈月」
Win by last draw
May be open
Win by drawing the last tile from the live wall.
Houtei raoyui
「河底撈魚」
Win by last discard
May be open
Win with the very last discarded tile.
Rinshan kaihou
「嶺上開花」
Win by dead wall draw
May be open
Win with a tile from the dead wall - i.e., win by the tile drawn after a kan.
Chankan
「搶槓」
Robbing a kan
May be open
Win with a tile used for an opponent's added kan. Essentially, the tile needed to complete a kan is stolen to complete a winning hand.
Tanyao
「断幺九」
All simples
May be open (Closed only on variation)
A hand composed of only tiles that are numbered from 2-8. (In other words, a hand with no 1's, 9's, or honors.)
              Agari:   or  
Yakuhai
「役牌」
Value tiles
May be open
A hand with at least one group of dragon tiles, seat wind, or round wind tiles. Each group is worth 1 han.
               Agari:   or  


Two han

Double riichi
「両立直」
Double ready
Closed only
Declare riichi before your first discard, and before any player makes a tile call.
Chantaiyao
「全帯幺九」
Terminal or honor in each group
May be open (Loses 1 han)
All tile groups, including the pair, contain at least 1 terminal or honor.
               Agari:   or  
Sanshoku doujun
「三色同順」
Three colored straight
May be open (Loses 1 han)
Three sequences, with the same numers, across the three different suits.
              Agari:  
Ittsu
「一気通貫」
Straight
May be open (Loses 1 han)
Have sequences of "123", "456", and "789", all of the same suit. Simply having every tile from 1-9 is not enough; the hand must have those exact sequences.
              
Toitoi
「対々」
All triplets
May be open
The entire hand is composed of triplets.
               Agari:   or  
Sanankou
「三暗刻」
Three closed triplet
May be open
Three closed triplets (and/or quads) that have been formed without calling any tiles. Note: a triplet completed by ron does not count for this yaku. The fourth group can be an open triplet or sequence.
              Agari:   or  
Sanshoku doukou
「三色同刻」
Three colored triplets
May be open
Three groups of triplets with the same number.
                Agari:  
Sankantsu
「三槓子」
Three kans
May be open
Three kans of any type.
                  Agari:  
Chiitoitsu
「七対子」
Seven pairs
Closed only
This hand is composed of seven pairs; each pair must be unique. It is one of two exceptions to the standard 4 tile groups and a pair pattern.
              Agari:  
Honroutou
「混老頭」
Terminals and honors
May be open (Consider as 4 han †)
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 chiitoitsu or toitoi.
               Agari:   or  
Shousangen
「小三元」
Small three dragons
May be open (Consider as 4 han †)
The hand contains two triplets of dragons, and a pair of the third dragon.
† This hand may be considered as 4 han, because it is impossible to score this hand without two sets of yakuhai, from the two dragon triplets.
               Agari:   or  


Three han

Honitsu
「混一色」
Half flush
May be open (Loses 1 han)
This is a single suit hand mixed with some honor tiles.
               Agari:   or  
Junchan taiyao
「純全帯么」
Terminal in each meld
May be open (Loses 1 han)
All sets contain at least one terminal.
               Agari:  
Ryanpeikou
「二盃口」
Two sets of identical sequences
Closed only
Two sets of "iipeikou". Does not combine with chiitoitsu, even though it can be interpreted as one.
              Agari:  


Six han

Chinitsu
「清一色」
Flush
May be open (Loses 1 han)
This hand is composed entirely of tiles from only one of the three suits. The most valuable yaku, other than yakuman.
              Agari:   or  


Yakuman

Kazoe yakuman
「数え役満」
Counted yakuman
May be open
Any hand that scores 13+ han via regular yaku and/or dora is a kazoe yakuman.
Kokushi musou
「国士無双 or 国士無双13面待ち」
Thirteen orphans
Closed only
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
「四暗刻 or 四暗刻単騎」
Four closed triplets
Closed only
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
「大三元」
Big three dragons
May be open
This hand possesses three groups (triplets or quads) of all the dragons.
               Agari:  
Shousuushii
「小四喜」
Small winds
May be open
This hand has three groups (triplets or quads) of the wind tiles plus a pair of the fourth kind.
                Agari:  
Daisuushii
「大四喜」
Big winds
May be open
This hand has four groups (triplets or quads) of all four wind tiles. Scored as a double yakuman in some rulesets.
               Agari:  
Tsuuiisou
「字一色」
All honors
May be open
Every group of tiles are composed of honor tiles.
                Agari:   or  
Chinroutou
「清老頭」
All terminals
May be open
Every group of tiles are composed of terminal tiles.
               Agari:   or  
Ryuuiisou
「緑一色」
All green
May be open
A hand composed entirely of green tiles: 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 Sou and/or Hatsu.
              Agari:   or  
Chuuren poutou
「九連宝燈 or 純正九蓮宝燈」
Nine gates
Closed only
A hand consisting of the tiles 1112345678999 in the same suit plus any one extra tile of the same suit.
              Agari: Any manzu.
Suukantsu
「四槓子」
Four kans
May be open
Any hand with four calls of kan.
                  Agari:  


Initial yakuman

Tenhou
「天和」
Heavenly hand
Closed only
The dealer has a winning hand before discarding a tile.
Chiihou
「地和」
Earthly hand
Closed only
A non-dealer has a winning hand before discarding a tile. In addition, no player can make tile calls before then.


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. The result of nagashi mangan modifies the case of ryuukyoku, where point exchanges equate to mangan.

Nagashi mangan
「流し満貫」
Terminal honor discards
Closed only (May be open on variation)
All the discards are terminals and/or honors. In addition, none of these discards were called by other players.


Local

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
Lists all the yaku occurrences in Tenhou.net by percentages and by room
Pointing out which yaku to learn first
Yaku list in Wikipedia.