Tenbou
Tenbou 「点棒」, or point sticks, are used to keep track of scores. When points are exchanged between players, the paying player may give the exact value in point sticks, or a larger amount (and receive change back).
Denominations
 |
100 point stick |
 |
1000 point stick |
 |
5000 point stick |
 |
10000 point stick |
At the start of the game, players begin with the regular 25,000 points:
- A single 10,000 stick
- Two 5,000 sticks
- Four 1,000 sticks
- Ten 100 sticks
The starting value/sticks given can be modified as neededed.
Riichi
When a player declares riichi, they place a 1000 point stick on the table as payment and to indicate riichi. If a player doesn't have a 1000 point stick, change should be asked (ideally) before the start of the hand or (if needed) just before the riichi; any other time is considered disrupted.
Honba
The 100 point sticks are used to keep track of honba. For each honba in play, the dealer puts one of their 100 point sticks on the round indicator. These merely serve as markers; when the dealer position switches, the dealer takes their sticks back.
Colored tenbou
Most sets come with white tenbou. Some come with colored tenbou, or they can be ordered separately. The color coding allows players to quickly identify values. Furthermore, a separate color can be used to denote a 500 point stick to replace five 100 point sticks.
Point exchanges
Sometimes, it is more efficient to give a large, flat, value and receive change than it is to give the exact value. For example, if a player needs to pay 3900 points, it is faster to give a single 5,000 pt stick (and get a 1000 pt + a 100 pt stick back) than it is to give three 1,000 pt sticks and nine 100 pt sticks.
| Payment | Amount paid | Tenbou | Amount returned | Tenbou |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3900 | 5000 | 5k stick | 1100 | 1k stick + 100 stick |
| 8000 | 10000 | 10k stick | 2000 | Two 1k sticks |
| 11600 | 12000 | 10k stick + two 1k sticks | 400 | Four 100 sticks |
External links
- Tenbou in Japanese Wikipedia