Yaku
Yaku 「役」 are specific hand patterns or conditions needed in order to score a hand. In a sense, they are synonymous to "poker hands". Yet, unlike poker hands, yaku are worth specific "han values"; and various yaku may be combined together into one hand. basic mahjong knowledge involves learning the yaku, but it is not expected of new players to know them.
Han
Main article: Scoring
Each yaku is assigned han values. Most have static values, regardless of the hand being closed or open. However, some decrease in han value while being open. Furthermore, some also require hands to remain closed in order to count. For hands to maximize the total han value, different yaku may be combined into a single hand.
External links
- 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