Riichi Mahjong

Build a winning Riichi hand, find a scoring pattern and choose which tile to discard.

Getting a board

Craft a Riichi Mahjong Board and fit it into a Large Game Table. Place matching Game Chairs facing the table, then take a seat.

Materials

1 ×Bamboo
7 ×Any planks
1 ×White wool

How to play

Open the fitted board to make your moves. How to play in the side tray gives you the same lessons with illustrations inside the game.

Build a winning hand

Four sets and a pair: Usually collect four groups of three, plus two matching tiles. — **Four sets and a pair**
Usually collect four groups of three, plus two matching tiles.

A scoring pattern too: A complete hand also needs a yaku: a scoring pattern. The game checks this for you. — **A scoring pattern too**
A complete hand also needs a yaku: a scoring pattern. The game checks this for you.

Learn the three suits

Dots and bamboo: Each suit has numbers one to nine. There are four copies of every tile. — **Dots and bamboo**
Each suit has numbers one to nine. There are four copies of every tile.

Characters: The large number tells you its rank. The red mark identifies the character suit. — **Characters**
The large number tells you its rank. The red mark identifies the character suit.

Winds and dragons

Four winds: East, South, West and North are honor tiles. They do not form runs. — **Four winds**
East, South, West and North are honor tiles. They do not form runs.

Three dragons: White, green and red are honor tiles too. Three matching dragons score a yaku. — **Three dragons**
White, green and red are honor tiles too. Three matching dragons score a yaku.

Make groups

A run: Three consecutive numbers, all in the same suit. For example: two, three, four dots. — **A run**
Three consecutive numbers, all in the same suit. For example: two, three, four dots.

A triplet and a pair: A triplet has three identical tiles. A pair has two identical tiles. — **A triplet and a pair**
A triplet has three identical tiles. A pair has two identical tiles.

Take your turn

Draw one: You draw a tile automatically when your normal turn starts. — **Draw one**
You draw a tile automatically when your normal turn starts.

Discard one: Select a tile, then use Discard. Everyone can see the discarded tile. — **Discard one**
Select a tile, then use Discard. Everyone can see the discarded tile.

Use another player’s discard

Claim a triplet: Choose Triplet to combine a discard with two matching tiles. Your group becomes public. — **Claim a triplet**
Choose Triplet to combine a discard with two matching tiles. Your group becomes public.

Claim a run: Only the next player in turn order may claim a run. Choose which run you want. — **Claim a run**
Only the next player in turn order may claim a run. Choose which run you want.

Respond, then play

Pass is fine: When someone discards, choose a claim or Pass. Claims are resolved after everyone replies. — **Pass is fine**
When someone discards, choose a claim or Pass. Claims are resolved after everyone replies.

Winning takes priority: A win beats a group claim. Triplets and quads beat runs. Tied wins use turn order. — **Winning takes priority**
A win beats a group claim. Triplets and quads beat runs. Tied wins use turn order.

Two ways to win

Self-draw: If the tile you draw completes a scoring hand, choose Win. This is called tsumo. — **Self-draw**
If the tile you draw completes a scoring hand, choose Win. This is called tsumo.

Win on a discard: You may use an opponent's discard to finish any group or your pair. This is called ron. — **Win on a discard**
You may use an opponent's discard to finish any group or your pair. This is called ron.

Riichi: declare you are ready

One tile away: With a closed hand, select a discard that leaves you one tile from winning. Choose Riichi. — **One tile away**
With a closed hand, select a discard that leaves you one tile from winning. Choose Riichi.

Pay and lock your hand: Riichi costs 1,000 points and supplies a yaku. Afterward, keep your hand and discard new draws unless you win. — **Pay and lock your hand**
Riichi costs 1,000 points and supplies a yaku. Afterward, keep your hand and discard new draws unless you win.

Easy scoring patterns

All simples: Use only numbered tiles two through eight. No ones, nines, winds or dragons. — **All simples**
Use only numbered tiles two through eight. No ones, nines, winds or dragons.

Value honors: A triplet of dragons, your seat wind or the round wind supplies a yaku. — **Value honors**
A triplet of dragons, your seat wind or the round wind supplies a yaku.

Keep it closed

Closed self-draw: Win by drawing the final tile without having called an open group. This supplies a yaku. — **Closed self-draw**
Win by drawing the final tile without having called an open group. This supplies a yaku.

Pinfu: Four runs, a non-value pair, and a two-sided run wait score Pinfu when your hand stays closed. — **Pinfu**
Four runs, a non-value pair, and a two-sided run wait score Pinfu when your hand stays closed.

Four matching tiles

Declare a quad: A quad uses four identical tiles. You receive a replacement tile and reveal another bonus indicator. — **Declare a quad**
A quad uses four identical tiles. You receive a replacement tile and reveal another bonus indicator.

Special limits: After calling a run or triplet, discard next. After Riichi, a quad must preserve your waits and structure. — **Special limits**
After calling a run or triplet, discard next. After Riichi, a quad must preserve your waits and structure.

Bonus tiles

Dora comes next: A shown indicator makes the next tile in its suit a bonus tile. Nine wraps around to one. — **Dora comes next**
A shown indicator makes the next tile in its suit a bonus tile. Nine wraps around to one.

Bonus is not a yaku: Dora increases a valid hand's score. Dora alone never makes a hand eligible to win. — **Bonus is not a yaku**
Dora increases a valid hand's score. Dora alone never makes a hand eligible to win.

The wall runs out

Ready or not ready: At a draw, reveal if ready. Not-ready players share a 3,000-point payment to ready players. — **Ready or not ready**
At a draw, reveal if ready. Not-ready players share a 3,000-point payment to ready players.

Dealer repeats: The dealer stays East after winning or revealing a ready hand at a draw. Otherwise the dealer moves on. — **Dealer repeats**
The dealer stays East after winning or revealing a ready hand at a draw. Otherwise the dealer moves on.

Win the match

East and South rounds: Start with 30,000 points each. Play through the East and South rounds; the highest final score wins. — **East and South rounds**
Start with 30,000 points each. Play through the East and South rounds; the highest final score wins.

The game does the maths: The game calculates points and payments. Item wagers stay separate from these game points. — **The game does the maths**
The game calculates points and payments. Item wagers stay separate from these game points.

Rules in more detail

Your discards matter

Furiten: If any tile that completes your hand is in your own discard history, you cannot win on a discard. — **Furiten**
If any tile that completes your hand is in your own discard history, you cannot win on a discard.

You can still self-draw: Draw the winning tile yourself, or change your hand's waits if you have not declared Riichi. — **You can still self-draw**
Draw the winning tile yourself, or change your hand's waits if you have not declared Riichi.

Passing a win

Temporary furiten: Passing a tile that completes your hand blocks discard wins until your next draw or group claim. — **Temporary furiten**
Passing a tile that completes your hand blocks discard wins until your next draw or group claim.

Riichi makes it lasting: After Riichi, passing that tile blocks discard wins for the rest of the hand. Self-draw still works. — **Riichi makes it lasting**
After Riichi, passing that tile blocks discard wins for the rest of the hand. Self-draw still works.

Special hands

Seven pairs: Collect seven different pairs. Four identical tiles cannot count as two pairs. — **Seven pairs**
Collect seven different pairs. Four identical tiles cannot count as two pairs.

Thirteen orphans: One of every one, nine, wind and dragon, plus one matching duplicate, forms a rare limit hand. — **Thirteen orphans**
One of every one, nine, wind and dragon, plus one matching duplicate, forms a rare limit hand.

Yaku, furiten and competing claims

A complete-looking hand needs a valid yaku; dora add value but do not provide a yaku by themselves. Furiten prevents ron, including when your own discards contain a winning tile. Passing a possible ron can also restrict later claims, with stricter consequences after riichi. Tsumo is assessed separately. Discard responses are collected before resolution: ron takes priority over pon or kan, with chi considered afterwards. Chi is available to the next player in turn order. Players begin with thirty thousand points. Private tiles remain concealed while claims are considered.

Keep playing

Use Rematch after the result to play again. To pause an unfinished match, the table owner can remove and keep its board.

See seats and solo play for multiplayer and Play alone, or item stakes if you want to agree on a pot.