Riichi – How mahjong is played.
What is Riichi?
| Closed Hand | Exposed Hand | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 1 han | n/a | 43% |
Place a Riichi stick (1,000-point stick) as a deposit in the center of the table.
If your hand is one tile away from completion (Tenpai), you can declare "Riichi" by placing a 1,000-point stick on the table. This marks your hand as ready.
Conditions to Declare Riichi
- The hand must be closed (Menzen).
- The hand must be in Tenpai (one tile away from winning).
- You must have at least 1,000 points.
- You must still have your turn to draw a tile.
Closed Hand (Menzen)
A closed hand means that you have not made any open melds (Pong, Chii, or Kan). If you have made even one open meld, you cannot declare Riichi.
However, an exception exists for concealed Kongs (Ankan). Since an Ankan is formed by drawing all four tiles yourself, you can still declare Riichi after forming an Ankan.
Being in Tenpai
A mahjong hand consists of 14 tiles at the point of drawing. These tiles must form four melds and one pair (head) to create a winning hand.
Tenpai refers to the state where your hand needs just one more tile to complete a winning shape. Let’s take a look at an example of a Tenpai hand.
In the above example, if you draw or , your hand is complete. This state is called Tenpai.
Melds
A meld is a set of three tiles grouped together. There are two types of melds: sequences (Shuntsu), which are three consecutive tiles of the same suit (e.g., ), and triplets (Koutsu), which are three identical tiles (e.g., ). Shuntsu must use numbered tiles, while Koutsu can use either numbered or honor tiles.
Head
The head, also known as "Atama," is a pair of identical tiles. Examples include or . These can be either numbered or honor tiles.
Having at least 1,000 points
To declare Riichi, you need a 1,000-point stick. Therefore, if your total score is less than 1,000 points, you cannot declare Riichi.
In some games, borrowing 1,000 points to declare Riichi may be allowed. This depends on the players’ agreement, so make sure to confirm beforehand.
Having your turn remaining
You can only declare Riichi if you still have your turn to draw a tile. Thus, you cannot declare Riichi on the final round of the game.
However, in local rules, declaring Riichi in the final round may sometimes be allowed.
Steps to Declare Riichi
The steps to declare Riichi are as follows:
- Be in Tenpai with a closed hand.
- Announce "Riichi" on your turn.
- Place a 1,000-point stick in the center of the table.
- Discard a tile horizontally.
The image below shows a player in the bottom part of the table who has declared Riichi.
Note: In the image, the tiles are shown face-up for explanation purposes, but in actual gameplay, the tiles are not revealed.
After Declaring Riichi
- No tile swaps are allowed after Riichi.
- Concealed Kongs may still be made under certain conditions.
- At least one yaku is guaranteed.
- If you win, the Dora indicators are revealed.
No Tile Swaps
Once you declare Riichi, you cannot change any tiles in your hand. If the tile you draw is not the winning tile, you must discard it, even if it is risky.
This is the only drawback of declaring Riichi.
Concealed Kongs Are Allowed
You may form a concealed Kong after declaring Riichi, but only if it does not change your winning tile options.
Cases Where Winning Tiles Change
In this case, the winning tiles are , , or . If you form a concealed Kong with , your wait becomes only, removing the options for and . Thus, forming this Kong is not allowed.
The advantage of forming a concealed Kong is increasing the Dora indicators, which can boost your score.
Guaranteed Yaku
Riichi itself is a one-han yaku. Declaring Riichi allows you to win even if no other yaku is present.
Revealing Dora After Winning
If you win after declaring Riichi, the Dora indicators are revealed, potentially increasing your score.
Riichi and Furiten
If you are in a Furiten state and declare Riichi, you cannot win by Ron (claiming another player’s discard).
For more details on Furiten, refer to this article.
Furiten – How mahjong is played.Double Riichi
Double Riichi is a two-han yaku declared in the first round. As the dealer, you can declare it during your initial hand. As a non-dealer, you can declare it after your first draw. If anyone makes an open meld before your turn, Double Riichi becomes a normal Riichi.
Even concealed Kongs made by others nullify Double Riichi.
Open Riichi
Open Riichi is a two-han yaku declared by revealing your hand. This is a local rule and is often not adopted.
Only the tiles related to your winning tiles are revealed.
In the above example, only and are revealed, while other tiles remain hidden.
If both Double Riichi and Open Riichi are achieved, the score increases by three han.
Before adopting Open Riichi, ensure all players agree to avoid disputes.
Penalty for Open Riichi
If you deal into an Open Riichi, special rules may apply, requiring payment equivalent to a Yakuman (highest scoring hand).
This severe penalty prevents unfair tactics like intentionally discarding low-value tiles.
Conclusion
Riichi is a fundamental yaku with seemingly simple but surprisingly intricate rules. Understanding it is essential for playing Riichi Mahjong effectively. Make sure to master it!
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