How to play Riichi Mahjong

Summary

The objective of the game is to form a hand with 4 groups and a pair, seven different pairs, or the Thirteen Orphans yaku.

Here is one example:

🀙 🀚 🀛
🀜 🀝 🀞
🀟 🀠 🀡
🀀 🀀 🀀
🀅 🀅

Equipment

Tiles

A Riichi Mahjong set contains 136 tiles: four of each of the 34 basic tiles.

Suits

The tiles of each of the three suits are numbered one to nine. Sets often include red fives. The red fives are sometimes used to replace normal fives. Each red five adds an additional han to the hand value.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Circles 🀙 🀚 🀛 🀜 🀝 🀞 🀟 🀠 🀡
Bamboos 🀐 🀑 🀒 🀓 🀔 🀕 🀖 🀗 🀘
Characters 🀇 🀈 🀉 🀊 🀋 🀌 🀍 🀎 🀏

Honours

There are seven honour tiles: four winds and three dragons. The design of the white dragon is usually a blank tile, however, it may also be indicated by a blue or black frame.

East South West North
Winds 🀀 🀁 🀂 🀃
White Green Red
Dragons 🀆 🀅 🀄︎

Dice

Two regular 6-sided dice are used.

Wind marker

The wind marker is a token having "East" marked on one side, and "South" on the other. It is used to keep track of the current round wind and to indicate the initial East player of the game. This should be placed to the right of the initial East player at all times.

Scoring sticks

Score is kept with scoring sticks. Sets usually don't include 500-point sticks, so a 100-point stick of another colour or five additional 100-point sticks are used instead.

10000 point tenbou (point stick) 10,000
5000 point tenbou (point stick) 5,000
1000 point tenbou (point stick) 1,000
500 point tenbou (point stick) 500
100 point tenbou (point stick) 100

Continuance counters

Continuance counters are tokens used to count how many consecutive times a hand ended with the East player winning or with an exhaustive draw. The current East player places their 100-point sticks to their right and within the play area. These stick still belong to the player and does not change their current score. When the seats rotate, the new East player places new sticks from their own pool and the former East player takes back their own. To ensure that there is no confusion, the next East player should place their sticks within the play area before the previous East player retrieves their sticks.

All continuance counters are removed when a player other than East wins.

Each continuance counter typically adds 300 points to the payment and is distributed by the number of people that must pay. For example, if there are 3 counters and a "ron" is called, the player that dealt in must pay an additional 900 points. If there are 3 counters and a "tsumo" is declared, every player must pay an additional 300 points for a collective 900 points.

Setup

Starting points

Each player starts with 30,000 points. This is typically distributed with the following number of sticks:

  • 10,000 points ×1
  • 5,000 points ×2
  • 1,000 points ×9
  • 500 points ×1
  • 100 points ×5

Seating

Casual

We acknowledge this is not an officially recognized method of "fair" seating placement, however it is a quick method for casual games.

For casual play, in our group, we sit in any seat at the table, then one person take two 6-sided dice and rolls them. Starting with the person that rolled the dice and counting anti-clockwise, count each player to the sum indicated by the two dice. Where this ends up will determine the initial East (dealer) seat.

Building the wall

All players should mix the tiles face down by pushing against the sides of the tiles with their palms up. Shuffling with palms up ensures that players are not holding tiles in their hand. Next, each player builds in front of themself a wall of face-down tiles, 17 tiles long and 2 tiers high. Finally, the four walls are pushed together to form a square.

Breaking the wall

The player in the East seat rolls two dice and counts that number of players anti-clockwise, starting with themself. The player whose wall is determined breaks the wall by counting from the right the same number of stacks as indicated by the dice. After the last counted stack, the wall is broken by pushing the two wall sections apart. For example, if the dice roll was 12, the 12th stack is broken and moved to the right split (relative to the player whose wall was broken).

Dealing the tiles

Tiles are drawn clockwise from the left side of the break (relative to the player whose wall is broken first). Starting with East, each player takes four tiles (two stacks) in turn order three times until all players have twelve tiles. East continues by taking two more tiles, the first and third stacks in the wall. South, West, and North each take one tile in order. This corresponds to East taking one tile, waiting for the other players to take one tile each, and then East taking their fourteenth tile.

The dead wall

The dead wall is the last 14 tiles of the wall (or the seven stacks on the right of the initial wall break). The player who has the dead wall in front of them should place the first replacement tile to the left of the dead wall, so that the wall has two single tiles, to decrease the risk of knocking down and revealing the first replacement tile.

It is not recommended to move the dead and live walls apart. Tiles should also not be moved from one player's side to another to avoid suspicion of cheating.

Only the player whose wall section is in front of them is permitted to touch their section, except to draw a tile.

The dora indicator

The dora indicator tile shows which tile is dora. Each dora tile is worth 1 han to the player's score.

If the dora indicator is a suit tile, the dora is the next tile in the same suit. For example, five bamboo is dora if four bamboo is the dora indicator. If the indicator is a nine, the dora is the one in the same suit.

If the indicator is a dragon, the dora is also a dragon in the following order: Red ➜ White ➜ Green ➜ Red ➜ …

If the indicator is a wind, the dora is also a wind in the following order: East ➜ South ➜ West ➜ North ➜ East ➜ …

Count three tile stacks into the dead wall from the original break and turn the top tile over to determine the dora indicator. The first two tile stacks are the four replacement tiles after each quad is declared.

Typically in 3-player variations ("sanma"), four additional replacement tiles are added in addition to the four replacement kan tiles. Thus, the first dora indicator is four tile stacks from the original break.

Gameplay

Turn order

The players take their turn anti-clockwise, starting with the East player. The turn order is: East ➜ South ➜ West ➜ North ➜ East ➜ …

Tiles are drawn clockwise from the live wall.

A player's turn

A player's turn begins when a tile is acquired (drawn or called). During their turn, the player can make quads, declare riichi, or win. If they do not win, the player ends their turn by discarding a tile. Players must have 14 tiles in hand during their turn, and 13 tiles out of turn, not counting the extra tiles for declared quads.

Players must keep the drawn tile apart or on the side of their hand, and not sort it into their hand until the end of their turn. Other players have the right to know if the discarded tile was the drawn tile or from their hand and adjust their strategy.

Each player arranges their discards in front of them in rows of six tiles so it is clear by whom they have been discarded and in what order. The third line of discards can extend over six tiles.

Mahjong hand

A complete Mahjong hand is typically comprosed of four sets and a pair. A set may be a chii, pon, or kan. A player who is in furiten is not allowed to win on a discard.

Claiming a tile

Only the most recent discard can be claimed by any player until the next player draws. Once the player whose turn it is has touched the wall, no one may claim the discard anymore. However, the next player whose turn it is should wait a brief moment to give all players a chance to claim the tile before drawing their next tile.

Making a sequence

A player can make a melded sequence when the player to their left discards a tile completing two sequential tiles of the same suit.

Making a triplet

A player can make a melded triplet when any player discards a tile completing two identical tiles.

Making a quad

A player can make a melded quad when any player discards a tile completing three identical tiles, or the player can make a concealed quad if they have four of the same tile. Quads must be announced to other players and since they use one more tile than other groups, the player announcing it draws a replacement tile from the dead wall. For every quad, a new kan dora indicator must be revealed before the player discards.

Only four quads can be declared per hand. When the fourth quad is made, the game continues, but no further quads can be declared.

A melded triplet may be extended to a melded quad during a player's turn after the player has taken a tile from the wall or a replacement tile, but not in a turn where a tile was claimed for a sequence or triplet. The tile used to extend the triplet counts as a discard and can be claimed for a win.

The dead wall always comprises of 14 tiles so after a quad is declared, the last drawable tile of the wall becomes part of the dead wall.

Making a pair

A player cannot call a tile to make a pair, except to win.

Procedure

  1. A player must clearly say "chii", "pon", "kan", or "ron".
  2. If no other calls taking precedence are made, they reveal the matching tiles from their hand, or their entire hand if "ron" and the hand ends (do not proceed with the rest of this procedure).
  3. The player discards a tile.
  4. The player then places the claimed tile into the melded group.

Displaying melds

Tiles in melded sets can not be arranged to form other sets, and they cannot be be discarded.

Melded sets are placed to the right of the players' tiles. Claimed tiles are rotated to indicate which player made the discard. If the tile was discarded by the player sitting to the left, the claimed tile is placed on the left side of the set, even if it is a sequence and the order would not be in sequential order. If the player was discarded by the player sitting across, the claimed tile is put in the middle of the set. If the tile was discarded by the player sitting to the right, the claimed tile is placed on the right side of the set. A claimed quad only has one rotated tile. A quad made by extending a triplet meld has two rotated tiles and is placed by the previously rotated tile.

Claimed quad (from triplet in hand)

🀜 🀜 🀜

Claimed triplet

🀀 🀀 🀀

Concealed quad

🀫 🀇 🀇 🀫

Extended triplet to form quad

🀑 🀑
🀑 🀑

Claimed sequence

🀜 🀝 🀞

Precedence

In order from high to low priority:

  1. Tsumo
  2. Ron (turn order)
  3. First caller
  4. Triplet/quad
  5. Sequence

In case of two players calling the same tile for a group:

  • If the calls are clearly apart, the first call takes precedence.
  • If the calls are made at approximately the same time, the call for a triplet or quad takes precedence over the sequence.
  • If it's unclear if calls are simultaneous or not, consider them to be simultaneous.
  • In case a player couldn't see the discarded tile, fair play should be observed to allow a late call.

This precedence is slightly adjusted from the common "triplet/quad" › "sequence" precedence as it promotes fairer play. A player cannot wait for another player to claim "chii" only to rob them of the tile by calling the same tile for a triplet or quad afterward.

Swap-calling

Swap-calling is not allowed. It is not permitted to:

  • Call a tile and immediately discard the same tile. For example, calling a 1 of bamboos, melding a 1-1-1 bamboos triplet, and discarding a 1 of bamboos.
  • Call a tile for a sequence and discard the tile from the other side of the sequence. For example, calling a 2 of characters, melding a 2-3-4 of characters, and discarding a 5 of characters.

Here are other examples:

  • With 3-4-5 of characters in the hand, a chii call on the left player's discarded 6 of characters, the calling player cannot discard the 3 of characters from their hand because it completes the 4-5 of characters on the other end.
  • With 5-6-7 of bamboo in the hand, a chii call on the left player's discarded 6 of bamboo, the calling player cannot discard the 6 of bamboo from their hand because it is another copy of the tile that was just called.
  • With 6-7-8 of circles in the hand, a chii call on the left player's discarded 6 of circles, the calling player cannot discard the 6 of circles from their hand because it is another copy of the tile that was just called.
  • With 8-8-8 of characters in the hand, a pon call on 8 of characters, the calling player cannot discard the 8 of characters from their hand because it is another copy of the tile that was just called.
  • After calling 3 times, the player has 6-7-8-9 of circles in the hand. The left player discards 6 of circles and calling it would leave 6-9 of circles left over, but discarding either of these would be invalid, so this discard cannot be claimed.

It is permitted to discard the previously forbidden tile on the player's next turn.

Last tile of the wall

It is not allowed to declare a sequence, triplet, quad, or riichi when there are no tiles left in the live wall. Winning declarations may still be made.

Tenpai

A player's hand is tenpai, or "waiting", if the hand needs only one more tile to complete a winning hand.

Declaring riichi

A player with a concealed tenpai hand can declare riichi by:

  1. Clearly saying "riichi".
  2. Discarding a tile sideways.
  3. Paying 1,000 points to the table by placing a 1,000 point stick by the player's discards in the center of the table.

If a player claims the rotated tile for a melded set, rotate your next discarded tile.

If a player claims the first discard following the riichi declaration to win, the riichi declaration is invalid and the 1,000 points are returned to the riichi declarer.

Typically, a player is not allowed to declare riichi if there are fewer than four tiles left in the live wall. This may sometimes be allowed like in the WRC 2025 rules.

A player who declared riichi can no longer change their hand. The player may declare a concealed quad if:

  • The tile drawn matches a concealed triplet.
  • It does not change the waiting pattern.
  • It can only be interpreted as a triplet in the original hand.

End of a hand

A hand can end in one of three ways:

  • Exhaustive draw (no one wins after the last discard of the hand)
  • Abortive draw
  • One or more players declaring a win.

Chombo results in a re-deal and does not count as a hand. No continuance counters are added.

Winning on self-draw (tsumo)

A player can win when they draw a tile completing their hand. The winning tile must be kept apart from the hand to accurately score any minipoints (fu) and yaku related to it.

Winning on a discard (ron)

A player can win on an opponent's discard if it completes their winning hand and is not furiten. The winning player must not take the winning tile so that it is clear which player must provide payment.

Exhaustive draw

A hand ends in exhaustive draw if nobody wins on the last discard after the last tile of the live wall. Players then announce whether their hand is tenpai or noten. Tenpai hands must be turned face up for everyone to see, and noten hands must be turned face down.

Noten players collectively pay 3,000 points to the players in tenpai. If everyone is tenpai or noten, no payments are made.

Any riichi deposits stay on the table and are collected by the next winning player. If the game concludes with riichi deposits, those remain on the table and the table has fewer points than the start of the game collectively.

Seat winds rotation

Once payment is complete, the seats are reassigned depending on how the hand concluded:

  • If the East player won, or if nobody wins and the East player is tenpai, then the seats remain the same.
  • If another player won, or if nobody wins and the East player is noten, then the seats rotate anti-clockwise. The order is as follows (South becomes East and so on): East → North → West → South → East

Round wind rotation

The round ends when the initial East player becomes East again (all players have been East during the round). At the end of the East round, the game continues to the South round.

Scoring

All players are responsible for ensuring the winning hand is scored correctly and to the maximum points.

  1. Add up the minipoints (fu). Round the sum to the next 10 (e.g. 34 fu are rounded up to 40 fu) except in the case of a seven pairs hand, in which case the fu is 25. If the hand is divisible by 10, there is no rounding (e.g. 30 fu remains as 30 fu).
  2. Add up the han given by the yaku, the dora tiles, and in case of a riichi hand, the number of ura dora in the hand.
  3. Refer to the scoring table for the payment.

Minipoints (fu)

Refer to the Scoring page.

Yaku

Refer to the yaku page.

Scoring table

Refer to the Scoring page.

Additional resources