Riichi Yaku List: 12 Hands to Learn First

Why yaku matter more than points

In riichi mahjong, a complete hand is not automatically a winning hand. It also needs at least one yaku — a named pattern with a value. Four sets and a pair with no yaku cannot be declared, no matter how many dora the hand holds.

This is the single rule that separates riichi from Hong Kong or Taiwanese play, and it is why beginners who learn the shape first still lose hands they thought were finished. Learn these twelve yaku and you will recognise almost every hand you actually win.

The twelve to learn first

Yaku	Han	Closed	Open	Requires
Riichi	1	Yes	No	Declared while closed and one tile from winning
Tanyao	1	Yes	Yes	No terminals, no honours anywhere
Yakuhai	1	Yes	Yes	Pung or kong of a dragon, seat wind or round wind
Pinfu	1	Yes	No	Four runs and a non-value pair, two-sided wait
Ippatsu	1	Yes	No	Win within one full turn after riichi, no claims interrupting
Chankan	1	Yes	No	Win on a tile another player adds to an existing pung
Rinshan	1	Yes	No	Win on the replacement tile drawn after a kong
Sanshoku doujun	2	Yes	1	The same run in all three suits
Ittsu	2	Yes	1	123, 456 and 789 in one suit
Chanta	2	Yes	1	Every set contains a terminal or an honour
Toitoi	2	Yes	Yes	Four pungs and a pair
Honitsu	3	Yes	2	One suit plus honours

Four of these are worth more closed than open, which is the practical argument for keeping a hand concealed: sanshoku, ittsu, chanta and honitsu all lose a han the moment you claim a tile. Riichi, ippatsu and pinfu cannot be claimed at all.

Dora, ura dora and red fives

These are add-ons, not yaku. A hand of pure dora with no yaku still cannot be declared, which is the most common beginner mistake in the game.

• Dora: the tile after the flipped indicator, one han per copy.
• Ura dora: revealed under the indicator, only for a riichi hand.
• Red fives: one per copy, and they count for open hands too.

Dora explains the large swings in riichi scores. A three-han hand with two ura dora becomes a five-han hand, which is the difference between a modest payment and a mangan.

Patterns that cannot coexist

Some yaku describe incompatible hands. Checking for these pairs keeps you from claiming two patterns a scorer will refuse.

Combination	Why it fails
Pinfu and toitoi	Pinfu needs four runs; toitoi needs four pungs
Tanyao and chanta	Tanyao bans terminals; chanta requires them
Tanyao and honitsu	Honitsu requires honours; tanyao bans them. A suit-only hand with no honours is a chinitsu instead
Pinfu and yakuhai pair	Pinfu requires a non-value pair
Riichi after a claim	Riichi needs a fully closed hand
Chanta with a run of 4-5-6	A middle run contains no terminal or honour, so chanta fails

Stacking yaku: two worked examples

Yaku add up, and the sum decides which payment tier the hand falls into. The tiers start at five han, where the hand becomes a mangan regardless of fu.

Example one: riichi (1) + ippatsu (1) + two ura dora (2) + one red five (1) = 5 han. That is a mangan, from a hand that looked like a single riichi.

Example two: tanyao (1) + sanshoku (2) + one red five (1) = 4 han. With a decent fu total this is close to mangan but still below it, which is why the fourth han is worth chasing.

The five advanced patterns

Pattern	Han	Requires
Sanankou	2	Three concealed pungs or kongs
Shousangen	2	Two dragon pungs plus a pair of the third dragon
Chinitsu	6 closed, 5 open	A single suit with no honours
Junchan	3 closed, 2 open	Every set contains a terminal, no honours
Chiitoitsu	2	Seven pairs, closed hand only

Above these sit the yakuman: thirteen orphans, four concealed pungs, big three dragons, big four winds and the rest. A yakuman is paid at a fixed maximum and no other yaku are added to it, so chasing one is a decision about risk rather than arithmetic.

Why the thirteen orphans trap matters

Thirteen orphans has one restriction that catches experienced players: the fourteen-tile hand is thirteen different orphans plus one duplicate, and the only discard that keeps the wait alive is that duplicate — which puts you in furiten on it. So the wait is twelve tiles on a discard and thirteen on a self-draw. Plan the hand knowing the thirteenth letter is self-draw only.

Quick answers

Can I win with dora but no yaku?

No. Dora adds han but is not a yaku. A hand with no yaku cannot be declared even if it holds five dora.

Which yaku disappear when I claim a tile?

Riichi, ippatsu, pinfu, chankan and rinshan are closed only. Sanshoku, ittsu, chanta, honitsu and chinitsu survive but lose a han.

What is the difference between dora and ura dora?

Dora is visible to everyone. Ura dora is revealed under the indicator and only counts for a hand that declared riichi.

Is seven pairs a yaku?

Yes, at 2 han, and it must be a closed hand. Four identical tiles count as two pairs and cannot also claim pung patterns.