What Is Riichi Mahjong? Beginner Overview
Learn what Riichi Mahjong is: its 136 tiles, yaku, Riichi declaration, dora, furiten, closed-hand choices, scoring, and differences from other variants.
Quick answer
Riichi Mahjong is the modern Japanese form of the four-player draw-and-discard game. It uses a 136-tile set, named scoring patterns called yaku, dora bonuses, the furiten responsibility rule, and a formal Riichi declaration for a closed hand ready to win.
Watch: The Ultimate Riichi Mahjong Guide for Beginners
Video by Jouzu Juls.
Riichi Mahjong is the modern Japanese form of the four-player draw-and-discard game. It uses a 136-tile set, named scoring patterns called yaku, dora bonuses, the furiten responsibility rule, and a formal Riichi declaration for a closed hand ready to win.
Riichi Mahjong at a glance
| Feature | Common Riichi structure |
|---|---|
| Players | Four |
| Tiles | 136: four copies of 34 identities |
| Hand size | 13 between turns, usually 14 at completion |
| Regular shape | Four sets and a pair |
| Win requirement | At least one yaku |
| Win methods | Tsumo by self-draw or ron on a discard |
| Signature rules | Riichi, dora, furiten, and visible discard rows |
Riichi rules vary among professional bodies, local groups, and online clients. This overview follows the World Riichi Championship Rules 2025 when a precise ruling is needed.
The tiles and table
The three numbered suits are Circles, Bamboo, and Characters, ranks 1–9. Honors are the four winds and three dragons. There are four copies of each identity. WRC does not use flowers, jokers, or red fives, although red-five dora is common in other Riichi rules.
Each player begins a hand with 13 tiles; East starts with the extra tile and discards first. Turns proceed counter-clockwise. On a normal turn, draw from the live wall and discard one tile into an orderly personal row.
The last 14 tiles form a dead wall used for kan replacement draws and dora indicators. Dice and a wind marker support setup, while scoring sticks track points and Riichi deposits.
How a hand becomes legal
The standard structure is four groups plus one pair. Groups can be sequences, triplets, or quads. Seven Pairs and Thirteen Orphans are alternative valid shapes.
A valid shape is not automatically a winning hand. You also need a yaku, a recognized condition such as:
- Riichi with a closed ready hand;
- menzen tsumo, a self-drawn fully concealed win;
- tanyao, using only numbered tiles 2–8;
- yakuhai, a triplet or quad of a dragon, seat wind, or round wind; or
- toitoi, four triplets/quads and a pair.
Dora adds han but is not a yaku. A complete shape containing several dora still cannot win without a qualifying condition.
What does declaring Riichi do?
When a closed hand is in tenpai, you may declare “Riichi,” place the declaration discard sideways, and pay a 1,000-point stick. The declaration itself becomes a one-han yaku if you win.
After Riichi, your hand is effectively locked. You normally draw and discard the same tile. A concealed kan is allowed only under strict conditions that preserve hand structure and the wait. You also gain access to hidden ura dora indicators if you win.
Riichi converts uncertainty into a public commitment. Opponents know you are ready and may defend. You gain value and pressure but give up most flexibility.
Calls and open hands
You may call chii on the previous player’s discard to complete a sequence. You may call pon on any player’s discard for a triplet and declare kan under the relevant procedure. A called group opens the hand and reveals information.
Opening can make the hand faster, but it removes Riichi and closed-only yaku. Some yaku remain legal when open; others lose one han. Before calling, name the yaku that the final hand will use. “It has dora” is not enough.
Tsumo, ron, and furiten
Declare tsumo when your own draw completes a winning hand. Declare ron when another player discards the completing tile.
Furiten can block ron. If any tile in your current wait appears in your own discard pool, you cannot ron on any tile in that wait. Passing a completing discard also creates temporary furiten; after Riichi, passing one makes the state last for the hand.
Furiten does not block tsumo. It links offense and defense: your discard history limits whom you can claim from and gives opponents partial safety information.
How Riichi scoring works
First count han from yaku and active dora. Then count fu, or minipoints, from the winning method, groups, pair, and wait. A scoring table converts han and fu into payment. Higher hands reach named limits such as mangan, haneman, baiman, sanbaiman, and the WRC-specific higher non-yakuman limits.
East pays and receives more. On a ron win, the discarder pays the full hand value. On tsumo, all three opponents pay shares. Honba counters and Riichi deposits are added separately.
You do not need mental arithmetic to begin. Use a scoring reference while learning and focus first on legal yaku, wait shape, and safe discards.
Why the discard rows matter
Players place discards in order rather than in a shared pool. That history supports furiten checks and defense. You can see which suits an opponent released early, which tiles are fully visible, and which tiles are proven safe against a Riichi player.
Riichi therefore rewards both hand building and risk control. A fast hand is not always worth pushing into a dangerous opponent. The best decision may be to break your own hand and discard a safer tile.
How it differs from American and Chinese variants
American Mah Jongg uses 152 tiles, racks, jokers, the Charleston, and an annual card of legal hands. Chinese regional Mahjong shares the draw-discard ancestry but uses different scoring patterns, flowers, calls, and minimums.
Riichi is not “the official” version of all Mahjong. It is a specific Japanese rules family with its own vocabulary and competitive culture.
A sensible learning order
Learn in 5 layers: tile identities, turn and calls, one-yaku wins, Riichi/furiten, then scoring and defense. Play open practice hands before adding points. Use the full Riichi Mahjong rules guide when you are ready to set up a complete game.
The core is simple enough to start: draw one, discard one, build a legal shape, and protect a yaku. Riichi’s depth comes from what every visible tile changes.
Frequently asked questions
What is Riichi Mahjong?
Riichi Mahjong is a Japanese four-player Mahjong variant built around yaku, dora bonuses, furiten, defensive discard reading, and the Riichi ready-hand declaration. A standard set has 136 tiles.
How do you win Riichi Mahjong?
Complete four sets and a pair, Seven Pairs, or Thirteen Orphans, and have at least one yaku. You may win by self-draw, called tsumo, or on another player’s discard, called ron, unless furiten blocks ron.
What happens when you declare Riichi?
With a closed hand in tenpai, you announce Riichi, place the discard sideways, and pay a 1,000-point deposit. Your hand becomes locked, and a win gains the Riichi yaku plus access to ura dora.
Is Riichi Mahjong harder than other Mahjong variants?
Its turn rhythm is approachable, but yaku, furiten, fu, dora, and defense add depth. It is not universally harder; complexity depends on which variant and scoring system you compare.