01The goal — with one crucial catch
Like every mahjong, you build four sets and a pair. But in Riichi there's a catch: a winning hand must also contain at least one yaku — a recognised scoring pattern.
A hand that has the right shape but no yaku cannot win. This single rule shapes all of Riichi strategy: you're not just completing tiles, you're steering toward a hand that's actually worth points.
A complete Riichi hand
Four runs + a pair, all simples — that's the tanyao yaku, a beginner favourite.
02The tiles & dora
Riichi uses the same three suits, winds and dragons as Hong Kong — no jokers. The twist is dora: bonus tiles that add value. A dora indicator is flipped on the wall each hand, and the next tile up becomes dora. Many sets also include red fives, which are always dora.
Honors — winds & dragons
East · South · West · NorthRed · Green · White dragon
iHolding dora is the easiest way to make a small hand big — but never chase dora at the cost of your yaku. No yaku, no win.
03A turn & the calls
On your turn you draw and discard, keeping 13 tiles. You can claim discards to complete sets, but the calls have Japanese names — and a cost:
Pon
A triplet, claimed from anyone.
Chi
A run, claimed only from your left.
Kan
A quad — reveals an extra dora.
!Calling has a price. Once you claim a tile your hand is "open", which locks you out of many yaku (including riichi itself). Beginners often win more by staying concealed.
04Riichi & tenpai
When your concealed hand is one tile from completion — tenpai — you may declare "Riichi!", place a 1,000-point stick, and turn that discard sideways. From that moment your hand is locked, but you earn riichi as a yaku, reveal extra dora if you win, and put real pressure on the table.
Riichi is the signature move of Japanese mahjong — and on its own it satisfies the yaku requirement, which is why it's the beginner's most reliable path to a legal win.
05A few yaku to start with
You only need one yaku to win. Learn these four and you'll almost always have one:
- Riichi — declared tenpai with a concealed hand.
- Tanyao — a hand with no terminals (1s, 9s) or honors.
- Yakuhai — a triplet of dragons, your seat wind, or the round wind.
- Pinfu — an all-runs concealed hand with a valueless pair (no points from the shape itself).
Score in Riichi is counted in han (from yaku and dora) and fu (minor points). You don't need to memorise the table — count your han, add your dora, and let a calculator do the rest at first.
06Defense & the furiten rule
Riichi is as much about not dealing in as about winning. Watch opponents' discards: a tile already in someone's discard pond is usually safe against them. And remember furiten — you may not win by claiming a discard if your winning tile is one you've already thrown. When an opponent declares riichi, switch to defense and discard safe tiles.
07Frequently asked questions
Why can't my completed hand win? +
Because it has no yaku. In Riichi a hand must contain at least one scoring pattern (like riichi or tanyao) to be a legal win, even if the shape is complete.
What is dora? +
Bonus tiles that add value to a winning hand. An indicator on the wall sets which tile is dora each round; red fives are always dora.
Should I call tiles or stay concealed? +
As a beginner, stay concealed — calling locks you out of riichi and many yaku. Concealed hands are simpler to make legal and usually score more.
Is Riichi a good first mahjong? +
Now try a hand — free
Practice against friendly bots, no download and no sign-up. The table quietly explains each move while you learn.
Play Riichi mahjong free →