Riichi Mahjong Scoring — Yaku, Han, Fu & Dora

01You always need a yaku

A Riichi hand can only score if it contains at least one yaku — a named scoring pattern. Correct shape with no yaku is not a win.

Your score is then counted in han (from yaku and dora) and fu (minor points). Don't memorise tables to start — recognise a yaku, count han, add dora, and let the rest follow.

02Beginner yaku, with examples

Learn these and you'll almost always have a legal hand:

• Riichi — declared tenpai with a closed hand (1 han).
• Pinfu — an all-runs closed hand with a valueless pair and a two-sided wait (1 han).
• Iipeikou — two identical runs in one suit, closed (1 han).

03Dora, uradora & red fives

Dora aren't yaku — they add han only after you already have a yaku, but they're where big hands come from. The wall's indicator sets which tile is dora each round; declaring riichi reveals uradora on a win; and red fives count as dora automatically. Stack a couple of dora onto a simple riichi and a small hand becomes a big one.

04Han + fu → points

Total han and fu convert to a base value, then payment depends on whether you're dealer and whether you won by ron or tsumo. The dealer scores ~50% more but also pays more. You rarely need to do the arithmetic by hand — most players read it off a chart or app until the common values stick.

05The limit hands (mangan and up)

Above a certain han count, scores jump to fixed limit tiers:

(Non-dealer ron values shown; dealer hands and tsumo splits are higher.) A pure once-in-a-night yakuman — like a hand of all honors or thirteen orphans — is the game's grand slam.

06Riichi sticks & honba

The 1,000-point sticks bet on riichi sit on the table and go to the next winner. Each repeat or draw adds a honba (counter), which tacks a small bonus onto the next hand's payment. These carry the running tension of a Riichi match across hands.

07Frequently asked questions

08The full yaku list

Want every scoring pattern in one place? See the complete Riichi yaku list with pictures — 1-han staples through the yakuman grand slams.