Frequently Asked Questions

About Riichi Mahjong

Is riichi mahjong the same as Chinese mahjong?

No. While both derive from the same historical game, riichi mahjong (Japanese mahjong) has significantly different rules, including the riichi declaration, furiten rule, dora system, and a different yaku list. The strategic implications are very different. This academy covers specifically Japanese riichi mahjong.

How long does it take to learn?

Learning the basic rules takes a few hours. Playing competently takes weeks of practice. Playing at a strong intermediate level takes months of study and hundreds of games. Mastery is a lifelong pursuit. See Module 34 for a structured study plan.

Is mahjong mostly luck?

In a single hand, luck plays a large role. Over many matches, skill dominates. Top professional players and high-ranked online players demonstrate sustained high performance over thousands of games, which would be impossible in a purely luck-based game. See Module 01 (Section 1.6) and Module 30 for more discussion.

What is the minimum number of han needed to win?

You need at least 1 han from yaku. Dora alone do not count toward the minimum. See Module 10 (Yaku) for details.

Can I win with an open hand?

Yes, if your open hand has at least one valid yaku. Common open-hand yaku include yakuhai (dragon/wind triplets), tanyao (with kuitan ari rules), toitoi, honitsu, and chinitsu. You cannot declare riichi with an open hand. See Module 05 and Module 10.

About This Academy

What ruleset does this academy assume?

Standard Japanese riichi mahjong with kuitan ari (open tanyao allowed) and 3 aka dora (red fives). Ruleset variations are flagged throughout with the RULESET VARIANT marker. See the Methodology page for full assumptions.

Are the Japanese sources cited real?

Source notes reference categories of Japanese references (professional league publications, strategy texts, analytical sites) rather than fabricated specific citations. See the Methodology page for the research approach.

Can I use this site offline?

Yes. Download the ZIP archive and open index.html in any web browser. All content is self-contained. The only external dependency is Google Fonts for typography, which will fall back to system fonts if unavailable offline.