Scoring Basics
12.1 The Han-Fu Scoring System
Riichi mahjong uses a two-component scoring system based on han (飜) and fu (符). Han is the primary determinant of hand value, derived from yaku and dora. Fu is a secondary component derived from the specific composition of the hand (melds, wait type, win method). Together, han and fu determine the base points, which are then multiplied based on whether the winner is the dealer and whether the win was by tsumo or ron.
The formula for base points is: base = fu × 2^(han+2). However, this formula is capped at 2,000 base points (mangan level), and for 5+ han, fixed values are used instead of the formula. In practice, most players memorize common score combinations from a table rather than calculating from the formula.
12.2 Scoring Tiers
| Han | Name | Non-Dealer Ron | Dealer Ron | Non-Dealer Tsumo (each) | Dealer Tsumo (each) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 han 30 fu | — | 1,000 | 1,500 | 300/500 | 500 all |
| 1 han 40 fu | — | 1,300 | 2,000 | 400/700 | 700 all |
| 2 han 30 fu | — | 2,000 | 3,000 | 500/1000 | 1,000 all |
| 2 han 40 fu | — | 2,600 | 3,900 | 700/1300 | 1,300 all |
| 3 han 30 fu | — | 4,000 | 6,000 | 1000/2000 | 2,000 all |
| 3 han 60 fu | — | 7,700 | 11,600 | 2000/3900 | 3,900 all |
| 4 han 30 fu | Mangan | 8,000 | 12,000 | 2000/4000 | 4,000 all |
| 5 han | Mangan (満貫) | 8,000 | 12,000 | 2000/4000 | 4,000 all |
| 6–7 han | Haneman (跳満) | 12,000 | 18,000 | 3000/6000 | 6,000 all |
| 8–10 han | Baiman (倍満) | 16,000 | 24,000 | 4000/8000 | 8,000 all |
| 11–12 han | Sanbaiman (三倍満) | 24,000 | 36,000 | 6000/12000 | 12,000 all |
| 13+ han | Kazoe Yakuman (数え役満) | 32,000 | 48,000 | 8000/16000 | 16,000 all |
Non-dealer tsumo format: non-dealer pays / dealer pays. Dealer tsumo: each non-dealer pays equal share.
12.3 Dealer vs Non-Dealer
The dealer (親, oya) receives 50% more when winning compared to a non-dealer. Conversely, the dealer pays more when an opponent wins by tsumo. This dealer bonus is one of the most important structural features of the game: dealer wins are worth significantly more, dealer renchan (consecutive wins) can rapidly accumulate points, and being the dealer creates an incentive for aggressive play.
12.4 Tsumo vs Ron Payments
When winning by ron, the full payment comes from the single player who discarded the winning tile. When winning by tsumo, the payment is split among all three opponents. For a non-dealer tsumo win, the dealer pays approximately double what each non-dealer pays. For a dealer tsumo win, all three non-dealers pay equal shares. The total points received are the same whether tsumo or ron—only the distribution differs. However, tsumo is strategically advantageous because it spreads the cost across three opponents, damaging the player in the lead less than a ron from them would.
12.5 Honba (本場) — Repeat Counter Bonus
Each honba counter on the table adds 300 points to a ron win (100 per player for tsumo). For example, at 2 honba, a ron win receives an extra 600 points, and a tsumo win receives an extra 200 from each opponent. While small for low honba counts, at high counts (4+ honba during long renchan streaks), the bonus becomes significant.
12.6 Riichi Deposit and Exhaustive Draw Payments
When a player declares riichi, they place 1,000 points on the table as a deposit (供託, kyoutaku). If the riichi player wins, they reclaim their deposit plus any deposits from other riichi players. If they do not win, the deposit remains on the table and is claimed by the next hand's winner. At an exhaustive draw, players who are tenpai receive 3,000 points total from players who are noten (not tenpai), divided proportionally based on how many players are tenpai vs noten.
Tenpai/Noten payments at exhaustive draw: If 1 player is tenpai and 3 are noten: tenpai player receives 3,000 (1,000 from each noten). If 2 are tenpai and 2 noten: each tenpai receives 1,500 (total 3,000 paid by noten). If 3 are tenpai and 1 noten: noten player pays 3,000 (1,000 to each tenpai player). If all 4 or 0 are tenpai: no payment.
QUIZ — Question 12.1
A non-dealer wins by ron with a 3 han 30 fu hand at 0 honba. How many points does the discarder pay?
Answer: A. From the scoring table, a non-dealer ron at 3 han 30 fu is 4,000 points. The entire amount is paid by the single player who discarded the winning tile. At 0 honba, no additional bonus applies.
12.7 Scoring in Practice — Beginner's First Win
Your first win as a beginner might look like this: you declared riichi with a closed hand, and on the next go-around you tsumo (self-draw) your winning tile. Your hand: pinfu + riichi + menzen tsumo = 3 han. Fu: 20 (pinfu tsumo special case). Looking up 3 han 20 fu in the score table: non-dealer tsumo = 700 from each non-dealer, 1,300 from dealer. Total: 700 + 700 + 1,300 = 2,700 points.
If you also had one ura dora: 4 han 20 fu. This rounds up to... actually, 4 han 20 fu is not in most score tables because 20 fu only applies to pinfu tsumo. Looking up 4 han 25 fu or rounding: the hand reaches close to mangan. Under most rulesets without kiriage mangan, 4 han 20 fu is calculated as fu × 2^(4+2) = 20 × 64 = 1,280 base, which gives non-dealer tsumo of 1,300/2,600. Under kiriage mangan rules, this would be rounded up to mangan (2,000/4,000). This is exactly the kind of edge case where ruleset awareness (Module 31) matters.
12.8 The Mangan Threshold — Why It Matters So Much
The jump from 4 han to 5 han (mangan) is the single most important scoring threshold in the game. Below mangan, scores vary widely based on fu. At mangan and above, fu is irrelevant — the score is fixed. Mangan (8,000 non-dealer ron) is roughly 2-4× the value of typical sub-mangan hands. This means that adding one more han to push a 4-han hand to 5-han mangan can double the hand's value.
This threshold effect drives many strategic decisions. Declaring riichi on a 4-han hand (to make it 5-han mangan) is almost always correct because the value jump is enormous. Staying dama with a 5-han hand (already mangan) is more defensible because riichi adds only 1 han (5→6, still mangan unless ura dora pushes to haneman). These threshold-based calculations are central to the analytical approach described in Totsugeki Touhoku's (とつげき東北) 『科学する麻雀』and are practiced extensively in the scoring exercises found in Ide Yousuke's (井出洋介) scoring reference guides.
Source notes: Scoring tables and payment structures are universally standardized in Japanese riichi mahjong. Values presented here match standard Japanese scoring references. The han-fu formula and mangan cap are consistent across all major rulesets. Minor rounding differences may exist in some specific fu/han combinations depending on whether the ruleset rounds up at 100 or 10.