Visual Examples and Annotated Plays

Scenario: East 1, you are South (non-dealer). Starting hand (13 tiles):

Analysis: Shanten count: approximately 2-shanten. Partial groups: 3m-4m (needs 2m or 5m), 5p-6p-7p-8p (strong block, contains complete 5p6p7p + 8p extending), 4s-5s-6s (complete sequence), 5z-5z (pair of haku = yakuhai potential). Isolated: 1m, 2z.

Turn 1 discard: 2z — Guest wind (not seat, not round), completely isolated, zero value. Standard first discard.

Turn 2 draw: 2m. Hand becomes:

Now 1m-2m-3m is a complete sequence, and 4m is adjacent. Discard: 1m — Why not keep 1m-2m-3m? Because 3m-4m as a ryanmen partial (waiting on 2m or 5m) is MORE flexible than 1m-2m-3m as a complete sequence + isolated 4m. Wait — actually 1m2m3m is already complete. The question is whether to keep 4m. With 1m-2m-3m complete and 4m needing a partner, vs breaking to 2m-3m-4m and discarding 1m: both give a complete sequence. Discard 1m keeps the better-connected 4m for ryanmen potential with future draws. Discard: 1m.

Turn 3 draw: 5m. Hand becomes:

Now 2m-3m-4m-5m: this contains TWO sequences (2m3m4m + leftover 5m, or 3m4m5m + leftover 2m). Better: keep 3m-4m-5m and 2m as extending partial OR keep 2m-3m + 4m-5m as two ryanmen partials. The pinzu block 5p6p7p8p contains sequence 5p6p7p + extending 8p (needs 9p for penchan, or 6p7p8p with leftover 5p needing 3p4p). Discard: 8p — This is debatable but breaks the weakest connection (penchan potential 8p-→9p) to maintain the strong 5p6p7p sequence cleanly. Now:

This is now 1-shanten. Four complete groups nearly achievable: [2m3m4m] or [3m4m5m], [5p6p7p], [4s5s6s], + pair [5z5z]. Needs one more draw to reach tenpai.

Turn 4 draw: 5z. Hand:

Now with three haku (5z), you have a decision: keep as a triplet [5z5z5z] for yakuhai, or keep the pair and discard the third. Keeping the triplet: [3m4m5m] [5p6p7p] [4s5s6s] [5z5z5z] — this is tenpai! Waiting on 2m (to complete the pair, making 2m the jantai) — tanki wait on 2m. Alternatively: [2m3m4m] [5p6p7p] [4s5s6s] [5z5z5z] with 5m needing a pair partner — tanki on 5m.

Decision: Declare riichi? You have yakuhai (haku triplet = 1 han) so you have yaku even without riichi. The wait is tanki (low acceptance). Consider dama: you can win on 2m or 5m by ron without riichi, catching opponents off guard. But riichi adds 1 han (making it 2 han minimum) plus ippatsu and ura dora chances. Since it is East 1 (early in the match, no placement pressure), riichi is correct — the EV boost outweighs tanki's lower acceptance.

Declare riichi. Discard 2m sideways. Wait: tanki on 5m. If 5m arrives by tsumo or ron: riichi + yakuhai (haku) + possible ippatsu + possible ura dora. Minimum 2 han 40 fu = 2,600 ron / 700-1,300 tsumo. With ippatsu or ura, potentially mangan.

Scenario: South 2, you are West. Opponent (North) declared riichi on turn 7. Their discards:

Your hand (3-shanten, weak): 1p 4p 6p 8p 3s 5s 9s 1z 2z 3z 6z 7z 4m

Decision: Full fold (betaori). At 3-shanten, your hand cannot realistically compete. Prioritize safe discards.

Safe tile analysis against North:

Genbutsu (100% safe): 3z, 4z, 1m, 9p, 2s, 7m — all tiles in North's discard pool.

You hold: 3z (genbutsu!), 1z, 2z, 6z, 7z (unknown honors), and various suited tiles.

Discard order: (1) 3z — genbutsu, 100% safe. (2) 1m from your hand? No, you don't hold 1m. Let's re-examine. Your genbutsu in hand: 3z matches North's discards. (3) After 3z, look for suji: North discarded 1m, so 4m is suji (1-4 suji). You hold 4m — this is your next safest option. (4) North discarded 9p, so 6p is suji (6-9 suji). You hold 6p. (5) After suji tiles, discard honors that are unlikely to be in a ryanmen wait: 1z, 2z are relatively safer than middle suited tiles.

Priority: 3z → 4m (suji) → 6p (suji) → 1z → 2z → 7z → 6z → suited tiles from outside in.

Hand: Closed, riichi, tsumo win.

Won by tsumo on 7p (completing 5p6p7p sequence).

Yaku: Riichi (1 han) + Menzen Tsumo (1 han) + Pinfu (1 han, all sequences, ryanmen wait on 5p-6p→4p/7p, pair 6z is hatsu... wait, hatsu IS a yakuhai tile. Pinfu requires a non-yakuhai pair. 6z = hatsu (green dragon) = yakuhai. Therefore pinfu does NOT apply.

Corrected yaku: Riichi (1 han) + Menzen Tsumo (1 han) = 2 han. Dora check: if dora indicator is, say, 1p → dora is 2p. Hand has one 2p = +1 dora. Total: 3 han.

Fu: Base 20. Tsumo: +2. All sequences: +0. Ryanmen wait: +0. Hatsu pair: +2 (yakuhai pair). Total: 24 → rounded to 30 fu.

Score: 3 han 30 fu, non-dealer tsumo: 1,000 from dealer / 500 from each non-dealer. Plus potential ura dora.

If one ura dora hits: 4 han 30 fu = mangan threshold → non-dealer tsumo: 4,000 from dealer / 2,000 from each non-dealer = 8,000 total.

Lesson: The hatsu pair disqualified pinfu. Always check pair status against yakuhai conditions. Also note how a single ura dora jumped the hand from 3 han (4,000 total) to mangan (8,000 total) — a 100% increase. This is why ura dora makes riichi so valuable.