Card games are just the start. In Japan, the table game of choice is Mahjong — a blend of patience, pattern reading, and perfectly timed risk. If poker is about reading people, Riichi Mahjong is about reading the wall.
Japanese Mahjong (Riichi) is played with four players and 136 tiles. The goal is to form a complete winning hand before anyone else.
The tiles come in three suits and honors: Dots (1–9), Bamboos (1–9), Characters (1–9), plus Winds (East, South, West, North) and Dragons (Red, Green, White). There are four copies of each tile.
A winning hand contains 14 tiles: four sets (each made of three tiles — either triplets or sequences) and one pair of identical tiles. This complete hand is called Agari.
Each player starts with 13 tiles. On your turn, you draw one and discard one. You can claim another player’s discard to complete a Pong (triplet), a Chi (sequence, only from the player to your left), or a Kan (four of a kind). The first to complete a valid hand wins — calling “Ron” if they win on another player’s discard, or “Tsumo” if they win on their own draw.
When you’re one tile away from winning, you can declare Riichi. You place a 1,000-point stick on the table and lock your hand, waiting for the exact tile you need. Winning after declaring Riichi gives bonus points and access to hidden Dora bonuses.
Every winning hand must include at least one Yaku — a recognized scoring pattern. Without one, even a complete hand doesn’t count. Common Yaku include Riichi (declared ready hand), Tanyao (no 1s or 9s), Yakuhai (triplet of dragons or your seat wind), and Pinfu (all sequences, no points hand).
When someone wins or the wall runs out of tiles, the hand ends. Scores are tallied based on Han and Fu points. The dealer continues if they win; otherwise, the deal rotates East, South, West, North.
Keep your hand concealed for higher-value Yaku. Learn Tanyao, Riichi, and Yakuhai first — they’re the easiest to spot. Defense matters: be cautious about what you discard when someone declares Riichi.
Build four sets and a pair, draw and discard smartly, declare Riichi when one tile away, and win with Ron or Tsumo — but only if your hand has at least one Yaku.
Japanese Mahjong mixes strategy, timing, and a touch of chaos — refined play for thinkers who love a good showdown.