Special hands
Hong Kong mahjong, lesson 8. Big hands worth many faan: dragons, winds, all honors, thirteen orphans, Heaven's and Earth's hands, and more limit hands.
1. Faan add up
Each scoring part counts. Add them together.
- 7 faan (All pungs 3, mixed one suit 3, Red pung 1): 3 × 1 Bam, 3 × 5 Bam, 3 × 9 Bam, 3 × Red Dragon, 2 × 2 Bam
Note: The hands in this lesson are rare. They score a lot.
Go to step 12. Three dragons
Collect all three dragons.
- 5 faan (Small three dragons: 2 pungs and a pair): 3 × Red Dragon, 3 × Green Dragon, 2 × White Dragon
- 8 faan (Great three dragons: 3 pungs): 3 × Red Dragon, 3 × Green Dragon, 3 × White Dragon
Note: These already count the dragon pungs. Don't add 1 faan for each pung too.
Go to step 23. Four winds
Collect all four winds.
- 6 faan (Small four winds: 3 pungs and a pair): 3 × East, 3 × South, 3 × West, 2 × North
- Limit (Great four winds: 4 pungs): 3 × East, 3 × South, 3 × West, 3 × North
Note: Great four winds scores the limit: 10 faan in our game. For small four winds, your seat wind and the round's wind still add 1 faan each. Some tables score small four winds as the limit.
Go to step 34. All honors
Every set is winds or dragons. No numbered tiles at all.
- Limit (All honors: only winds and dragons): 3 × East, 3 × South, 3 × North, 3 × Red Dragon, 2 × Green Dragon
Note: All honors is a limit hand. That's 10 faan in our game.
Go to step 45. Thirteen orphans
One of each 1 and 9, each wind and each dragon. Plus one more of any of them.
- 1s, 9s: 1 Dot, 9 Dot, 1 Bam, 9 Bam, 1 Crak, 9 Crak
- Winds: East, South, West, North
- Dragons: Red Dragon, Green Dragon, White Dragon
- Limit (Plus any one again): 1 Dot
Note: This is the one hand that isn't 4 sets and a pair.
Go to step 56. Heaven and Earth
Two limit hands that come from winning at the very start.
- Limit (Heaven's hand: East, the dealer, wins with the 14 tiles dealt): East
- Limit (Earth's hand: East throws this first tile and you win on it): 5 Crak
Note: Some tables count Earth's hand on your own first draw instead. Our game uses East's first discard.
Go to step 67. More limit hands
These rare hands also score the limit. Nothing else is added.
- All terminals: only 1s and 9s, in pungs and a pair.
- Four concealed pungs: four pungs or kongs, none of them called.
- All kongs: four kongs and a pair.
- Nine gates: 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 9 in one suit, plus any tile of that suit.
- All eight flowers and seasons.
8. Finish the dragons
You have pungs of Red and Green Dragons.
Try it: Pick the 3 tiles that finish the hand. Tiles to pick from: White Dragon, 1 Bam, White Dragon, Red Dragon, 1 Dot, White Dragon, Green Dragon, West.
Go to step 89. Quiz: Special hands
Question: Which hand is this part of? [3 × Red Dragon, 3 × Green Dragon, 2 × White Dragon]
Answer: Small three dragons
Question: Plus any pair. How many faan? [3 × East, 3 × South, 3 × West, 3 × North]
Answer: The limit. The limit is the top score. It's 10 faan in our game.
Question: Every tile in your hand is a wind or a dragon. What is it called?
Answer: All honors
Question: Does thirteen orphans need 4 sets and a pair?
Answer: No. It's one of each 1, 9 and honor, plus one extra.
Question: All pungs (3 faan) with a pung of Green Dragons (1 faan). How many faan in total?
Answer: 4
Question: Great three dragons is worth how many faan?
Answer: 8
Question: East wins with the 14 tiles dealt, before throwing a tile. What is it called?
Answer: Heaven's hand
Question: You win on the first tile East throws. How many faan?
Answer: The limit. That's Earth's hand. It scores the limit.
What this lesson teaches
- Faan from different parts add up, up to the limit.
- Small three dragons is 5 faan. Great three dragons is 8. Don't add the dragon pungs on top.
- Small four winds is 6 faan, plus your seat and round winds. Great four winds and thirteen orphans score the limit.
- Heaven's hand (East wins with the tiles dealt) and Earth's hand (you win on East's first discard) score the limit.
