# 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. Interactive version: https://learnmahjongquick.com/learn-hong-kong-mahjong/special-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.

### 2. 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.

### 3. 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.

### 4. 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.

### 5. 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.

### 6. 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.

### 7. 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.

### 9. Quiz: Special hands

- Q: Which hand is this part of? [3 × Red Dragon, 3 × Green Dragon, 2 × White Dragon] A: Small three dragons
- Q: Plus any pair. How many faan? [3 × East, 3 × South, 3 × West, 3 × North] A: The limit. The limit is the top score. It's 10 faan in our game.
- Q: Every tile in your hand is a wind or a dragon. What is it called? A: All honors
- Q: Does thirteen orphans need 4 sets and a pair? A: No. It's one of each 1, 9 and honor, plus one extra.
- Q: All pungs (3 faan) with a pung of Green Dragons (1 faan). How many faan in total? A: 4
- Q: Great three dragons is worth how many faan? A: 8
- Q: East wins with the 14 tiles dealt, before throwing a tile. What is it called? A: Heaven's hand
- Q: You win on the first tile East throws. How many faan? A: 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.