Four Winds Rule Collection – Japanese Modern

Introduction

These rules represents a modern variation (Ari-Ari) of the Japanese Mah Jong. As always in the Japanese Mah Jong, only the winner receives payments, the discarder pays for all, and East receives and pays double. 

The rules differ from the classical Japanese rules mainly by acknowledging several additional bonus hands and combinations, further emphasizing the meaning of going out on a concealed hand, and by using Mangan scoring system with a settling table in determining the final score of the winner. The winning hand must be worth 1 han (without including extra han possibly scored by Dora tiles).

In addition, the rule of Ready (riichi) is used and the deal passes on draw unless the dealer has a ready hand (in Japanese classical rules deal always passes on draw). The rule of Missed discard is used, as in classical rules, and the rule of Sacred discard is used in its absolute mode, prohibiting a player go out on any discard, if he has amongst his discards a tile, which would make his current hand complete (minimum point requirement is ignored in this situation). Furthermore, the ready players are paid after a draw, and any winner (not just the dealer) is paid for dealer's extra hands (and the pool is kept if the deal ends in a draw). 

The most distinctive feature of this rule preset is the use of Dora tiles, each giving an extra han  to the winner. This rule emphasizes greatly the meaning of luck, and combined with severe discarder payments, gives these rules a strong gambling flavor.

Several different versions are played in Japan. E.g., Nashi-nashi rules are a stricter version of modern rules and differ from the more common Ari-Ari rules by rewarding points for All Simples only in a concealed hand (the rule is called Kuitan). In addition, Nashi-Nashi rules often apply stricter riichi rules, not allowing ready declaration on a sacred hand (Ari-Ari rules allow this, but the hand must go out self-drawn). 

Related topics:
Tiles
Preliminaries
Playing
Miscellaneous
Scoring
Payments