Four Winds Rule Collection – Japanese Modern

4. Miscellaneous rules

The following rules are often used in modern versions of Japanese Mah Jong. Some rules (like Riichi, Dora, Missed discard and Sacred discard) appear practically in all modern versions (though the way these rules are applied may vary significantly), other features (like Kuitan, Kuikae or Red tiles) appear less frequently.

4.1. Riichi

Voluntary Ready declaration (jap. rii chi = "ready") is typically used in Japanese Mah Jong, but appears occasionally in other versions, too (e.g., in Korean rules and WMPA rules, even Western, e.g., Italian and French versions use a slightly modified version of this rule). The rule has probably evolved from the simple concept of "Original call" (ready on first discard), which is acknowledged in classical Chinese rules, but as the options and the tables below show, it is far from simple as it is used today.

Many consider that the rule of Riichi has too strong an effect on the nature of the game as it encourages collecting quick and easy concealed hands at the expense of defensive strategies. It also accentuates the gambling element in the game: though the reward itself is not high (normally the declaration pays one extra double or han), a Riichi hand, combined with other bonus (e.g. for the Dora tiles),  easily produces fairly high scores.

Declaring ready also involves a clear risk, since if the player does not win on a hand declared ready, he usually has to pay a certain amount (normally 1,000 points) to the winner. And the risk of losing is high, since the declaration warns other players (who naturally do their best to see that the declarer does not win), and especially as the declarer is forced to discard any non-winning tile he draws from the Wall, thus risking becoming a discarder (who in Japanese games always pays for all losers). 

However, the rule is enormously popular in modern Japanese Mah Jong, much of the same reasons it is opposed: it adds suspense to the game and makes it possible to make a fair profit on easy Chow-based hands.

4.1.1 Prerequisites for declaring ready

• The hand to be declared ready must be concealed. Note though that concealed Kongs are allowed before the declaration (but not necessarily after).

4.1.2 After the declaration

• The hand declared ‘Ready’ cannot be altered. The player cannot improve his hand in any way: the only tile he is allowed to keep or claim is the one he can use to go out.

  Note: It is a common option to allow non-altering Kongs after the declaration. This allows a player who has declared Ready to declare a concealed Kong, provided that this does not alter the structure of the ready hand. The winning tiles and all possible combinations of the composing sets of the winning hand (the set of three tiles completed to Kong is considered the same set) must be exactly the same before and after the declaration. The fourth tile must be self-drawn in all cases (no melded Kongs are allowed). Note though that a player cannot declare a concealed Kong immediately after the declaration, even if this option is checked (it is allowed on the subsequent turns only).

  Example of an illegal declaration of Kong. B-111 B2 B-444 C-777 EEE, since melding of Kong B1 would remove the possibility to go out on B-123. Note that the fact that calling tiles remain unaltered does not alone guarantee that the declaration is legal.

• The tiles are turned face down after the declaration. Traditionally the tiles were turned face down to mark that the hand is locked, but this rule is seldom used in modern Mah Jong.

4.1.3 Special requirements

The following special requirements are common in different versions of modern Asian Mah Jong, but in Japanese Mah Jong normally only the last mentioned requirement (for going out on a first possible discard) is applied.

• The hand to be declared ready must meet the minimum point requirement. The check is done by evaluating the hand as if it were completed – the hand does not need to be worth the minimum in its current state (that is, as a hand that still misses the winning tile). Normally this option is not meaningful in Japanese Mah Jong, since if there is a minimum point requirement, it is normally 1 han, which by definition is met by any hand that is declared ready (since the declaration itself is worth 1 han). If this option is applied it is often accompanied with complex exclusion rules as for patterns which are ignored when the minimum point state of the hand is determined.
• The hand to be declared ready must be valid on a claimed winning tile. This option, related to to the minimum point requirement, requires that the hand must meet the minimum point requirement even if it goes out on a discard (i.e., the hand must not depend on going out self-drawn – there must be at least one possible case where the hand can go out on a discard).
  Note: This option is used in the WMPA and Korean rules but very seldom in Japanese rules. 
• Zero Ready bonus if the winning tile as a discard does not meet the minimum point requirement. This option, related to option above, dictates that if a player declares Out on a self-drawn tile, which would complete his hand into a legal winning hand, but the tile would not produce enough points if it were claimed from another player, the bonus for the Ready declaration is zeroed. If the hand, with zeroed ready bonus, does not meet the minimum point requirement, and the player declares Out, this is considered a faulty declaration of Out and penalized accordingly. On the other hand, if the player does not declare Out, he can discard the tile without further consequences (and should he later go out on a discard or on a self-drawn tile that would produce enough points as a discard, the bonus for Ready is paid normally).
  Note: This option is used in the WMPA rules but very seldom in any other rules.
• The hand to be declared ready must be valid on all winning tiles. This option requires that the hand must meet the minimum point requirement without assuming any specific winning tile (in case the hand can go out on several different tiles). That is, the rule requires that the hand can go out on any tile that structurally completes the hand. (Note that the rule of Sacred discard has no effect on this check: all winning tiles that make structurally the hand complete are examined, even if some of these tiles could not actually be used because of restrictions of the rule of Sacred discard). If this rule is combined with the requirement for being able to go out on a claimed tile, all possible winning tiles are evaluated as discards.
  Note: This option is sometimes used in Korean rules but very seldom in any other rules.
• Missed/discarded winning tile makes the hand dead. According to this option a player may not declare ready, if he has discarded a tile, which currently could make his hand a structurally valid winning hand (the minimum point requirement is ignored, when this is checked). Also, if a player subsequently misses a winning tile, either by not claiming it when another player discards it, or not using a self-drawn winning tile, his hand becomes dead, meaning that he cannot go out on any winning tile, neither discarded or self-drawn (doing so results in a faulty declaration of Out; on the other hand, missing the winning tile but not declaring out might result in a penalty for faulty declaration of Ready). Note that this option overrides the regular Sacred discard rule (which never restricts a player's right to go out on a self-drawn tile). The rule option is sometimes used in Korean Style rules, WMPA rules and in the Nashi-Nashi version of Japanese Mah Jong, but allowed in most other versions that use a voluntary declaration of Ready.
  Note: This option covers the next two options.
• Require going out on the first possible self-drawn tile. The option requires that the player must use the first possible self-drawn winning tile to go out. If the player discards a winning tile, he may not go out on any tile during the rest of the deal (whether self-drawn or discard). 
  Note: This option is used in the Korean and WMPA rules. Most Japanese rules using the Riichi  allow discarding a winning tile, but because of use of the Sacred discard rule (see below), doing so makes the hand sacred so the player cannot subsequently claim any winning tile (he is forced to go out self-drawn).
• Require going out on the first possible discard. The option requires that the player must use the first possible discard to go out. If the player misses a discard he could have used to go out, he may not go out on any discard during the rest of the deal. The only way he can complete the hand is by picking the winning tile from the Wall.
  Note: This option is very common in modern Japanese Mah Jong.

4.1.4 Scoring

A player who goes out on a hand declared ready normally gets 1 extra han for the declaration. The following extra payments are also common:

• Exposed Declaration of Ready. Some versions may allow declaring ready with all tiles turned face up so that other players see the contents of the hand. Sometimes this option is accompanied by other rules that specify restrictions on exposed declarations, e.g., the rules might specify that an exposed declaration is not allowed if another player has already made a regular declaration, and that regular declarations are not allowed after someone has made an exposed declaration. The score for an exposed declaration is normally 2 han.
  Note: Restrictions related to sacred discard are ignored if the hand is exposed to all players.
• Out on the turn following the Ready declaration (Ippatsu). Specifies scoring for the case where the player goes out on the first turn after the ready declaration (i.e., before making his next discard). The bonus for this is normally one extra han.

4.1.5 Ready payment

Often the rules specify a cost for declaring ready (traditionally each player who declares ready places a counter on top of his hand to mark it ready). Since the winner collects these counters, the ready payments are practically a sort of penalty for failing to go out on a ready hand.

In classical-oriented rules this payment was often 100 points, but in modern Japanese Mah Jong it is normally 1000 points.

In addition, in modern Japanese Mah Jong the ready payments are normally retained if the deal ends in a draw (or if it ends in a faulty Out). The next winner will collect all ready penalties in the pool.

4.1.6 Penalties for faulty ready declarations and going out on a false ready hand

The rules may also specify a penalty for a faulty declaration of ready, which must be paid if the deal ends in a draw. In this case all players who have declared ready must expose their hands after a draw. If it appears that a player has made a faulty declaration, he must normally pay as if he had made a faulty declaration of Out, but some rules may specify a distinct penalty for faulty ready declarations.

The following table describes the violations against the Ready rule at the time of the declaration, and lists the possible consequences for them.

The following table summarizes violations after  the declaration of ready is made and lists the possible consequences.

4.2 Missed discard

In Japanese rules it is customary to apply a rule according to which a player is prohibited to go out on a discard, which he has missed during the very same turn.

E.g., if player A is calling Bamboo 3 to go out, and player B discards Bamboo 3, and player A does not claim it, he may not claim and go out on Bamboo 3, if it is discarded by player C or D on the same turn. Player A must make a discard before being able to claim a missed discard again.

Note however that there are no restrictions on going out self-drawn on a missed discard, and that a player can claim a missed discard, if he does not go out on that tile.

4.3 Sacred discard (furiten)

In modern Japanese rules it is customary to apply a rule according to which a player is prohibited to go out on any discard (that is, not only discards that are identical with a sacred discard, but any discard), if he has amongst his discards a tile that would complete his current hand into a structurally legal winning hand. Note that the minimum point requirement is ignored, when this state is examined.

This rule makes the game rather complex and is not recommended for novice players.

Note that several different versions of Sacred discard rule are used in Japanese Mah Jong. The one described above is the strictest one and called the absolute version of the rule.

The least restricting rule just prohibits a player to go out on a discard that is identical with a player's last discard. A more restricting version extends the rule to cover the whole deal and prohibits a player to go out on a discard that is identical with any tile a player has discarded during the deal (including ones that have been claimed by others). A still more restricting version is called 1-4-7 rule, which prohibits a player to go out on a discard that completes a set that a player's sacred discard (any tile he has discarded during the deal) would complete.

Some rules allow a player to declare "Sacred discard". This informs other players that a player has a sacred discard (though the actual tile that is sacred is not displayed) and accordingly all restrictions related to sacred discard are abolished.

The rule of Sacred discard, when used together with a minimum point requirement and rules like Riichi, easily results in problematic situations. E.g., it is common that when a hand's sacred state is evaluated, the minimum point requirement is ignored, which for most players is confusing since it practically prohibits a player to discard a tile that he cannot use to go out.

On the other hand, when used with Riichi, some rules forbid a player to make a ready declaration if he has a sacred hand, while others allow it, but require that the player goes out on a self-drawn tile.

4.4 Abortive draws

Often the Japanese rules specify certain conditions for a “dead hand”. In these situations an abortive draw is declared, the current deal is abandoned and a new one is started. The deal never passes as a result of an abandoned deal (even if the rules specify that the deal passes after a draw).

The following cases are sometimes acknowledged as situations in which a draw can be declared:

• 9 or more different Terminals and Honors in the dealt hand. Allows a player who gets nine (out of thirteen) different Terminals and Honors in the dealt hand, including the first tile he draws from the Wall, to declare his hand dead and require a new deal.
  The declaration must be done on the first turn before the player has made his first discard, and requires that none of the players has melded a Chow, Pung or Kong.
• Four same discards on the first turn. If the first four discarded tiles are identical (and no one has melded a Chow, Pung or Kong), the deal is automatically abandoned. The rule is normally modified in Japanese Mah Jong by requiring the the four first discards must be identical Wind tiles.
• Four Kongs declared during the deal. Specifies that declaring of the fourth Kong during the deal causes the deal to be abandoned. The new deal starts right after the player declaring the fourth Kong has melded the combination (without giving the supplement tile). There are two exceptions to this rule: if the limit hand Four Kongs is acknowledged, and all four Kongs have been declared by one player, the deal can continue. However, on the next declaration of Kong, the deal is abandoned. The second exception allows a player to rob the fourth Kong and use the robbed tile to complete his hand and go out. This is actually no exception, since the fourth Kong was never really completed.
• Four players have declared Ready. Specifies that the deal is automatically abandoned, if all four players have declared Ready.
• Three players claim a tile for 'Out'. Specifies that the deal is automatically abandoned, if three players claim the same tile in order to go Out. This option is normally not used in modern Japanese Mah Jong, which allows multiple winners.

4.5 Dealer's extra hands

Japanese rules often specify an extra payment for winning a dealer's extra hand. Earlier this bonus was given only for East (dealer) for his successive wins, but modern rules often give the bonus to any winner, not just East. Note that traditionally an extra hand was played only if East won a deal, in modern rules it can be played also after a draw (e.g., in the rules described here the deal does not pass if East has a calling hand).

The rule works so that East places a 100 point stick on the table on each successive time he acts as a dealer. This is a marker that indicates a sum each loser must pay to the winner of the deal. On first extra hand (that is, the second time in a row the same player acts as a dealer) each loser pays 100 points to the winner of the deal (total being 300 points), on second extra hand the sum is 200 points (total being 600 points), etc.

If the winner goes out on a discard, the specified sum (i.e., 300 point on the first extra hand, 600 points on the second, etc.) is paid alone by the discarder. If there are multiple winners, the discarder pays each winner as he would be the sole winner.

Also, it is a common option that if a continued deal (that is, a deal that is already dealer's extra hand) ends in a draw and the deal passes, the pool is not reset, but the next dealer adds yet another 100-point stick on the table. The pool is reset only after a non-dealer wins.

An optional rule, called Ryan Shi, specifies, that the minimum is raised from 1 to 2 han after the dealer's 5th extra hand.

4.6 Dora tiles

Modern Japanese rules almost invariably use bonus tiles called Dora, which greatly increase the meaning of luck in Japanese Mah Jong. 

They are bonus tiles that are determined by exposing tiles (called Dora indicators) from the Dead Wall at the start of the deal and, optionally, each time a player declares a Kong (these tiles are called Kong Dora, or more properly, indicators of Kong Dora tiles). The first Dora tile indicator is the fifth tile (the first supplement tile that is guaranteed to be available, since Japanese rules allow a maximum of four Kongs) counting from the open end of the Dead Wall and the four remaining Dora indicators, if applicable, are taken from its left side (seen inside the Wall) from the upper row of the Dead Wall. The exposed Dora tile indicators do not reduce the number of playable tiles in the Wall, since the Dead Wall is not replenished after a Dora indicator is exposed (i.e., Dora indicators are part of the Dead Wall, whether exposed or unexposed).

• The actual Dora tiles are successors of Dora indicators. The successor is determined as follows: for the suit tiles, the next number of the same suit (rotating from 9 back to 1), for Winds, the order is East, South, West, North, and for Dragons, Red, White and Green. 
• Each Dora tile in the winner’s hand gives bonus points. E.g., if the winner has a Pung of Bamboo 3’s and a pair of Green Dragons, and the Bamboo 2 and White Dragons appear amongst the Dora indicators, the winner receives extra points for the total of 5 tiles.
• Sometimes special tiles called Ura Dora are used besides the regular Dora tiles. Ura Dora tiles are used in the case the winner goes out on a hand that has been declared Ready (Riichi). In this situation the tiles below the Dora indicators (the first Dora indicator, and, optionally, ones below the Kong Dora indicators) are exposed after the winner has declared out, and the winner receives bonus points also for each Ura Dora tile in his hand.
• Some rules specify that bonus for Dora and Kong Dora is given only if the winner's hand is concealed (winning tile can be discard, though).
• If the winning hand is restricted by a minimum point requirement, the bonus for Dora tiles is normally not included in the calculation when determining whether the hand qualifies for a winning hand. The bonus is added afterwards only if the hand meets the minimum score requirement.

In addition to (or instead of) the Dora tiles, some rules may specify bonus tiles called "Red Tiles" (aka pai): the fives of each suit are specified as bonus tiles that give lucky points much like the Dora.

4.7 Kuitan

Kuitan is a rule that specifies that the pattern All Simples pays 1 han only if it appears in a concealed hand. This rule is used in some Japanese versions to encourage players to go out on more ambitious hands than ones that are based on All Simples, as this is the most common pattern in Japanese games that specify a minimum point requirement.

4.8 Kuikae

The rule of Kuikae, sometimes used in Japanese Mah Jong, forbids a player to break an existing set and immediately discard a tile which would form a Chow or Pung with the two tiles he just melded as a part of the set he completed after claiming another player's discard (i.e., a tile identical with the claimed tile or a tile 3 numbers different from the claimed tile which can form a sequence with the two tiles just melded).

E.g., if a player has Bamboo 1-2-3 in hand and he claims Bamboo 4 from another player, he is not allowed to immediately discard Bamboo 1 (nor Bamboo 4). Or if a player has a Pung of Dot 3 in the hand and he claims Dot 3 from another player and composes a melded Pung, he is not allowed to immediately discard the fourth Dot 3.

It is recommended that the rule is not used with modern pattern-based rules, where players are encouraged to improve their hands and where discards prohibited by the rule of Kuikae might be quite reasonable.

4.9 Nagashi Mangan

In the modern Japanese Mah Jong a special award called Nagashi Mangan is sometimes allowed. According to this rule, if the deal ends in an exhaustive draw (as opposed to an abortive draw, caused by e.g. a dead hand), and a player's discards consist of terminals and honors only, and none of this discards have been claimed, and the player himself has not melded any tiles (including concealed Kongs), the hand is scored as if the player had gone out. The score is often specified as limit (in Japanese, simple limit, or mangan).

Nagashi Mangan (which could be translated as "Limit payment for terminal & honor discards") might be useful with rules where collecting of All Simples is frequent. E.g., in the modern Japanese Mah Jong the winning hand must be worth at least 1 han in order to go out and the easiest way to guarantee this minimum score is to collect All Simples and combine it with special bonus for Dora (and possibly Riichi). In this environment other players are least likely to claim terminal and honor discards. On the other hand, it is clear that there is no point in trying Nagashi Mangan, unless a player has an exceptionally poor hand with 7 or 8 orphaned terminals and/or honors (with one more, many rules allow a player to declare an abortive draw, and with ten or more, a player should try his luck with 13 Orphans). Having less than 7 it is likely that a player's hand is exhausted of appropriate discards before the deal ends.

Note: If a drawn deal ends in one of the players having Nagashi Mangan, the situation is not handled as a draw, but rather as a situation where one of the players has gone out on a self-drawn hand. This means e.g., that there will be no payments for ready hands, the deal passes according the normal rules (and are not affected by rules specified for passing a deal after a draw), etc.

4.10 End points

E.g., if the amount of end points is 30,000, and the winner has 35,000 points, the second player 32,000 points, the third 22,000 points and the fourth player 19,000 points, the equalized final points for the losers would be 2000, -8000 and -11000 points. The winner would receive abs(2,000 + -8000 + -11000 points) = 17,000 points. 

Note: If there are two or more winners, the winners share the amount achieved by adding the absolute of losers' equalized scores. E.g., if the final points of player A and B are 30,000 points and those of player C and D 20,000 points, C and D would each pay 5,000 to both A and B (so the equalized final points of both C and D would be -10,000 points, and final points of both A and B would be 10,000 points).  

4.11 Prizes

Some Japanese rules specify prize points (Uma) each player should be given depending on whether his total points for the match are highest, second highest, third highest or fourth highest. If equalization is used, the points specified here are added to equalized points.

Note: If two or more players have equal final scores, their prizes are summed up and the resulting amount is shared by players having equal scores. E.g., if the prizes are 15,000, 10,000, 5,000 and 2,000, and final points of players A and B are 30,000 points and those of players C and D 20,000 points, the prizes would be as follows: for players A and B 12,500 points (total of 15,000 + 10,000 divided by 2), and for players 3,500 points (total of 5,000 and 2,000 divided by 2).

4.12 Penalties

The etiquette for correct drawing and claiming of tiles may vary, as may the consequences for violating the etiquette. Basically the irregularities which have no effect on other players should have no consequences in friendly games. To avoid confusion, the players should agree on the etiquette and penalties before beginning the game.

In the following some common practices are listed:

• If a player notices that he has too many tiles in hand, and has already seen the face of the superfluous tile, he must continue playing with a long hand to the end of the deal (thus being deprived of the chance to go out). If he has not seen the face of the tile, he can put the tile back in the Wall.
• If a player notices that he has too few tiles in hand, he must continue playing with a short hand to the end of the deal (thus being deprived of the chance to go out). 
• If a player mistakenly draws an incorrect tile, he can replace it and draw the correct tile, provided that he has not yet discarded. If he has already discarded, he may not replace the tile, but can continue without penalties.
• A player is allowed to change his discard as long as another player has not claimed the tile, and as long as the next player in turn has not drawn from the Wall.
• If a player claims a tile, but cancels his claim before his next discard is claimed (or another player has drawn from the Wall), there is no need to penalize him for his mistake. In tournaments a penalty of 100 points may be applied for canceling a claim.
• Also, if a player claims a tile for Chow, Pung or Kong, but notices that he does not have right tiles in hand, he is allowed to cancel his claim without consequences, provided that he does that before his next discard is claimed (or another player has drawn from the Wall).  In tournaments a penalty of 100 points may be applied for making a false claim.
• If a player makes a faulty declaration of out, but notices his error before the other players expose their hands, there is no need to penalize him for his error. On the other hand, if one or more players have already exposed their hands, the deal is abandoned and the offender shall pay each of the other players 50% of the Limit (East paying and receiving double). The deal always passes after a faulty declaration of Out.

4.13 Insurance penalties

Players sometimes agree on applying insurance penalties for irresponsible discards, that is, for dangerous discards that let another player go out on a big hand (this is often called "letting off a canon").

Insurance penalties are normally applied for the following hands:

• Big Four Winds or Little Four Winds. Applied when player A has exposed three sets of winds, and another player discards a wind tile, which enables player A to go out with Big Four Winds or Little Four Winds (immediately on that tile, or later – after having composed the fourth set of winds with player A's dangerous discard – with any tile, either claimed or self-drawn).
• Three Great Scholars (Big Three Dragons) or Little Three Dragons. Applied when player A has exposed two sets of dragons, and another player discards a dragon tile, which enables player A to go out with Three Great Scholars (Big Three Dragons) or Little Three Dragons (immediately on that tile, or later – after having composed the third set of dragons with player A's dangerous discard – with any tile, either claimed or self-drawn).
• All Honors. Applied when player A has exposed three sets of Honors, and another player discards an honor tile, which enables player A to go out  with All Honors (immediately on that tile, or later – after having composed the fourth set of honors with player A's dangerous discard – with a self-drawn tile).
• All Terminals. Applied when player A has exposed three sets of terminals, and another player discards a terminal, which enables player A to go out  with All Terminals (immediately on that tile, or later  – after having composed the fourth set of terminals with player A's dangerous discard – with a self-drawn tile).
• All Green. Applied when player A has exposed three sets of green tiles (Bamboo 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8, and green dragons), and another player discards a green tile, which enables player A to go out with All Green (immediately on that tile, or later – after having composed the fourth green set with player A's dangerous discard – with a self-drawn tile).

Note that letting another player rob a Kong that involves a dangerous tile is considered the same as discarding a dangerous tile, and accordingly penalized in the same way.

Claiming a dangerous discard for a Kong does not result in applying insurance penalties (since in this case a player already had that dangerous set completed as a concealed Pung – promoting this set into a melded Kong does not necessarily bring the hand any closer to winning).

A player who is liable for "letting off a canon" must pay for all losers (that is, not only for himself, but also for the other two players). Note that in Japanese rules the insurance penalties are meaningful only in context of self-drawn winning hands, as a discarder always pays for all losers, anyway.

Related topics:
Introduction
Tiles
Preliminaries
Playing
Scoring
Payments