3.3.12 Riichi
A player with a concealed waiting hand can declare riichi by clearly saying riichi, rotating
the discarded tile sideways and paying 1000 points to the table by placing a stick
by the discards. If an opponent claims the rotated discard for winning, the riichi declaration
is invalid. If an opponent claims the rotated tile for a melded set, rotate your next
discarded tile.
A player is not allowed to declare riichi if there are less than four tiles left in the wall.
The 1000 points goes back to the riichi declarer if he wins. If another is the winner of
the current hand, he collects the 1000 points, and in case of a drawn game the riichi bet
stays on the table to be claimed by the next player to win a hand.
A player who declared riichi can no longer change his hand. However, he may declare
a concealed kong if a tile is drawn that matches a concealed pung, if this does not change
the waiting pattern and if the three tiles to be konged can only be interpreted as a pung
in the original riichi hand. (In case of three consecutive pungs in the same suit, no kong
may be declared, since the tiles can be interpreted as three identical chows).
It is permissible for a player who is furiten to declare riichi. A player who after
declaring riichi, chooses not to win on a discard that completes his hand, becomes furiten.
A player who is furiten can still win on self-draw.
Riichi is a yaku. A player who wins in the first go-around after the riichi declaration
(including the player’s next draw) can claim an additional yaku for ippatsu. The ippatsu
chance is lost if the go-around is broken by claims for kong, pung or chow, including
concealed kongs.
A player who wins after declaring riichi, reveals the tiles underneath the dora indicator
and any kan dora indicators. These tiles indicate ura dora which can be claimed only
by players who declared riichi.
3.4 End of a hand
A hand can end in three ways: by exhaustive draw (no-one declares a win after the
discard after the last tile), by abortive draw or by one or more players declaring a win.
3.4.1 Last tile
The last tile in the wall can only be claimed for a win, not for a kong, pung or chow. In
case a kong is declared at the second-to-last tile, the replacement tile becomes the last
tile.
3.4.2 Exhaustive draw
An exhaustive draw occurs if no-one declares a win after the discard after the last tile.
The 14 tiles of the dead wall are not used. After an exhaustive draw the noten players
(a player who can’t or won’t show a tenpai hand) pays a penalty to tenpai (waiting)
players (players who show a tenpai (waiting) hand). The total noten penalty amounts to
3000 points. E.g. if three players are tenpai, the noten player pays 1000 to each, whereas
if only one player is tenpai he receives 1000 points from each of the noten players. A
player is not considered tenpai if he is waiting only for a tile of which he already has 4. A
player is still considered tenpai if all his waiting tiles are visible among the discards and
declared sets. Players who have declared riichi are obliged to show their tenpai hands in
case of an exhaustive draw. After an exhaustive draw, a counter is placed on the table at
East’s right-hand side.
3.4.3 Abortive draw
After an abortive draw no noten penalty is payed, and players who have declared riichi
are not obliged to show their tenpai hands, except in case of four riichi declarations. After
an abortive draw, a counter is placed on the table at East’s right-hand side. Abortive draw
can occur in four ways:
- A player who after his first draw in the uninterrupted first go-around has at least
nine different terminals and honours may declare an abortive draw.- No-one wins after the discard after the fourth kong, and the four kongs do not
belong to the same player.
- All players discard the same wind in the first uninterrupted go-around.
- All four players have declared riichi, and no-one declares a win on the fourth
player’s discard. All players are obliged to show their tenpai hands.
3.4.4 Handling riichi bets after drawn games
In case of a drawn game (whether by exhaustive draw or abortive draw), any riichi bets
stay on the table to be claimed by the next player who declares a win. In case more than
one player wins at the same time, the riichi bets go to the winner closest to the discarder’s
right.
3.4.5 Furiten
If a waiting player can form a mahjong hand using one of his previous discards, he is
furiten and is not allowed to claim a win on a discard, even if the hand completed with the previous discard is without a yaku.
A player who is furiten can choose to change his hand to avoid being furiten (except
if he has declared riichi).
A player who is furiten, can still win on a self-drawn tile.
A player who fails to claim a win on a discard that completes a mahjong hand, is
temporarily furiten, even if the passed tile gives him no yaku, and he cannot claim a win
on a discard in the current go-around. If the go-around is interrupted by claims for kong,
pung or chow, the player is no longer temporarily furiten. The state of temporary furiten
always ends when the player draws a tile, i.e. no player is ever considered furiten on a
self-drawn tile.
It is permissible for a player who is furiten to declare riichi. A player who after
declaring riichi, chooses not to win on a discard that completes his hand, becomes furiten.
Furiten – example 1
If a waiting player can form a mahjong hand using one of his
previous discards, he is furiten and is not allowed to claim a win on a discard, even if the
hand completed with the previous discard is without a yaku.
Consider a player with the following hand:
