Special Hands

The list below comprises the 19 special patterns recognised by the BMJA, as described in “Mah-Jong (Know the Game)” by Gwyn Headley and Yvonne Seeley. You may use it as a starting point and add or remove patterns as you wish, or you may prefer to use an entirely different list altogether.

Non-Limit Hands

Purity

  • Win: 3 doubles

  • Fishing: 3 doubles

character-1 character-1 character-1 character-5 character-5 character-5 character-7 character-7 character-7 character-8 character-8 character-8 character-6 character-6

Four pungs or kongs and a pair in any one suit. No Wind, Dragon, or chow sets.

Half-Limit Hands

Triple Knitting

  • Win: 50% limit

  • Fishing: 20% limit

character-1 bamboos-1 circles-1 character-3 bamboos-3 circles-3 character-6 bamboos-6 circles-6 character-7 bamboos-7 circles-7 character-2 bamboos-2

Four knitted pungs (each comprising one tile from every suit of the same number) and a knitted pair comprising two tiles in different suits of the same number. No honour tiles.

Knitting

  • Win: 50% limit

  • Fishing: 20% limit

character-1 bamboos-1 character-2 bamboos-2 bamboos-3 circles-3 character-5 bamboos-5 character-6 circles-6 character-7 bamboos-7 bamboos-9 circles-9

Seven pairs of tiles, each pair comprising two suits. No honour tiles.

All Pair Honours

  • Win: 50% limit

  • Fishing: 20% limit

bamboos-1 bamboos-1 circles-9 circles-9 wind-east wind-east wind-west wind-west wind-north wind-north dragon-white dragon-white dragon-red dragon-red

A hand of pairs composed only of terminals, Wind, and/or Dragon tiles. Ones and nines are allowed despite the name (which is the traditional name). Duplicate doubles are allowed, provided they have not been declared as a kong.

Limit Hands

Buried Treasure

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: 40% limit

bamboos-1 bamboos-1 bamboos-1 bamboos-3 bamboos-3 bamboos-3 bamboos-7 bamboos-7 bamboos-7 dragon-red dragon-red dragon-red bamboos-2 bamboos-2

A hand consisting of four concealed pungs (no kongs) and a pair, formed from a single suit and/or honours. For all four pungs to be considered concealed, each must be self-drawn; they cannot be completed with a discard when declaring Mah-Jong, as that would expose the pung. The pair may be completed with a discard claimed by declaring Mah-Jong.

Fourfold Plenty

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: 40% limit

circles-4 circles-4 circles-4 circles-4 bamboos-3 bamboos-3 bamboos-3 bamboos-3 bamboos-7 bamboos-7 bamboos-7 bamboos-7 character-3 character-3 character-3 character-3 dragon-white dragon-white

Four kongs and a pair.

Heads and Tails

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: 40% limit

circles-1 circles-1 circles-1 circles-9 circles-9 circles-9 bamboos-9 bamboos-9 bamboos-9 character-1 character-1 character-1 bamboos-1 bamboos-1

A hand composed solely of terminals (1s and 9s).

The Gates of Heaven

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: 40% limit

bamboos-1 bamboos-1 bamboos-1 bamboos-2 bamboos-3 bamboos-4 bamboos-5 bamboos-6 bamboos-7 bamboos-8 bamboos-9 bamboos-9 bamboos-9 bamboos-5

A hand consisting of 1-1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-9-9 in a single suit and any other tile of that suit. The two pungs must be concealed.

The Wriggling Snake

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: 40% limit

character-1 character-1 character-2 character-3 character-4 character-5 character-6 character-7 character-8 character-9 wind-east wind-south wind-west wind-north

A pair of 1s (snake’s eyes) and a run from 2 through 9, all in the same suit, plus one of each Wind.

All Winds and Dragons

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: 40% limit

wind-south wind-south wind-south wind-north wind-north wind-north dragon-white dragon-white dragon-white dragon-red dragon-red dragon-red wind-east wind-east

A standard winning hand composed exclusively of honour tiles.

Imperial Jade

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: 40% limit

bamboos-2 bamboos-2 bamboos-2 bamboos-4 bamboos-4 bamboos-4 bamboos-6 bamboos-6 bamboos-6 dragon-green dragon-green dragon-green bamboos-8 bamboos-8

A standard winning hand consisting solely of Green Dragons or the 2, 3, 4, 6, or 8 of bamboo. The other tiles (1, 5, 7, and 9) typically have red paint on them and therefore are not entirely green. Chows are not allowed.

The 13 Unique Wonders

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: 40% limit

circles-1 circles-9 bamboos-1 bamboos-9 character-1 character-9 wind-east wind-south wind-west wind-north dragon-white dragon-green dragon-red

One tile of each Dragon, one tile of each Wind, a 1 and a 9 from each suit, and any additional tile that matches another in the hand to form a pair.

Three Great Scholars

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: 40% limit

dragon-white dragon-white dragon-white dragon-green dragon-green dragon-green dragon-red dragon-red dragon-red blank blank blank blank blank

A pung or kong of each type of Dragon tile, another pung or kong of any suit, and any pair.

Four Blessings Hovering over the Door

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: 40% limit

wind-east wind-east wind-east wind-south wind-south wind-south wind-west wind-west wind-west wind-north wind-north wind-north blank blank

A pung or kong of each type of Wind tile, plus any pair.

Heaven’s Blessing

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: N/A

When the East Wind’s initial 14 tiles form a complete, valid winning hand.

Earth’s Blessing

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: N/A

When the South, West, or North Wind completes a valid winning hand on the dealer’s first discard.

Gathering the Plum Blossom from the Roof

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: N/A

Win with a supplemental tile when the tile is 5 Circles.

Plucking the Moon from the Bottom of the Sea

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: N/A

Win with the last tile from the wall when the tile is 1 Circles.

Twofold Fortune

  • Win: 100% limit

  • Fishing: N/A

When a player declares a kong, uses the supplemental tile to complete a second kong, and then, with the second kong’s supplemental tile, declares Mah-Jong.