<p>Your understanding is correct.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>Yakuhai (役牌)</strong>, also known as <strong>Fanpai (飜牌)</strong>, is a 1-han yaku consisting of a pon/kan of any of the following:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Dragons (elements)</li>
  <li>Your current seat wind</li>
  <li>The current round wind (typically east or south)</li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>As it is a yaku, it will net you the 1-yaku minimum required to complete your hand.  It doesn't matter if the hand remains open or closed, so calling a discarded tile to complete the set is perfectly legal.</p>

<p>Whether it is the best choice in any circumstance is highly dependent on the rest of your hand; the point value of an open set is only half that of a closed set, and there are many other potential yaku which are unavailable when a hand is opened.  In particular, you lose out on the ability to call riichi, which would also provide the 1-yaku minimum and give you a chance for ura-dora as well.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-08T21:06:33.860Z
Is this quoted from somewhere? If so, could you link to the source?
ire_and_curses
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-08T23:21:17.260Z
@ire_and_curses: It's not a quote, I just used the notation for aesthetics so it would stand out
goldPseudo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-08T02:50:28.240Z
2012-02-08T05:08:43.910Z
2012-02-08T05:08:43.910Z
goldPseudo
<p>Just wanting to confirm whether I'm understanding these rules correctly. The rule set from which I'm deriving most of my (Rīchi-)Mahjong knowledge only has this short paragraph about tiles being worth <em>han</em>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>三元牌、圏風牌、門風牌を飜牌とし、その刻子、槓子組ごとに一飜とする。<br>
  連風牌はニ飜とする。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Which I translate to:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Elements tiles, prevailing wind tiles and player wind tiles are han tiles, with each triple or quad meld of them being worth one han.<br>
  Double wind tile melds are worth two han.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In a game with a one-han minimum requirement, does this mean if I have <em>any</em> element meld or a meld of any of the two relevant wind types, I can complete my hand? Meaning, it may be worth it to make a call for these tiles and opening my hand, even if the rest of my hand is not really worth much?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-08T02:53:57.563Z
Just to clarify, standard riichi mahjong has a one-yaku minimum to go out, not a one-han minimum.  The difference between yaku and han is subtle, but important (dora and ura-dora provide han, but they are not yaku).
goldPseudo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-08T04:09:58.190Z
@gold That may be a difference in translation. The above rule set uses the term "han pai" and that these are worth one/two han. I also think the rule that specifies the minimum requirement also says han. I couldn't say whether this rule set is typical or necessarily the best though. :)
deceze
<mahjong><riichi-mahjong><yaku>
Element, wind melds worth it to reach minimum han requirement?
deceze
# Element, wind melds worth it to reach minimum han requirement?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-02-08)

Just wanting to confirm whether I'm understanding these rules correctly. The rule set from which I'm deriving most of my (Rīchi-)Mahjong knowledge only has this short paragraph about tiles being worth *han*:

> 三元牌、圏風牌、門風牌を飜牌とし、その刻子、槓子組ごとに一飜とする。  
> 連風牌はニ飜とする。

Which I translate to:

> Elements tiles, prevailing wind tiles and player wind tiles are han tiles, with each triple or quad meld of them being worth one han.  
> Double wind tile melds are worth two han.

In a game with a one-han minimum requirement, does this mean if I have *any* element meld or a meld of any of the two relevant wind types, I can complete my hand? Meaning, it may be worth it to make a call for these tiles and opening my hand, even if the rest of my hand is not really worth much?

**Tags:** mahjong, riichi-mahjong, yaku

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Just to clarify, standard riichi mahjong has a one-yaku minimum to go out, not a one-han minimum.  The difference between yaku and han is subtle, but important (dora and ura-dora provide han, but they are not yaku).  
> **username_0**: @gold That may be a difference in translation. The above rule set uses the term "han pai" and that these are worth one/two han. I also think the rule that specifies the minimum requirement also says han. I couldn't say whether this rule set is typical or necessarily the best though. :)  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-02-08. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Your understanding is correct.

> **Yakuhai (役牌)**, also known as **Fanpai (飜牌)**, is a 1-han yaku consisting of a pon/kan of any of the following:
>
> * Dragons (elements)
> * Your current seat wind
> * The current round wind (typically east or south)

As it is a yaku, it will net you the 1-yaku minimum required to complete your hand. It doesn't matter if the hand remains open or closed, so calling a discarded tile to complete the set is perfectly legal.

Whether it is the best choice in any circumstance is highly dependent on the rest of your hand; the point value of an open set is only half that of a closed set, and there are many other potential yaku which are unavailable when a hand is opened. In particular, you lose out on the ability to call riichi, which would also provide the 1-yaku minimum and give you a chance for ura-dora as well.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Is this quoted from somewhere? If so, could you link to the source?  
> **username_1**: @username_2: It's not a quote, I just used the notation for aesthetics so it would stand out  

---

