All simples 断幺九 · tanyao
A hand made entirely of number tiles 2 through 8 — no terminals, no honors.
| Value | 1 han, open or closed |
|---|---|
| How often | very common |
Look for the lean in your starting tiles. When most of your hand is already number tiles 2 through 8, tanyao is the natural frame: discard terminals and honors early and the hand converges almost on its own. Remember that the rule reaches inside sequences too — a 123 run contains a 1, so tanyao runs are limited to 234 through 678.
Its real strength is surviving an open hand. Call pon or chii on middle tiles (open tanyao is called kuitan クイタン) and the han keeps its full value, which makes it a standard engine for fast hands. The classic beginner mistake is overusing that speed: calling three times for a bare 1,000-point hand gives the table information and gives up your flexibility for very little return. Call when dora or a second yaku ride along; stay patient when they don't.
Closed, tanyao folds into the standard value stack: the same middle tiles feed pinfu, riichi goes on top, and a couple of dora lift it from cheap to respectable. Open, it's the reliable fallback when your hand has already called and still needs a yaku — check why every hand needs a yaku if that requirement is new to you.
Key points
- Works open or closed for 1 han in standard rules (open tanyao is called kuitan)
- The most flexible yaku for fast, open play
- Combines readily with pinfu, dora, and sanshoku
A minority of house rules disallow open tanyao (kuitan nashi). WRC and EMA both allow it.
Related yaku
- Pinfu (all sequences) 平和 — A closed hand of four sequences and a valueless pair, won on a two-sided (ryanmen) wait.
- Three-color sequences 三色同順 — The same numbered sequence in all three suits: characters, circles, and bamboo.
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