Dora

Dora

Dora (ドラ) are bonus tiles in mahjong that increase the value of your hand by one han each. They are determined randomly at the start of each hand and provide a significant scoring advantage when incorporated into your winning combination.

Detailed Explanation

How Dora Works

At the beginning of each hand, after the wall is built and initial tiles are distributed, a dora indicator tile is revealed. The tile one rank higher than the indicator becomes dora for that hand. For example, if the indicator is a 3-bamboo, then all 4-bamboo tiles in your hand count as dora. If the indicator is a 9-character, then 1-character becomes dora (the sequence wraps around).

For honor tiles, the sequence follows the standard order: east, south, west, north, white, green, red. So if the indicator is east wind, south wind becomes dora.

Red Fives (Akadora)

In most modern rule sets, including the widely-played riichi mahjong variant, the three red fives (5-bamboo, 5-character, and 5-dot) are automatically dora in every hand, regardless of the dora indicator. This is a permanent bonus that exists alongside the standard dora system. Some rule sets, particularly traditional ones, do not include red fives as automatic dora.

Uradora and Kandora

If you declare riichi and win, you reveal additional bonus tiles called uradora (裏ドラ), which function identically to regular dora but are hidden until you win. The uradora indicator is the tile beneath the dora indicator in the wall.

When you declare a meld (kan), additional dora indicators may be revealed. These kandora (カンドラ) follow the same ranking system as regular dora and apply to your hand if you win after making the kan.

Counting Dora in Your Hand

To count dora, examine all tiles in your hand—melds, concealed tiles, and your winning tile—and identify any that match the dora tile. Each matching tile counts as one dora, and each dora adds one han to your hand’s value. A hand can contain multiple dora. For instance, if 4-bamboo is dora and you hold three 4-bamboo tiles, that’s three dora, adding three han to your hand.

Usage Example

You’re playing riichi mahjong. The dora indicator is revealed as 7-dot, making all 8-dot tiles dora for this hand. Your hand contains two 8-dot tiles in your melds. Additionally, one of the red fives (5-character) is in your winning combination. When you win, you count:

• Two 8-dot tiles = 2 dora
• One red five = 1 dora (from akadora)
• Total: 3 dora = 3 han

These three han are added to your hand’s base value when calculating your final score.

Related Terms

Han — The point value unit in mahjong scoring. Dora each contribute one han.

Uradora — Hidden bonus tiles revealed only when you win after declaring riichi. They function identically to regular dora.

Kandora — Bonus tiles revealed when you declare a meld (kan). Additional dora indicators are flipped when kans are made.

Akadora — The three red five tiles (5-bamboo, 5-character, 5-dot) that serve as permanent dora in most rule sets.

Riichi — A declaration that locks your hand and reveals additional bonus tiles (uradora) if you win. Riichi players can benefit from uradora in addition to regular dora.

Mangan — A hand worth 2,000 base points (8 han or 5 han with a terminal/honor tile). Dora help hands reach mangan and higher scoring thresholds.