Ippatsu

Conditions

• You must have declared riichi on your previous turn
• You must win before your next discard after declaring riichi (within one turn cycle around the table)
• No other player may make an open call (chi, pon, or kan) between your riichi declaration and your win — any call by any player cancels ippatsu
• You can win by either self-draw (tsumo) or claiming another player’s discard (ron)

Strategy Tips

• You cannot “aim” for ippatsu — it’s a bonus that happens or doesn’t based on luck and timing. The main strategy is simply declaring riichi whenever it makes sense, and sometimes you’ll pick up ippatsu as a bonus.
• Ippatsu is one reason riichi declarations create tension at the table. Other players may hesitate to make calls even if they want to, knowing that a call would cancel your ippatsu bonus but also reveal tiles.
• When another player declares riichi, be aware that making any open call (even one unrelated to their hand) will cancel their ippatsu chance. This can be a small defensive benefit of calling.