intermediate Lucky Rare
Rinshan Kaihou
嶺上開花 | rinshan kaihou
Win on the replacement tile drawn from the dead wall after declaring a kan.
Han Value
1 han (closed) / 1 han (open)
Example Hand
3m 3m 3m 3m 5p 6p 7p 2s 3s 4s 8s 8s 8s 1p 1p
Conditions
- You must declare a kan (quad) — this can be an open kan (daiminkan), closed kan (ankan), or added kan (shouminkan)
- After declaring the kan, you draw a replacement tile from the dead wall
- You must win on that replacement tile (tsumo)
- Your hand can be open or closed (depending on the type of kan and other melds)
Strategy Tips
- Rinshan kaihou is relatively rare, but it’s always a pleasant surprise. Any time you declare a kan, you get a shot at it. Don’t declare a kan just hoping for rinshan, but when you do kan, appreciate the bonus chance to win.
- This yaku can rescue otherwise awkward situations. If you’re tenpai and draw a fourth copy of a tile you already have as a triplet, declaring kan gives you an extra draw that might be your winning tile — plus a new dora indicator is revealed.
- Rinshan kaihou counts as tsumo (self-draw), so if your hand is closed, you also get menzen tsumo on top of it. The combination of rinshan + tsumo + new dora from the kan can produce surprisingly high-scoring hands.