Suu Kantsu

Conditions

• The hand must contain four kans (four declared sets of four identical tiles)
• The kans can be open (daiminkan or shouminkan) or closed (ankan) — any combination counts
• The remaining two tiles form the pair
• The hand can be open — open kans are allowed
• Declaring four kans requires drawing four extra tiles from the dead wall, and the game may end if the dead wall is exhausted or if another player declares a fifth kan (abortive draw in some rulesets)
• This is widely considered the rarest yakuman that can be achieved through normal gameplay

Strategy Tips

• Suu kantsu is so rare that many experienced players never see it in their lifetime. It requires not only having four sets of four identical tiles but also successfully declaring four kans without another player winning or the game ending.
• After your third kan, opponents will be on high alert. Each kan declaration draws attention, and by the fourth, opponents will play extremely defensively. If possible, try to form closed kans (ankan) to reveal less information.
• Be aware that some rulesets trigger an abortive draw (suukaikan) if a fourth kan is declared by the same player or if four kans total exist across all players. Check the rules in play to make sure four kans by one player are allowed.