Yakuhai: Haku

Conditions

• Your hand must contain a triplet or quad (three or four copies) of haku (white dragon, 5z)
• The triplet can be open or closed — you can call pon on a discarded white dragon
• The rest of your hand must form a valid winning hand (three more melds and a pair)

Strategy Tips

• Yakuhai tiles are your fastest route to a valid hand. If you start with a pair of white dragons, aggressively pursue the third one. A single pon gives you a guaranteed yaku, and you only need to fill out the remaining three melds and a pair.
• Don’t hold onto isolated white dragon tiles for too long if your hand is heading in another direction. A single haku that doesn’t pair up is just a dead tile. Discard it early if you’re going for tanyao or pinfu.
• Be aware that discarding haku early can be dangerous if another player is collecting them. Pay attention to the discard pools — if no one has thrown white dragons, someone may be holding a pair and waiting for your discard.