beginner Triplet Common
Yakuhai: Hatsu
役牌 發 | yakuhai hatsu
Complete a triplet (or quad) of green dragon tiles to score this reliable 1-han yaku.
Han Value
1 han (closed) / 1 han (open)
Example Hand
6z 6z 6z 1m 2m 3m 4p 5p 6p 7s 8s 9s 3m 3m
Conditions
- Your hand must contain a triplet or quad (three or four copies) of hatsu (green dragon, 6z)
- The triplet can be open or closed — you can call pon on a discarded green dragon
- The rest of your hand must form a valid winning hand (three more melds and a pair)
Strategy Tips
- Like all yakuhai, hatsu gives you an easy yaku that works with open hands. If you see two green dragons in your starting hand, plan to pon the third. This guarantees you a valid hand no matter what the rest of your tiles look like.
- Green dragons are part of the ryuuiisou (all green) yakuman, which uses hatsu along with 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 of bamboo. While you’ll almost never complete ryuuiisou, it’s worth noting that hatsu has extra value in bamboo-heavy hands.
- When you hold a hatsu pair, you have a decision: go for the pon to guarantee a fast, cheap hand, or keep the hand closed and aim for something bigger with riichi. Consider the game situation — if you’re behind, speed (open hatsu) is often better than value.