Japanese mahjong scoring rules
Scoring rules for Japanese Mahjong
Japanese mahjong scoring rules are used for Japanese mahjong, a game for four players common in Japan. The rules were organized in the Taishō to Shōwa periods as the game became popular.
The scoring system uses structural criteria as well as bonuses. Player start scores may be set to any value. Usually, it is set to 20,000 to 30,000 points. Scores are counted using sticks of 10,000 points, 5,000 points, 1,000 points and 100 points. A game often ends when a player's score drops below zero, or (almost exclusively online rulesets use this) at zero or less, which is a situation called hakoten, dobon, buttobi, etc. However, some settings allow the game to continue, even if a player's score dropped below zero.
There are two criteria for determining the winning points: han and fu, which correspond to a points table. Han is the unit for the value of yaku, which are particular patterns or conditions of a hand, as well as dora, which are tiles given bonus points for the round or as marked on the tile (red fives).
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