# Baiman — Riichi Mahjong Glossary

> A scoring hand worth 8-10 han, paying 16,000 points (non-dealer) or 24,000 points (dealer). Double the payment of mangan.

**Source:** https://www.mahjongmaster.co/learn/riichi/glossary/baiman/
**Author:** Kenji Tanaka (https://www.mahjongmaster.co/about/kenji-tanaka/)
**Publisher:** Mahjong Master (https://www.mahjongmaster.co)
**Published:** 2026-02-18
**Updated:** 2026-03-10
**Japanese:** 倍満
**Category:** scoring
**Variant:** riichi

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## Baiman

**Baiman** (倍満) is a hand scoring level in mahjong worth 8-10 han, paying 16,000 points for non-dealers and 24,000 points for dealers. The term literally means "double full" and represents exactly double the payment of a mangan hand.

## Baiman, explained

In the standard mahjong scoring system, baiman occupies a specific tier in the hierarchy of hand values. It sits between haneman (half-limit) and sanbaiman (three times full), serving as an important threshold for competitive play.

### Scoring Structure

A baiman hand requires 8, 9, or 10 han. Fu is irrelevant at this level; the base value is capped at 4,000 points.

The actual payment received depends on the player's position:

**Non-dealer (ko):** 16,000 points total. Ron: the discarder pays all 16,000. Tsumo: 4,000 from each non-dealer and 8,000 from the dealer.

**Dealer (oya):** 24,000 points total. Ron: the discarder pays all 24,000. Tsumo: 8,000 from each opponent.

This doubling relationship to mangan (8,000 points for non-dealer, 12,000 for dealer) makes baiman a significant scoring milestone that can rapidly shift game momentum.

### Practical Context

Baiman hands are relatively uncommon in casual play but become increasingly frequent in competitive mahjong. Achieving a baiman requires either multiple expensive yaku or a hand with substantial fu combined with moderate han. Common patterns include hands with 6 han from cheaper yaku combinations, or 7 han hands from single expensive yaku like yakuhai with additional melds.

The baiman threshold is psychologically important because it represents genuine high-scoring territory. While not as rare as yakuman or sanbaiman, baiman hands are prestigious enough to significantly impact match scores and require opponents to respect the player's winning potential.

## Seeing Baiman in play

In a riichi variant game, a player declares riichi with a hand containing:
- Riichi (1 han)
- Tanyao (1 han)
- Pinfu (1 han)
- Sanshoku doujun (2 han)
- Ippatsu (1 han)

This totals 6 han. Upon winning, the hand qualifies as haneman regardless of the fu value. If the player is the dealer, they receive 18,000 points in total.

Alternatively, a non-dealer might win with:
- Toitoi (2 han)
- Honroutou (2 han)
- Shousangen (2 han)
- Two yakuhai dragon triplets (2 han)

This 8-han hand is baiman, worth 16,000 points from the discarder on ron.

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*This content is from [Mahjong Master](https://www.mahjongmaster.co), a free educational reference for riichi (Japanese) and American (NMJL) mahjong. When citing this page, please link to https://www.mahjongmaster.co/learn/riichi/glossary/baiman/.*