# Kazoe Yakuman — Riichi Mahjong Glossary

> Counted yakuman - when a hand's han count reaches 13+ through combination of regular yaku and dora. In some rule sets, treated as regular yakuman.

**Source:** https://www.mahjongmaster.co/learn/riichi/glossary/kazoe-yakuman/
**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:** 数え役満
**Category:** scoring
**Variant:** riichi

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## Kazoe Yakuman

**Kazoe Yakuman** (数え役満, かぞえやくまん) refers to a hand that reaches 13 or more han through a combination of regular yaku, dora, and bonus tiles rather than achieving a natural yakuman pattern. The term literally means "counted yakuman", you count up the han total until it reaches yakuman levels.

## Understanding Kazoe Yakuman

### How It Occurs

Kazoe yakuman happens when you stack multiple yaku and dora:
- **Base yaku**: Riichi (1 han) + chinitsu (6 han) + ittsu (2 han) = 9 han
- **Bonus tiles**: 3 dora + 2 uradora = 5 han
- **Total**: 14 han = kazoe yakuman

While no single pattern reached yakuman level, the cumulative han count exceeds the 13-han threshold.

### Rule Set Variations

Treatment of kazoe yakuman varies by rule set:

**Modern/Online Rules**: Most modern rule sets, including the major online clients, pay kazoe yakuman as a full yakuman; a minority of rule sets cap it at sanbaiman. Once you reach 13+ han via counting, you receive sanbaiman (24,000 points for a non-dealer, 36,000 for a dealer) but not full yakuman payment.

**Traditional/Yakuman Treatment**: Some rule sets treat kazoe yakuman as a full yakuman, awarding 32,000 points (non-dealer) or 48,000 (dealer), matching natural yakuman hands.

**EMA Rules**: The European Mahjong Association scores 13 or more han as a full yakuman, the same payment as a natural yakuman.

### Comparison to Natural Yakuman

**Natural yakuman**: Achieved by completing specific rare patterns (kokushi musou, suuankou, daisangen). Always worth full yakuman points regardless of rule set.

**Kazoe yakuman**: Reached by accumulating 13+ han from combinations. May be capped at sanbaiman depending on rules.

The distinction matters: a hand with suuankou (four concealed triplets yakuman) plus dora receives full yakuman payment. The same hand value reached through chinitsu + dora might only receive sanbaiman.

### Strategic Implications

**Riichi + High Yaku**: The most common path to kazoe yakuman is riichi plus a high-value yaku like chinitsu (6 han) or honitsu (3 han), combined with multiple dora. Uradora from riichi frequently pushes hands over the 13-han threshold.

**Dora Dependency**: Unlike natural yakuman which guarantee maximum points, kazoe yakuman relies heavily on dora tiles. The dora indicator significantly impacts whether your hand reaches 13 han.

## Seeing Kazoe Yakuman in play

You declare riichi with a chinitsu (pure flush) hand in bamboo tiles. Your hand has pinfu (1 han), giving you: riichi (1) + chinitsu (6) + pinfu (1) = 8 han. When you win by tsumo, you add menzen tsumo (1) = 9 han. The dora indicator shows 4-bamboo, and you hold three 5-bamboo tiles (3 dora). The uradora indicator shows a 1-bamboo, and you hold one 2-bamboo (1 more uradora). Your total: 9 han from yaku + 4 han from dora/uradora = 13 han. Under sanbaiman-cap rules, this scores 24,000 points as a non-dealer (36,000 as dealer). Under yakuman-treatment rules, it scores 32,000 points (48,000 as dealer).

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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/kazoe-yakuman/.*