Sanbaiman
By Kenji Tanaka · Updated
Definition
Sanbaiman is triple mangan: 11 to 12 han, a fixed 24,000 (36,000 from the dealer). It sits just below the yakuman cap and usually means a monster flush or a riichi hand where the ura dora landed hard. One more counted han rolls it into kazoe yakuman under most rules.
Sanbaiman
Sanbaiman (三倍満) is a mahjong hand worth 11-12 han that pays triple mangan: 24,000 points for non-dealers or 36,000 points for the dealer.
How Sanbaiman plays out at the table
Sanbaiman represents the third tier in the standard point progression system used in modern mahjong scoring. The term literally translates to “three times full” (san = three, bai = times, man = full), referring to its payment structure being three times the base mangan payout.
Scoring Structure
In standard mahjong rules, hands are evaluated on two primary metrics: han (the number of winning combinations or patterns achieved) and fu (the base points calculated from tile combinations). A hand qualifies as sanbaiman when it reaches 11 or 12 han, regardless of its fu value.
The payment breakdown follows this pattern:
- Non-dealer (ko) receives 24,000 points total: the discarder pays all 24,000 on ron, while on tsumo the dealer pays 12,000 and each non-dealer pays 6,000
- Dealer (oya) receives 36,000 points total: the discarder pays all 36,000 on ron, or each opponent pays 12,000 on tsumo
This scoring system was standardized to simplify gameplay by creating fixed payment tiers rather than calculating points through the traditional han-fu multiplication formula.
Relationship to Other Hand Values
Sanbaiman occupies a specific position within the hand-value hierarchy. Below it sits baiman (8-10 han, worth 16,000/24,000 points) and haneman (6-7 han, worth 12,000/18,000 points). Above sanbaiman is yakuman (13+ han or special winning conditions, worth 32,000/48,000 points for the basic version).
The progression creates a clear ladder: mangan (5 han) → haneman (6-7 han) → baiman (8-10 han) → sanbaiman (11-12 han) → yakuman (13+ han or special).
Achieving Sanbaiman
Reaching sanbaiman requires either:
- Accumulating 11 or 12 han through standard yaku combinations
- Stacking several strong yaku with dora, such as riichi, chinitsu (6 han closed), toitoi, honroutou, and multiple dora or ura dora
Common paths to sanbaiman include stacking multiple yaku like Riichi (1 han) + Chinitsu (6 han closed) + Ittsu (2 han closed) + Pinfu (1 han) plus dora, which totals 10 han before dora and approaches the threshold.
Sanbaiman at the table
A player declares riichi and wins by tsumo with Honroutou (2 han), Toitoi (2 han), Shou Sangen (2 han), two dragon yakuhai (2 han), and Riichi (1 han), totaling 9 han. This would be baiman, not sanbaiman.
However, if that same player instead completes a hand with Honroutou (2 han), Toitoi (2 han), Shou Sangen (2 han), two dragon yakuhai (2 han), Riichi (1 han), Menzen Tsumo (1 han), and two dora, reaching 12 han, the hand would qualify as sanbaiman and pay the higher amount.
Related Terms
Mangan
満貫
Mangan is the first capped tier, where fu stops mattering: 8,000 points, 12,000 from the dealer. A hand gets there at 5 han, at 4 han with 40 or more fu, or at 3 han with 70. It marks the practical boundary between an ordinary hand and a game-swinging one, and every larger tier (haneman, baiman, sanbaiman, yakuman) is defined as a multiple of it.
Haneman
跳満
Haneman is the 6-7 han tier: a fixed 12,000 points, 18,000 from the dealer. It usually takes a solid yaku core plus several dora to reach, and once a hand is clearly there, locking in the win beats chasing more value.
Baiman
倍満
Baiman is the tier worth double a mangan: 8 to 10 han, paying a fixed 16,000 (24,000 from the dealer). Fu stops mattering here. It is usually the product of a big flush or a riichi hand stacked with dora, and for everyone else at the table, a clear signal to fold.
Yakuman
役満
A yakuman is a limit hand, the ceiling of the scoring ladder: a fixed 32,000 points (48,000 from the dealer), regardless of fu or dora. They come from a short list of extreme patterns (kokushi musou, suuankou, daisangen, the wind and honor hands) rather than accumulation, though 13 counted han reaches kazoe yakuman in most rules, and some patterns score double in their hardest forms. Spotting a live yakuman path early is one of the few good reasons to abandon normal efficiency.