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Mahjong Master
intermediate Lucky Rare

Rinshan Kaihou

嶺上開花 | rinshan kaihou

Win on the replacement tile drawn from the dead wall after declaring a kan.

By Kenji Tanaka · Updated

Overview

Rinshan kaihou, blossom on the ridge, is a 1-han yaku for winning on the replacement tile you draw from the dead wall immediately after declaring a kan. When you call any kan you take a fresh tile from the dead wall, and if that tile completes your hand, you win by rinshan kaihou as a self-draw. It is a rare, chance-based bonus that stacks with the hand's other yaku, and because declaring a kan also flips a new kan-dora indicator, a rinshan win can pick up extra dora at the same time. The setup requires being tenpai while holding a kan you can legally declare, so it usually arises when a hand naturally develops a fourth matching tile. It carries the normal kan risks, such as exposing dora to opponents, but completing the hand on the rinshan draw turns that gamble into an immediate, slightly larger win.

Han Value
1 han (closed) / 1 han (open)

Example Hand

3m 3m 3m 3m 5p 6p 7p 2s 3s 4s 8s 8s 8s 1p 1p

Conditions

  • You must declare a kan (quad) — this can be an open kan (daiminkan), closed kan (ankan), or added kan (shouminkan)
  • After declaring the kan, you draw a replacement tile from the dead wall
  • You must win on that replacement tile (tsumo)
  • Your hand can be open or closed (depending on the type of kan and other melds)

Strategy Tips

  • Rinshan kaihou is relatively rare, but it’s always a pleasant surprise. Any time you declare a kan, you get a shot at it. Don’t declare a kan just hoping for rinshan, but when you do kan, appreciate the bonus chance to win.
  • This yaku can rescue otherwise awkward situations. If you’re tenpai and draw a fourth copy of a tile you already have as a triplet, declaring kan gives you an extra draw that might be your winning tile — plus a new dora indicator is revealed.
  • Rinshan kaihou counts as tsumo (self-draw), so if your hand is closed, you also get menzen tsumo on top of it. The combination of rinshan + tsumo + new dora from the kan can produce surprisingly high-scoring hands.