Toitoi
対々和 | Toitoihou
The entire hand is composed of triplets (or quads) with no sequences.
By Kenji Tanaka · Updated
Overview
Toitoi, all triplets, is a 2-han yaku in which all four of your melds are triplets or quads, with no sequences anywhere in the hand, plus the usual pair. Because it is built from sets of identical tiles, toitoi is often played open, calling pon to assemble triplets quickly, and it pairs naturally with yakuhai, honitsu, and honroutou. It also has strong upside when concealed: a toitoi hand with three concealed triplets adds san ankou, and four concealed triplets is the yakuman suu ankou. Toitoi tends to generate shanpon or tanki waits rather than sequences, and the triplets add substantial fu, so even a modest toitoi can score well. The drawbacks are that committing to triplets narrows the tiles you can use and your waits, and pon calls reveal your intentions to opponents. Toitoi is a good target when your hand starts with several pairs and few sequence shapes.
Example Hand
111m 999m 555p 777s 33z
Conditions
- All four melds must be triplets (three of the same tile) or quads (kan); no sequences are allowed
- The pair can be any tile
- Worth 2 han regardless of whether the hand is open or closed
- Open calls (pon) are permitted and common for building this hand
- If all four triplets happen to be concealed, the hand would also qualify for suu ankou (yakuman)
Strategy Tips
- When your hand has several pairs and few sequential connections, toitoi becomes a strong option. Calling pon aggressively on pairs you hold can build this hand quickly.
- Toitoi combines naturally with yakuhai (dragon/wind triplets) and honroutou (all terminals and honors). Look for these overlaps to increase your hand value significantly.
- Be mindful that calling pon three times makes your hand very transparent to opponents. They can often read that you are going for toitoi and may stop discarding your needed tiles. Try to keep at least one concealed triplet to maintain some ambiguity.