Yakuhai: Haku
役牌 白 | yakuhai haku
Complete a triplet (or quad) of white dragon tiles to score this straightforward 1-han yaku.
By Kenji Tanaka · Updated
Overview
New players sometimes mistake the white dragon for a blank spare tile, because in many sets that is literally what it looks like: an empty face, sometimes framed with a thin blue border. It is anything but filler. A haku triplet is worth 1 han of yakuhai in every seat and every round, the same standing value as the other two dragons. That makes an early haku pair one of the most useful quiet holdings in the game: it costs nothing to keep, it can pon into an immediate legal open hand, and if the third copy never comes the pair itself still adds fu. Like all dragons it feeds shousangen and daisangen, so a haku set on the table alongside other dragon tiles deserves respect. The blank tile, it turns out, is often the one doing the work.
Example Hand
5z 5z 5z 2m 3m 4m 6p 7p 8p 4s 5s 6s 9m 9m
Conditions
- Your hand must contain a triplet or quad (three or four copies) of haku (white dragon, 5z)
- The triplet can be open or closed — you can call pon on a discarded white dragon
- The rest of your hand must form a valid winning hand (three more melds and a pair)
Strategy Tips
- Yakuhai tiles are your fastest route to a valid hand. If you start with a pair of white dragons, aggressively pursue the third one. A single pon gives you a guaranteed yaku, and you only need to fill out the remaining three melds and a pair.
- Don’t hold onto isolated white dragon tiles for too long if your hand is heading in another direction. A single haku that doesn’t pair up is just a dead tile. Discard it early if you’re going for tanyao or pinfu.
- Be aware that discarding haku early can be dangerous if another player is collecting them. Pay attention to the discard pools — if no one has thrown white dragons, someone may be holding a pair and waiting for your discard.