Mahjiku › Mahjong variants › Riichi vs Taiwanese
Riichi and Taiwanese mahjong differ above all in how a hand is scored: Riichi counts in han + fu (han-fu scoring against a point table), Taiwanese in tai (台) (additive tai-counting, no exponential doubling). Beyond the scoring, the tile sets are different sizes (136 against 144), and a winning hand is 13 tiles against 16. Both are played by 4 players, and the everyday consequence is that a hand worth a lot at one table can be worth very little at the other.
How Riichi and Taiwanese mahjong differ — the tile set, the hand, and above all how each one is scored.
| Riichi | Taiwanese | |
|---|---|---|
| Also called | 麻雀 / リーチ麻雀 | 臺灣麻將 |
| Played in | Japan, international competitive scene | Taiwan, diaspora communities |
| Tiles | 136 | 144 |
| Flowers | none — flower and season tiles are omitted from standard riichi sets | 4 flowers + 4 seasons; drawn flowers are exposed and replaced from the wall, scoring bonus tai outside the hand |
| Jokers | none | none |
| Hand size | 13 | 16 |
| Scored in | han + fu | tai (台) |
| Scoring system | han-fu scoring against a point table | additive tai-counting, no exponential doubling |
| Learning curve | advanced | intermediate |
Riichi. Riichi (Japanese) mahjong is the modern competitive ruleset centered on the riichi declaration, mandatory yaku, and han/fu scoring — 136 tiles, four players, no flowers in play.
Taiwanese. Taiwanese mahjong is defined by its 16-tile hand (17-tile win: 5 sets + a pair), flowers drawn and replaced into play for bonus tai, and an additive, largely uncapped tai scoring system.
Last updated: 2026-08-27.
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