What is the highest-scoring pattern in classic mahjong?

Pure one-suit (清一色) and seven pairs (七对) are both worth 24 fan; all pungs (碰碰胡) is next at 6 fan. Any legal win scores at least 1 fan on this site.

Do open hands lose fan in classic mahjong?

On this site calls can block some patterns, but the classic scoring here still counts your named patterns normally.

Classic Mahjong Fan List: The International Scoring Patterns

The full practical fan list used on this site for classic (International Standard) mahjong — pure one-suit, mixed one-suit, all pungs, seven pairs and more.

Published 2026-07-06 · Updated 2026-08-08

Classic Mahjong Fan List: The International Scoring Patterns

What fan patterns does this site's Classic scoring use?

Classic scoring on this site follows a practical subset of the International Standard fan list, implemented in the engine as a fixed pattern table. The complete set is small enough to memorize: all-chow (平和) 2 fan, all-triplets (碰碰胡) 6, mixed one-suit (混一色) 6, pure one-suit (清一色) 24, seven pairs (七对) 24, one-dragon run (一条龙) 16, all honors (字一色) 64, thirteen orphans (十三幺) 88, big four winds (大四喜) 88 and four concealed triplets (四暗刻) 64, plus the small bonuses concealed hand 1, self-draw 1, kang flower 8, last-tile 8 and robbing a kong 8. Two patterns from the full International Standard list deliberately do not exist here: three-color runs (三色同顺) and double dragon honors (双箭刻) are not part of the engine, so articles that list them for this ruleset are wrong. This compact table is the complete engine implementation (what you see here is what scores, with no hidden patterns), which keeps the fan list learnable in a single sitting.

What are the big fan patterns worth?

The biggest fan values decide how a hand feels. Pure one-suit (清一色) is worth 24 fan (all 14 tiles from a single suit), which makes it the classic monster hand, sharing its value with seven pairs (七对, 24 fan). All honors (字一色) is 64 fan: every tile a wind or dragon. Thirteen orphans (十三幺) and big four winds (大四喜) sit at the top of the table with 88 fan each (the first is one of every terminal and honor plus a duplicate, the second is pongs or kongs of all four winds). Four concealed triplets (四暗刻) is 64 fan. These are the hands that end sessions; on this site the engine detects them directly from the tile keys, and the settlement shows the exact fan total with every applied pattern listed. Because the values are so large, these hands change the endgame completely: once an opponent looks close to a 64-88 fan shape, discarding into it is a session-ending mistake.

What are the medium and small patterns?

The medium patterns are where most real wins come from. Mixed one-suit (混一色) is 6 fan: one number suit plus honor tiles, far easier to reach than pure one-suit and still valuable. All triplets (碰碰胡) is 6 fan: every meld a triplet, which pairs naturally with wind and dragon triplets. The one-dragon run (一条龙) is 16 fan: three sequences 123, 456 and 789 of the same suit, whether concealed or exposed. All-chow (平和) is 2 fan: every meld a sequence. Because these patterns are independent, a single hand can combine them: a mixed one-suit hand containing a one-dragon run scores 6 + 16 = 22 fan before any bonus, which is why strong players aim for two compatible patterns rather than one. A useful shortcut: the one-dragon run is roughly four times as valuable as mixed one-suit, and because both are independent of the rest of the hand shape, they pair naturally in a single winning hand.

What is the any-win rule?

Three situational bonuses and one house rule complete the table. Self-draw (自摸) adds 1 fan, and a concealed hand (门前清, winning on your own draw with no exposed melds) adds another 1. Winning on the replacement tile after a kong (杠上开花) is 8 fan, winning on the very last tile of the wall (海底捞月) is 8 fan, and robbing a kong (抢杠胡) is 8 fan. The beginner-friendly house rule is that any legal winning hand counts as at least 1 fan even when no named pattern applies. The engine adds an "any win" pattern so new players always get a score to learn from instead of a dead end. The fan count and the full list of applied patterns are shown after every win on this site. That means a beginner can bank points through draws and kong plays alone (the situational bonuses are exactly where casual players accidentally pick up 8-fan wins without noticing).

How do patterns stack in a real hand?

Stacking is the real skill, and the arithmetic is transparent. A concealed seven-pairs hand won by self-draw scores 24 + 1 + 1 = 26 fan; an all-triplets hand won on a kang flower scores 6 + 8 = 14; a mixed one-suit hand with an all-chow shape and self-draw scores 6 + 2 + 1 = 9. Because patterns are independent and additive, the engine simply sums every pattern it detects in a single pass. The settlement dialog displays the full list of applied patterns so you can verify the total yourself. On this site the classic variant awards points equal to the fan count, so a 26-fan hand is worth 26 points in the game score. A hand can go further still: thirteen orphans won by self-draw on the last tile reaches 88 + 1 + 8 = 97 fan. The math is strictly additive (the engine never discards a detected pattern), so two compatible shapes always beat one perfect hand.

How do you choose a pattern before the hand starts?

Choosing a pattern before the hand starts is the difference between luck and direction. In the first few draws, read the shape: honors present → aim for mixed one-suit or a wind-and-dragon triplet feed; sequences clustering early → all-chow (平和) or a one-dragon run; four pairs quickly → seven pairs; triplets piling up → all triplets. The site's Classic tutorial walks through exactly this decision with example hands. Because the pattern set is small and the values are fixed, you can hold a target pattern in your head from the deal, and the yaku list in the settlement dialog doubles as a checklist of what the engine actually supports (the authoritative list for this game mode). In practice the decision is usually binary: chase the cheap 6-fan mixed one-suit when your hand is open and scattered, or hold for the 16-fan run when your tiles are already tight.

Sources & references

FAQ

What is the highest-scoring pattern in classic mahjong?: Pure one-suit (清一色) and seven pairs (七对) are both worth 24 fan; all pungs (碰碰胡) is next at 6 fan. Any legal win scores at least 1 fan on this site.
What is the any-win rule?: As a house rule on this site, any legal winning hand scores at least 1 fan even without a named pattern — so beginners always get a score to learn from.
Do open hands lose fan in classic mahjong?: On this site calls can block some patterns, but the classic scoring here still counts your named patterns normally.