Little Four Winds

What Is Little Four Winds

Little Four Winds is a hallmark 64-fan hand in Chinese Mahjong, defined by three Wind pungs/kongs plus a pair of the remaining Wind. It is second only to “Big Four Winds” in the Wind-based category and stands among the highest-valued hands overall. While it can be challenging to assemble—with limited Wind tiles and potential opponent interference—the reward is spectacular if you manage to gather the necessary sets. Watch for multiple Wind pairs early, stay mindful of tile availability, and aim to meld swiftly if you sense you’re close, all while opponents scramble to prevent your triumphant 64-fan “Little Four Winds” finish.

The Tile Pattern of Little Four Winds

Little Four Winds is a high-value hand built around the four Wind tiles: East, South, West, and North. To satisfy “Little Four Winds,” you must have:

• Three Pungs (or Kongs) of three different Winds, and
• A pair of the fourth Wind.

Example

• Pung of East
• Pung of South
• Pung of West
• Chow of 4–5–6 Bams (4 B, 5 B, 6 B)
• Pair of North

Fan Value of Little Four Winds

Under Chinese Mahjong rules, Little Four Winds is worth 64 fan. This is among the highest-valued hands in the system (second only to the extremely rare 88-fan hands). The need to collect so many Wind tiles—especially with opponents potentially blocking—justifies this significant scoring boost.

Strategies and Considerations of Little Four Winds

Assess Your Winds: If you start with multiple pairs of Winds (e.g., East and South) or find yourself quickly picking up extra copies, consider “Little Four Winds.” Avoid discarding Winds you might need, especially if you realize you have a good chance to collect three or four distinct Winds.

Calling Pungs: You can call “pung” if any opponent discards the Wind tile you need to complete a three-of-a-kind. This often accelerates your hand. However, each call reveals your Wind-based focus.

Concealed Kongs/Pungs: If you happen to draw all copies of a Wind tile yourself, you can form a concealed pung/kong. This offers slight extra bonuses if you self-draw the winning tile, though the big payoff remains the 64 fan.

Telegraphed Discards: Once you show two different Wind pungs, opponents typically guess that you might be aiming for “Little Four Winds” (or possibly “Big Four Winds”). They may refrain from discarding the remaining Wind tiles or hold them as a defensive measure. If any of the Winds you’ve punged is also the round Wind or your seat Wind, you gain extra small fan (1 fan each). It doesn’t overshadow the 64 fan base, but it adds up.

The Fourth Meld: Your three Wind pungs and one Wind pair account for three melds + pair. You still need one more meld, which can be a chow or pung/kong of any suit or honor tile (like Dragons). Some players combine Little Four Winds with a pung/kong of Red/Green/White Dragon if they happen to have those tiles, offering extra minor bonuses.

Limited Wind Tiles: Each Wind has only 4 copies in the set, so collecting 3 identical ones—and especially three sets plus a pair—can be tough if opponents hold back. Securing “Little Four Winds” almost guarantees a large margin of victory for that hand, which can dramatically alter the game’s standings.