Melded Hand

What Is Melded Hand

Melded Hand in Chinese Mahjong is a 6-fan pattern where all four of your sets are formed by claiming opponents’ discards—and you also win on a discard to complete your final pair. While it can be a rapid approach to completing a high-value hand (and it provides a sizeable 6-fan boost), it demands exposing your sets early and relies on an opponent eventually discarding your crucial last tile. Balancing speed and the risk that opponents may withhold your pair tile is key. If managed effectively, a well-timed Melded Hand can yield an impressive payoff.

The Tile Pattern of Melded Hand

All Four Melds Are Exposed: Each of your chows/pungs/kongs is formed by calling at least one opponent discard (i.e., no concealed sets).

Winning on a Discard for the Pair

• After exposing your four melds, you have exactly one tile left in hand as a single—waiting for the second copy to form the pair.
• You must claim that final tile from another player’s discard (not by self-draw).

Example

• Meld 1: You claim a discard to form 2-3-4 of Dots.
• Meld 2: You claim a discard to form Pung of 7 of Craks (7-7-7).
• Meld 3: You claim a discard to form 5-6-7 of Bams.
• Meld 4: You claim a discard to form Pung of East Wind (East-East-East).
• You now wait on, say, a single Red Dragon in your hand. When someone discards Red Dragon, you call it to form the pair (Red-Red) and declare Mahjong. This final structure satisfies Melded Hand.

Fan Value of Melded Hand

Under standard Chinese Mahjong rules, Melded Hand is worth 6 fan. This makes it a high-value pattern, compensating for the fact that you are heavily reliant on opponent discards and have minimal concealment or surprise.

Strategies and Considerations of Melded Hand

High Base Score (6 Fan): A successful Melded Hand yields a generous 6-fan boost, potentially combining with other patterns (e.g., if some melds are special pungs like a Dragon Pung).

Faster Completion via Discards: Since you are actively calling opponents’ tiles for every meld, you can often assemble your sets more quickly than waiting to self-draw.

Pressure on Opponents: Melded sets reveal your progress. If you rapidly expose multiple melds, opponents may feel pressured or adjust discarding to avoid feeding your final wait.

Last Tile Must Be a Discard: Even if you draw the tile you need, it does not fulfill the requirement for Melded Hand. You’d have to pass (not claim it) if you are strictly aiming for this pattern—which can be risky if you might lose the chance to win at all.

Fewer Opportunities for Concealment Bonuses: Because everything is melded, you cannot claim additional fan from patterns like Concealed Hand or Fully Concealed Hand. The 6-fan reward stands largely on its own or synergy with other exposed-based bonuses (e.g., Melded Kong).

Early Melds: If you see an opportunity to call multiple discards and quickly form sets, consider going for Melded Hand. Ensure you keep your single tile separate to form the final pair.

Watch for Key Tiles: Because your final tile must come from an opponent, track if your crucial pair tile is still available. If multiple copies get discarded or used in someone else’s hand, completing Melded Hand might become impossible.

Potential Combination with Honor Pungs: If some of your melded sets are honor pungs (e.g., Seat Wind Pung, Dragon Pung), you can accumulate extra fan on top of the 6 for Melded Hand. For instance, a Dragon Pung is +2 fan, seat wind pung is +2 fan, etc.

Flexibility vs. Forcing: If your final tile is likely to be drawn by you instead of discarded, you might abandon the strict Melded Hand approach. Six fan is tempting, but not if it significantly reduces your chance to complete the hand at all.