Nine Gates

What Is Nine Gates

Nine Gates ranks among the most prestigious and elusive hands in Chinese Mahjong, yielding the maximum 88 fan. Its defining characteristic is a fully concealed single-suit set of 13 tiles consisting of three copies each of rank 1 and 9 plus one copy each of ranks 2–8, and then any 14th tile in that suit to complete the win. While collecting those exact tiles requires a remarkable combination of luck and skillful discarding—plus avoiding any meld calls—the payoff is enormous if you succeed.

The Tile Pattern of Nine Gates

The signature feature of Nine Gates is that your first 13 tiles in one suit must include:

• 1, 1, and 1 (at least three copies of the 1)
• 9, 9, and 9 (at least three copies of the 9)
• One copy of each rank from 2 through 8 once each

A crucial point is that Nine Gates must be concealed. You cannot have called any chows/pungs from opponents’ discards. All 14 tiles are self-drawn, reflecting the pure-luck, high-skill mystique of this ultra-rare pattern.

Fan Value of Nine Gates

Under Chinese Mahjong rules, Nine Gates awards the maximum 88 fan, alongside other top-tier hands like “Big Four Winds,” “Big Three Dragons,” etc. Because 88 fan is the highest single-hand value in most standard scoring tables, achieving Nine Gates usually decides the entire round or match in the winner’s favor.

Strategies and Considerations of Nine Gates

Early Suit Check: If your opening hand is heavy in a single suit with multiple copies of 1 and 9 plus at least one of each rank from 2 to 8, you may aim for Nine Gates. You must remain concealed, so you cannot call discards. If you do, you disqualify yourself from Nine Gates.

Eliminate Other Suits/Honors: Quickly discard any tile outside your “chosen suit” to focus your draws.

Guarding 1s and 9s: If you notice you don’t have enough 1s or 9s for the triple requirement, or if they appear in opponents’ melds, Nine Gates may become impossible.

Subtlety: Because you are discarding everything outside one suit, opponents might suspect a typical “Full Flush” (24 fan) or a large single-suit hand. They may not immediately guess Nine Gates unless they see your discards precisely avoid certain ranks.

Blocking 1s or 9s: If opponents realize you need extra copies of 1 or 9 in that suit, they might hold those tiles if they draw them, preventing you from forming Nine Gates.

Any Suit Tile: The final tile you self-draw in that suit can complete the hand, whether it’s rank 1, 2, …, 9, as long as it allows a valid 4 sets + 1 pair structure.

“Pure Nine Gates” Variation: Some local or historical rules consider it extra special if the final tile is exactly the missing copy of 1 or 9, but standard Guobiao simply recognizes Nine Gates if your 13-tile core is correct and the 14th tile is from that suit.

Narrow Path: You rely heavily on 1s and 9s and having at least one of each rank 2–8 in the opening or subsequent draws. A single missing tile can ruin the attempt. At 88 fan, Nine Gates is typically a “game-winner.” Players rarely see it, but when they do, it’s memorable.