Outside Hand

What Is Outside Hand

Outside Hand in Chinese Mahjong is a 4-fan pattern mandating that each meld and the pair contain at least one terminal (1 or 9) or honor tile. You can fulfill this via chows exclusively of 1-2-3 or 7-8-9, or pungs/kongs of terminals/honors, alongside a terminal/honor pair. Though this approach can be relatively tile-intensive, the 4-fan reward can be substantial—particularly when combined with other high-value patterns like All Pungs or Half Flush. Keep track of opponents’ discards, weigh the pace of your hand, and be ready to pivot if the needed 1s, 9s, or honors become scarce. By blending speed and patience, you can secure a high-scoring Outside Hand for a satisfying Mahjong win.

The Tile Pattern of Outside Hand

Every Meld Contains a Terminal or Honor

• Chows must be 1-2-3 or 7-8-9, as those are the only runs that include a 1 or a 9.
• Pungs/Kongs can be any set of 1s, 9s, or honors. (In some rule sets, 1s and 9s are often called “outside numbers.”)

Pair Also Contains a Terminal or Honor: Your pair must be 1s, 9s, or an honor tile to satisfy the pattern.

Valid Example Hand

• Meld 1: 1-2-3 of Bams
• Meld 2: 7-8-9 of Dots
• Meld 3: Pung of 1 of Craks (1-1-1)
• Meld 4: Pung of East (East-East-East)
• Pair: 9 of Craks (9-9)

All sets include at least one terminal or honor.

Fan Value of Outside Hand

Under standard Chinese Mahjong scoring, Outside Hand is worth 4 fan. This makes it significantly more valuable than many of the 1-fan or 2-fan patterns, reflecting the extra effort required to include terminals/honors in every component of the hand.

Strategies and Considerations of Outside Hand

Terminal-Focused Melds: Look for early opportunities to form chows of 1-2-3 or 7-8-9, or to collect pungs/kongs of 1s/9s/honors. If you see a potential pair of 1 or 9 in any suit, consider holding it for your pair.

Honor Integration: Honor tiles (winds/dragons) can also fulfill the “outside” requirement if you form a pung/kong or pair with them. If you draw multiple copies of a wind or dragon early, you might pivot toward an Outside Hand.

Flexibility vs. Commitment

• In some deals, you may accumulate many terminals/honors naturally. If they converge well into sets, go for the high 4-fan payoff.
• If you struggle to gather enough 1/9 tiles or honors, or if many are discarded early, you might drop the plan rather than force it.

Discard Risks: Players often discard 1s and 9s early if they don’t plan to use them. However, if they spot you collecting terminals, they may become cautious about discarding more 1s or 9s (and especially honors) later.

Open vs. Concealed: Chinese Mahjong does not require Outside Hand to be concealed. You can meld (claim discards for chow/pung) to speed up. However, revealing sets also gives opponents a clearer picture of your terminal/honor usage.

Tile Flow: Track how many 1s, 9s, or honors are being discarded or melded by others. If multiple crucial tiles for your “outside” sets appear in others’ hands, your path to a full Outside Hand may narrow.

Cautions

• Overcommitting: Outside Hand can be slow if your draws don’t cooperate. If you only have a few terminals/honors, consider a simpler hand or pivot to a pattern you can complete faster.
• Conflicting Patterns: Some patterns rely on mid-suit tiles (e.g., All Simples). Obviously, you can’t do All Simples if you require 1s and 9s in each set.