Seven Pairs

What Is Seven Pairs

Seven Pairs is a top-tier 24-fan hand in Chinese Mahjong, distinguished by having seven distinct pairs of tiles instead of the usual set-based structure. Because you cannot meld pairs from discards, you must remain concealed and rely on self-draws—an approach that often keeps opponents guessing. While collecting seven pairs can be challenging (and occasionally requires discarding extra copies to avoid triplets), the payoff of 24 fan is enormous. By monitoring your pairs carefully and resisting the urge to meld, you can transform a scattered starting hand into a powerful, surprise finish—one that might singlehandedly determine the outcome of the game.

The Tile Pattern of Seven Pairs

No Special Meld Requirements: Because it is a special hand type, “Seven Pairs” bypasses the usual “four melds + one pair” rule. You only need to confirm you have exactly seven pairs, with no duplicates that would break the concept.

Example:

• Pair 1: 1 B – 1 B
• Pair 2: 9 B – 9 B
• Pair 3: East – East
• Pair 4: 5 D – 5 D
• Pair 5: 7 C – 7 C
• Pair 6: North – North
• Pair 7: Red Dragon – Red Dragon

As long as each pair is distinct and you end up with exactly 14 tiles, you fulfill the “Seven Pairs” hand.

Fan Value of Seven Pairs

Under Chinese rules, Seven Pairs is worth 24 fan. This is a high-value hand—triple the common 8-fan minimum that many tables require for a legal win. Its difficulty arises from needing multiple pairs without messing up the strict pairing structure (e.g., inadvertently forming a triplet/pung would break a pair).

Strategies and Considerations of Seven Pairs

Deciding on Seven Pairs: If you find, after the initial deal, that you already have three or four pairs (or can easily form them), consider pursuing “Seven Pairs.” The moment you call a “pung” or “chow,” you create a meld. That eliminates the possibility of “Seven Pairs.” So, you must remain fully concealed if you still aim for Seven Pairs.

No Calling Discards: Because you can only form pairs within your hand, you cannot call from opponents to complete a pair. You must draw the second tile yourself. Thus, it’s purely a self-draw (concealed) style.

Self-Draw Win: Often, you’ll also gain a small bonus (2 fan) for self-drawing the winning tile, if your local rules track that separately. This can stack on top of the 24 fan for “Seven Pairs.”

Avoiding Triplets: If you accidentally pick up a third copy of a tile for which you already have a pair, you either break the pair or risk a concealed pung. That could disqualify you from “Seven Pairs.” Usually, if you get a third identical tile, you might discard it to preserve your pair—unless you pivot away from Seven Pairs to a different hand.

Difficult to Predict: Opponents may not realize you’re aiming for “Seven Pairs,” because you will appear to be discarding random single tiles and never calling melds. Your hand might look like a typical concealed hand.

End-Game Surprises: Many players fail to spot a potential Seven Pairs hand, especially if you keep your discards ambiguous. This can work to your advantage.

Potential Combinations

• Mixed/Full Flush: If you collect seven pairs all within one suit (plus possible honor pairs), you might combine “Full Flush” or “Half Flush” with Seven Pairs. However, some rule sets handle overlapping special hands differently—consult your local scoring rules.
• Tile Hog or One Wait: Rarely, extra sub-patterns might occur, but typically “Seven Pairs” stands alone with its own high fan count.

High-Risk, High-Reward: You rely heavily on draws to complete pairs. If you do not keep track of the discard pool carefully, you might chase a pair that is no longer possible. If you see too many copies of a tile you planned for a pair being discarded or melded by others, you might switch strategies. Or if you accidentally get a concealed pung, consider aiming for “All Pungs” or “Three Concealed Pungs” instead.