Single Wait

What Is Single Wait

Single Wait is a 1-fan pattern in Chinese Mahjong Mahjong where you complete your hand by drawing or claiming exactly one tile needed to form your pair. Though this narrower wait can slow your progress, it grants a straightforward bonus if you succeed. Keep an eye on tile availability, remain flexible with how you form your sets, and consider whether the extra fan is worth committing to a one-tile wait.

The Tile Pattern of Single Wait

Four Sets + One Incomplete Pair: A standard Mahjong hand under Chinese Mahjong rules contains four melded or concealed sets (chows/pungs/kongs) plus one pair. In a Single Wait situation, the pair is incomplete until you obtain that one missing tile.

One-Tile Wait: The distinguishing feature is that you are waiting on exactly one possible tile—the mate to your single tile. For example, if you currently hold a single 5 of Craks, you need one more 5 of Craks to form the pair, making it a single-tile wait.

Must Be the Winning Tile: You only score Single Wait if your final winning tile is exactly the one needed to complete the pair. If you complete your hand in another way (for instance, by finishing a chow or pung instead), then it does not qualify as a Single Wait situation.

Fan Value of Single Wait

In Chinese Mahjong, Single Wait is worth 1 fan. If this is how you complete your winning hand, you gain +1 fan in addition to any other patterns you qualify for. Note that you can typically claim only one wait-based bonus (e.g., Edge Wait, Closed Wait, or Single Wait) for your final tile, even if more than one might apply in theory.

Strategies and Considerations of Single Wait

Natural Occurrence: Often, Single Wait situations arise organically if you have a lone tile that you decide to keep as a potential pair. If you complete all other sets and end up only needing its matching tile, you have a single-wait scenario.

Balancing Speed vs. Fan

• A Single Wait is more restrictive than a multi-tile wait or two-sided sequence wait, because only four tiles in the entire game (the exact match) can complete your hand. That narrower range can slow your win.
• On the flip side, earning +1 fan from Single Wait can be beneficial if you are not sacrificing too many chances to go out.

Late-Game Decision: If you realize late in the hand that your single-wait tile is still mostly unseen in discards or opponents’ melds, it might be worth trying to “wait it out” for the extra fan. If that tile appears heavily in discards, consider pivoting to a different wait structure (e.g., turning that lone tile into part of a chow).

Opponent Clues: Single Wait is not always easy for opponents to detect, especially if you have not exposed many melds. They may not anticipate that you are waiting on one specific tile for your pair.

Tile Tracking: Carefully monitor the discard pile and any visible melds for copies of your needed tile. If multiple copies are already out, your chance of winning on a single wait diminishes. Melding vs. Concealment: If you meld too many sets early, opponents might deduce the shape of your hand (though typically they look for sequences or pungs rather than pair waits). A mostly concealed approach can keep them guessing.

Caution

• Limited Winning Tiles: A single-tile wait is riskier if you do not see any (or many) of those tiles available in the wall.
• One Wait Pattern Only: If you could interpret your final draw as both a Single Wait and, say, an Edge Wait, Chinese Mahjong rules typically allow claiming only one of these wait-based bonuses on that final tile.