Upper Tiles

What Is Upper Tiles

Upper Tiles is a formidable 24-fan hand in Chinese Mahjong, requiring all 14 tiles to be from the highest ranks—7, 8, 9—across any suits. This constraint leaves you only one chow pattern (7–8–9) or possible pungs/kongs of 7, 8, or 9. While the hand is challenging to assemble and easily telegraphed if you discard all lower ranks and honors, its substantial 24-fan reward can be game-changing. By recognizing a rich “upper” tile distribution early, discarding everything else swiftly, and carefully monitoring tile availability, you can push for a memorable, high-scoring “Upper Tiles” victory.

The Tile Pattern of Upper Tiles

Upper Tiles designates a winning hand in which all 14 tiles are drawn exclusively from the upper ranks of 7, 8, and 9 in any combination of suits.

Upper Tiles are not allowed to use:

• Ranks 1–6 in any suit
• Any honor tiles (Winds or Dragons)

Examples：

• Chow of 7–8–9 Craks (7 C, 8 C, 9 C)
• Pung of 9 Bams (9 B, 9 B, 9 B)
• Pung of 8 Dots (8 D, 8 D, 8 D)
• Chow of 7–8–9 Bams (7 B, 8 B, 9 B)
• Pair of 7 Dots (7 D, 7 D)

Fan Value of Upper Tiles

Under Chinese rules, Upper Tiles is worth 24 fan. The difficulty of restricting your entire 14-tile hand to only the three highest ranks (7, 8, 9)—and forming valid melds within those ranks—explains why it earns such a high reward.

Strategies and Considerations of Upper Tiles

Check Your Opening Hand: If you start with several 7, 8, or 9 tiles across suits—especially pairs or partial sequences of 7–8–9—you might consider pushing for “Upper Tiles.” Immediately discard any 1–6 or honor tiles you receive, as they cannot fit the pattern.

Chows in the Upper Range: The only possible chow is 7–8–9. If your tiles naturally align for these sequences, calling “Chow” could speed completion.

Pungs or Kongs: Another approach is forming triplets of 7, 8, or 9. This can also combine with an All Pungs pattern for extra synergy, though local rules often award only the higher pattern. Concealed Hand: If you remain concealed, you may add extra fan for a fully concealed win or self-draw. However, that might be slower, and you risk missing essential discards.

Predictable Discards: Because you must discard everything outside 7, 8, 9, opponents might quickly notice you are aiming for a “higher tiles” pattern—or suspect “Upper Tiles” specifically. They might then avoid discarding 7, 8, 9, or hold them if it benefits their defense.

Tile Shortage: If too many 7s, 8s, or 9s are discarded or melded by other players, completing “Upper Tiles” could become impossible. Keep track of how many copies remain.

Potential Combinations

• All Pungs: If you form exclusively pungs/kongs of 7, 8, or 9, you have “All Pungs.” Whether you gain both sets of fan depends on local scoring rules, but typically “Upper Tiles” (24 fan) supersedes smaller patterns.
• One-Suit Variation: If you somehow keep all 7–9 tiles in one suit, you might get an even bigger pattern like “Full Flush”. The final scoring might be handled differently depending on your table’s rules about overlapping patterns.
• Seat/Prevalent Wind: These can’t be used in “Upper Tiles” because they are honors, so no bonus from them.