All Terminals

What is All Terminals in Japanese Mahjong

All Terminals is a yakuman yaku that requires the player to form a hand entirely of terminal tiles (1s and 9s of each suit) and honor tiles (winds and dragons). The hand must consist of four sets (either triplets or quads) and a pair, and no non-terminal tiles are allowed. All Terminals is considered one of the rarest hands to complete because of the specific combination of tiles required, and it is highly valued for its difficulty. It is a yakuman hand, meaning it scores the maximum points in a game and is an incredibly prestigious accomplishment in Riichi Mahjong. Completing this hand requires both luck and patience, making it a rare and significant achievement in the game.

How to Achieve All Terminals？

All Terminal Tiles: The hand must consist entirely of terminal tiles, which include:

• 1s and 9s of each suit (Pin, Sou, and Man):
  • 1 of Pin
  • 9 of Pin
  • 1 of Sou
  • 9 of Sou
  • 1 of Man
  • 9 of Man
• Wind tiles (East, South, West, North) and Dragon tiles (White, Green, Red) are considered terminal tiles for the purpose of this hand. These tiles can be used to complete sets and the pair.

Four Sets and a Pair: As with most hands, All Terminals requires the player to form four sets (either triplets or quads) and one pair. The four sets must be formed using terminal tiles, either triplets or quads, and the pair can also be made up of terminal tiles.

• Triplets (Pung): Three identical terminal tiles.
• Quads (Kong): Four identical terminal tiles.
• Pair: Two identical terminal tiles (could be a wind or dragon tile).

No Non-Terminal Tiles: The hand cannot include any non-terminal tiles. This means no number tiles (1–9) from any suit except for the terminals, and no middle tiles (2–8) from any suit. Only terminal tiles and honor tiles (winds and dragons) are allowed in the hand.

Yakuman Tier: All Terminals is classified as a yakuman hand, meaning it is one of the highest-scoring hands in Riichi Mahjong. The hand typically results in 32,000 points for the dealer and 48,000 points for a non-dealer.

What is the Strategy and Risk of All Terminals?

Very Rare Hand: All Terminals is one of the rarest hands to achieve in Riichi Mahjong because it requires collecting only terminal tiles and honor tiles. These tiles are not as commonly drawn as other tiles, and you must complete your hand with the right combination of triplets, quads, and pairs. It’s even rarer than hands like All Honors, as it requires not only honor tiles but also specific terminal tiles.

Triplets and Quads of Terminal Tiles: The majority of the hand will consist of triplets (pung) or quads (kong) formed from the terminal tiles (1s and 9s) and honor tiles. You may also need to draw the right combination of terminal tiles to form a complete set or pair, which often requires some luck in drawing the tiles you need.

No Sequences: Unlike many other hands in Riichi Mahjong, All Terminals does not require any sequences (chow), which are made up of middle tiles (2–8 of any suit). This makes it very different from most hands, as you can only use the terminal tiles and honor tiles to form your sets.

Patience and Luck: All Terminals requires luck because you must draw the right terminal tiles from the wall. These tiles are rare, and it can take a lot of patience to form the necessary triplets and pair. Patience is also needed because you can’t rely on other players’ discards to complete the hand. You must wait for the right tiles to appear in the wall or draw them yourself.