Triple Triplets

What is Triple Triplets in Japanese Mahjong?

Triple Triplets is a two-han yaku in Japanese Riichi Mahjong. It requires forming three triplets (or quads) of the same number across the three different suits (pin, sou, and man).

How to Achieve Triple Triplets？

Three Matching Ranks in All Three Suits: For example, a triplet of 5-5-5 in pin, another 5-5-5 in sou, and a third 5-5-5 in man. The triplets can be either concealed or exposed (pung or kong).

Valid Hand Structure: Since a complete Riichi Mahjong hand needs four sets (triplets/sequences) plus one pair, the three triplets of Triple Triplets are part of those four sets. The remaining set can be a triplet or a sequence, and you still need one pair.

Two-Han Yaku: Three triplets is worth two han, regardless of whether the hand is open or closed.

What is the Strategy and Risk of Triple Triplets?

Open or Closed: You can call pung (exposed triplets) for the same rank in different suits without losing the Triple Triplets yaku. This makes it more flexible than some yaku that require a fully concealed hand.

Rarity: It can be challenging to gather three triplets of the same rank across all suits, making Triple Triplets relatively rare compared to more common two-han yaku like All Triplets. Sometimes it happens naturally if you start forming triplets of a certain rank and notice you can aim for the same rank in the other two suits.

Combining with Other Yaku

• All Triplets: If all four of your sets are triplets, you can stack Triple Triplets with All Triplets for additional value.
• Yakuhai: If one of your triplets is a value tile (seat wind, round wind, or a dragon), you can add at least one more han.

Because Triple Triplets does not require a fully concealed hand, you can also meld opportunistically to complete triplets of the same rank in different suits.

Risk vs. Reward: Collecting triplets can sometimes be slower than building sequences, especially if the table is competitive about discarding or calling the same rank. However, successful completion often yields a comparatively higher score, especially if combined with other triplet-based yaku or dora.