Great Three Dragons (大三元)
8 faan
Pungs (or kongs) of all three dragons — White, Green, and Red — plus any other set and a pair.
Example winning hand
Winning tile: 5p
How Great Three Dragons (大三元) works
A hand containing pungs (or kongs) of all three dragon tiles: red, green, and white.
The player must complete triplets of every dragon, with the remaining sets and pair being any legal combination. It is one of the classic limit-level honor hands and is the stronger sibling of Small Three Dragons, where one dragon is only a pair. Because the three dragon triplets fill three of the four set slots, the hand has just one free set plus the eyes.
Good to know
- •Differs from Small Three Dragons, in which two dragons are triplets and the third forms the pair.
- •Each dragon set may be a concealed or exposed triplet or a kong without affecting eligibility.
- •As a limit hand it typically supersedes counting the individual dragon-pung faan separately at most tables.
Great Three Dragons (大三元) — FAQ
Does it matter whether the dragon sets are kongs or simple triplets?
No. Any mix of pungs and kongs of the three dragons satisfies the pattern.
What if only two dragons are triplets and the third is a pair?
That is the lesser Small Three Dragons pattern, not the great version.