Hand Types

Limit hand

Also called: 役満 hand, 13-faan hand, 16-tai hand

A hand that hits the maximum table payout — typically the rarest and most beautiful.

Limit hands are the highest-scoring patterns that cap out at the table's maximum payout. Each variant has its own family: Riichi has yakuman (Kokushi, Suuankou, etc.), Hong Kong has 13-faan limits (Great Three Dragons, Thirteen Orphans, Nine Gates), MCR has 88-fan limits (Big Four Winds, All Green), and Sichuan has 16-fan limits (Eighteen Arhats, Heavenly Hand). Limit hands are rare — most players see one every few hundred games.

Related terms

Yakuman
Riichi's limit hands — instant 13-han equivalent, payout capped at the table limit.