Small Three Dragons (小三元)
Two dragon pungs plus a pair of the third dragon.
How Small Three Dragons (小三元) works
The hand contains two pungs (or kongs) of dragons plus a pair of the third dragon tile.
Small Three Dragons is formed when two of the three dragons appear as triplets and the remaining dragon forms the hand's pair. It builds directly on dragon pungs and is the step below Great Three Dragons, which requires all three dragons as pungs. The two dragon pungs may still each be recognized for their own dragon pung tai depending on table convention.
- •It requires exactly the third dragon to be the pair, not a triplet.
- •Upgrading the dragon pair into a third dragon pung turns the hand into Great Three Dragons.
- •Many tables let the two underlying dragon pungs score alongside the Small Three Dragons bonus.
Small Three Dragons (小三元) — FAQ
What is the difference between Small and Great Three Dragons?
Small Three Dragons has two dragon pungs and a dragon pair, while Great Three Dragons has all three dragons as full pungs.
Does the dragon pair also score a dragon pung tai?
No. The pair is not a triplet, so it does not earn a dragon pung; it only serves as the pair completing the Small Three Dragons shape.