Hold a pung or kong of every wind, then pair anything you like.
Only sixteen wind tiles exist, four of each, and this hand takes twelve of them. That is the whole difficulty: the other players draw from the same small pool, and a pung of the round wind or a player's own seat wind scores in ordinary hands too.
What it scores
It is at or near the top of every scoring list that includes it.
| Style | Value |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong | a limit hand |
| Chinese Official | 88 points |
| Japanese riichi | yakuman |
Chinese Official puts it in the top tier at 88 points. In riichi it is a yakuman, doubled under some rulesets. Both that and the Hong Kong value are explained below, under Where the sources disagree.
The smaller version
Three wind sets and a pair of the fourth is a different hand, called Little Four Winds.
It asks for eleven wind tiles instead of twelve and leaves one set free for anything, and it is still a large hand: a yakuman in Japanese play, 64 points in Chinese Official, and 6 faan or better in Hong Kong lists. Some lists pay it exactly what they pay Big Four Winds. If the fourth wind never comes, the hand you already hold may be worth declaring as it stands, which is the practical reason to know both names.
Where the sources disagree
The riichi double and the Hong Kong value are both unsettled.
- Whether the yakuman doubles. Sloper's yaku list makes it a double yakuman, the top of its table. Wikipedia's list says some rulesets may double it, and Mahjong Time's riichi rules give a single yakuman.
- Whether Hong Kong always pays the limit. Wikipedia's article on Hong Kong scoring puts it at its 13 faan ceiling and Mahjong Time's list at 64 points, but Sloper's Hong Kong list marks it as contested, a hand not every table pays the limit for.
Questions about Big Four Winds
What is Big Four Winds in mahjong?
A hand holding a pung or kong of each of the four winds, East, South, West and North, plus any pair to finish it. It is at or near the top of every scoring list that includes it.
What is the difference between Big and Little Four Winds?
Big Four Winds has sets of all four winds. Little Four Winds has sets of three winds and a pair of the fourth, plus one more set of anything. It is still a large hand in every style. Chinese Official pays it less, 64 points against 88, but some Hong Kong and riichi lists pay the two the same.
Can the sets be exposed?
Yes. Our sources allow the hand to be made from claimed discards, which matters because twelve wind tiles is a great many to draw unaided.
Where this comes from
Checked against Tom Sloper's Hong Kong FAQ and his yaku list, Wikipedia on Hong Kong scoring and Japanese yaku, Mahjong Time's Hong Kong, Chinese Official and riichi pages, and Yellow Mountain Imports. The full list is on our mahjong hands page, and Japanese Mahjong explains what a han is worth.