Hold a pung or kong of each of the three dragons, then finish the hand with any set and any pair.
There are only twelve dragon tiles, four of each color, and this hand takes nine of them. The rest is free: the fourth set may be a run, a pung or a kong of anything, and the pair may be anything too. Some lists call it Three Great Scholars, and Japanese ones call it daisangen.
What it scores
Chinese Official and riichi put it at the top of their tables; Hong Kong tables do not all agree.
| Style | Value |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong | a limit hand, in two of three lists |
| Chinese Official | 88 points |
| Japanese riichi | yakuman |
Chinese Official puts it in the top tier at 88 points, beside Big Four Winds and Thirteen Orphans. In riichi it is a yakuman whether the sets are concealed or claimed. The Hong Kong split is explained below, under Where the sources disagree.
The smaller version
Pungs of two dragons and a pair of the third is a different hand, called Little Three Dragons.
How far apart the two hands sit depends on the style. Chinese Official scores Little Three Dragons at 64 points, against 88 for this hand. Riichi gives it 2 han, plus a han for each of its two dragon pungs: a good hand, and still far below a yakuman. So in riichi, a third dragon that stays a pair instead of becoming a pung costs you most of the hand's value. Hong Kong lists give it a few faan, well short of the limit.
Watching for it at the table
Two dragon pungs on show are a warning to everyone else.
Because the sets may be claimed, this hand can be built in the open, where everyone can see it coming. Once a player has two dragon pungs exposed, think hard before you throw the third dragon: it may be the tile that finishes either hand on this page.
Where the sources disagree
Only the Hong Kong value is in question.
- Whether Hong Kong pays the limit. Sloper's Hong Kong list and Mahjong Time's both make it a limit hand, though Sloper adds that some players award only 6 faan for it. Wikipedia's article on Hong Kong scoring leaves it off its limit list and counts it at 8 faan, the three dragon pungs included. Agree on it before you play.
Questions about Big Three Dragons
What is Big Three Dragons in mahjong?
A hand holding a pung or kong of each of the three dragons, red, green and white, with any set and any pair to finish it. It is 88 points in Chinese Official and a yakuman in riichi. In Hong Kong play it is a limit hand in two of the three lists we checked, though some tables pay less.
What is the difference between Big and Little Three Dragons?
Big Three Dragons has pungs of all three dragons. Little Three Dragons has pungs of two and a pair of the third. In Chinese Official they score 88 points and 64. In riichi Little Three Dragons is worth 2 han plus a han for each dragon pung, while Big Three Dragons is a yakuman.
Can Big Three Dragons be made from claimed discards?
Yes. Our sources allow every set to be exposed, so a player holding a pair of each dragon can complete all three sets by calling pung as the third tile of each is thrown.
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.