Take one suit, hold three ones, three nines and one of everything between, then add any tile of that suit.
The thirteen-tile shape is the point of the hand. Whatever you draw next, as long as it belongs to the suit, it finishes the hand: the ones and nines are already pungs, and the run from 2 to 8 can absorb any number and still resolve into sets and a pair.
What it scores
It pays the top of the table in all three styles.
| Style | Value |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong | a limit hand |
| Chinese Official | 88 points |
| Japanese riichi | yakuman |
Our Hong Kong sources give 10 faan in one and 64 points in another, so the page says limit hand. Chinese Official places it in the top tier at 88 points, alongside Thirteen Orphans and Big Four Winds. In riichi it is a yakuman, doubled by two of our sources when the hand was waiting on all nine tiles.
Why it is hard to hold
The hand needs thirteen particular tiles from a single suit, and most of them can only come from the wall.
Three ones and three nines is six of the eight copies that exist of those two tiles, and the seven singles between them can only come from the wall, since a discard can be claimed only to complete a set or to win.
Where the sources disagree
One rule is genuinely open, and worth settling before you play.
- Whether it must be concealed. Our Hong Kong and riichi sources say yes. Our Chinese Official sources describe the shape and say nothing about concealment either way, which is an omission rather than permission, so ask.
Questions about Nine Gates
What is the Nine Gates hand in mahjong?
A hand in one suit holding three 1s, one each of 2 through 8, and three 9s, plus a duplicate of any tile in that suit. The thirteen tiles before the duplicate wait on all nine tiles of the suit at once.
Why is it called Nine Gates?
None of our sources explains the name. What they agree on is the wait: the thirteen tiles before the last accept nine different tiles, one for every number in the suit. Sloper's list also gives it as Heavenly Gates and Nine Connected Sons.
Does Nine Gates have to be concealed?
In Hong Kong and riichi play, yes: our sources for both require the hand to be concealed. The Chinese Official sources state no such requirement, so ask your table which rule applies.
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.