Curriculum · 26 / 50
Deciding whether to call
Chi or pon can speed up a hand but opens it; the decision depends on the surviving yaku, shanten, ukeire, score and risk.
The principle
Before chi or pon, first confirm that an open yaku remains. Riichi, pinfu, iipeikou and menzen tsumo disappear after an open call. The Tenhou profile taught here allows open tanyao, as does WRC 2025; yakuhai, toitoi, and several suit-based yaku also remain available.
Rule and example
The call then changes speed. It may immediately lower shanten or fix a group, but it can also remove concealed improvements and make the hand easier to read. Compare the resulting shape with the hand after passing, using real ukeire counts.
What changes
Context decides close cases: minimum hand value, placement, dealer status, live-wall tiles and opponent danger. Calling is neither always aggressive nor always wrong; it is correct when the concrete gain in speed or placement offsets the value and flexibility surrendered.
Rules references
- Tenhou rulesReference profile used for game mechanics and scoring.
- WRC Rules 2025International rules compared whenever their options differ from Tenhou.