Curriculum · 5 / 50
Points, your bankroll
Under Tenhou rules every player starts with 25,000 points: you win with them, pay with them, bet 1,000 on riichi, and the final stack sets the rank.
The principle
Under Tenhou rules, play begins with 25,000 points per player, 100,000 on the table. The four scores plus the riichi deposits always total 100,000: each 1,000-point bet temporarily leaves the declarer’s score and enters the pot. Points are represented by sticks, or tenbô, exchanged after each hand.
Rule and example
When you win a hand, you collect its value in han and fu. Outside pao liability on certain yakuman, only the player who discarded the winning tile pays ron, while all three opponents split a tsumo. The dealer (oya) then pays the larger share.
What changes
Declaring riichi places 1,000 points on the table. Under Tenhou, you must hold those points and retain another draw. If you win, you collect every deposit present; otherwise they normally remain for the next winner. A ron on the declaration discard voids riichi and returns the deposit. WRC 2025 instead allows riichi below 1,000 points and on the final live tile, and play does not end on a negative score.
Mistake to avoid
At the end, the flashiest hand does not win: the biggest point stack does. A player who finishes first by a hair beats a yakuman winner stuck in fourth. Managing your bankroll, knowing when to push and when to fold, matters as much as reading the tiles.
Rules references
- Tenhou rulesReference profile used for game mechanics and scoring.
- WRC Rules 2025International rules compared whenever their options differ from Tenhou.