Hong Kong Mahjong · Limit
Human Hand (人糊) in Hong Kong Mahjong: Fan, Rules and Real Odds
In Hong Kong mahjong, this site scores the Human Hand (人糊) as a limit hand, Limit: a non-dealer is ready with their 13 opening tiles, the dealer's very first discard is exactly their tile, and they win before drawing anything.
It's a win on a discard: the dealer pays the limit alone. Not every table recognises the Human Hand, so agree before you start.
On this page
The rules for the Human Hand
- Only a non-dealer can have it
- It must be a win on the dealer's first discard
- You must not have drawn a tile yet
- Nobody may have moved tiles before the dealer's first discard (if the dealer declares a concealed kong first, it doesn't count)
- Winning on another non-dealer's first discard isn't a Human Hand — just your hand's normal fan
Some tables have no Human Hand at all, or give it a few fan instead of the limit; some call this case the "Earthly Hand". This site uses the definition above and scores it as a limit hand; it will become a selectable table rule later.
How the Human Hand is scored
The fan below are computed live by the same scoring code the game uses.
Won on a discard · East round · Seat wind: West
| Human hand (人糊) | Limit |
| Total | 10 fan · Limit |
|---|
Anything over 10 fan scores 10 (the limit).
Heavenly, Earthly and Human hands
| Limit hand | Who | When | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavenly Hand | Dealer | Opening, before discarding | Self-draw |
| Earthly Hand | Non-dealer | First draw, no claims before | Self-draw |
| Human Hand | Non-dealer | Dealer's first discard | Win on discard |
How it relates to other hands
- Heavenly Hand, Earthly Hand: the other first-round limit hands, see the table above.
- Concealed hand, All Chows: a Human Hand is always concealed, but a limit hand adds no other fan.
- If several players can win on the dealer's first discard: head bump applies — the player after the dealer has priority.
Human Hand odds
We let four of this site's computers (Normal level) play 400,000 hands, each one only through the first round: the Human Hand came up 4 times — about 0.001% per hand, or roughly once every 100,000 hands (so few cases that this is only a rough figure).
You need to start ready and the dealer has to discard your exact tile — pure luck. As dealer, remember the flip side: if your first discard is won on, you pay the limit. To try the first round yourself, open a table of online Hong Kong mahjong.
The Human Hand in other mahjong styles
- Taiwanese and Japanese mahjong each treat "winning on the dealer's first discard" in their own way, sometimes only as a local rule: see the Taiwanese mahjong tai list and the Japanese mahjong yaku list
- Sichuan mahjong has Heavenly and Earthly hands (Sichuan mahjong Earthly Hand)
- Chinese Official (Guobiao): see the Guobiao fan list
FAQ
How many fan is the Human Hand?
This site scores it as a limit hand: Limit straight away (10-fan limit). Some tables don't recognise it or give only a few fan.
Who pays for a Human Hand?
The dealer discarded the tile, so it counts as dealing in: the dealer pays alone.
Does winning on South's first discard count?
No. It must be the dealer's first discard; winning on anyone else's scores only your hand's normal fan.
Related hands
Earthly Hand Limit
Heavenly Hand Limit
Try it at the table
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