Hong Kong Mahjong · 1 fan
Self-Drawn (Zi Mo) in Hong Kong Mahjong: Fan, Payment and Odds
In Hong Kong mahjong, Self-drawn (自摸) is worth 1 fan: you draw the winning tile from the wall yourself instead of claiming someone's discard.
It doesn't need a concealed hand — chows and pungs are fine. When you are one fan short of the minimum, self-draw is the most common way to get there.
On this page
The rules for Self-drawn
- The winning tile is your own draw: a normal draw, a kong replacement or a flower replacement all count
- Open hands count — no need to be concealed
- Winning on a discard or by robbing a kong is not a self-draw
- Drawing the very last tile of the wall adds Last Tile; winning on a kong replacement adds Win on a Kong
How Self-drawn is scored
The fan below are computed live by the same scoring code the game uses.
Self-drawn
| Self-drawn (自摸) | 1 |
| Dragon pung (三元牌) | 1 |
| No flowers (無花) | 1 |
| Total | 3 fan |
|---|
Anything over 10 fan scores 10 (the limit).
Won on a discard
| Dragon pung (三元牌) | 1 |
| No flowers (無花) | 1 |
| Total | 2 fan |
|---|
Anything over 10 fan scores 10 (the limit).
Common combinations:
| Combination | Fan |
|---|---|
| Self-drawn | 1 fan |
| Self-drawn + Concealed + No Flowers | 3 fan |
| Self-drawn + dragon pung + No Flowers | 3 fan |
| Self-drawn + Win on a Kong | 2 fan |
| Self-drawn + Last Tile | 2 fan |
Who pays on a self-draw
In Hong Kong mahjong all three opponents pay on a self-draw; on a discard win only the discarder pays. With this site's defaults (half-spicy, discarder pays):
- Self-draw: each of the other three pays 1 share
- Discard win: the discarder pays 2 shares (the full amount); the other two pay nothing
- With the "discarder covers" option: the discarder pays 3 shares
So for the same fan, a self-draw collects one share more than a discard win — and it's worth one more fan as well. Since the half-spicy table pays more per fan as fan rise, a self-draw is almost always better.
How it relates to other hands
- Concealed Hand: scored separately, so a concealed self-draw is 2 fan.
- Win on a Kong: self-drawing the kong replacement adds 1 fan on top.
- Last Tile: self-drawing the last wall tile adds 1 fan; claiming the last discard doesn't.
- Heavenly Hand and Earthly Hand: self-draws in the first go-around, scored as limit hands.
- Robbing a Kong: claiming someone's added kong tile isn't a self-draw.
Self-drawn odds
Over 100,000 computer hands on this site, 55% of all wins were self-drawn, after 13.0 draws on average. Self-drawn wins averaged 3.4 fan; all wins averaged 3.4.
| Fan | Share of wins |
|---|---|
| 3 fan | 73% |
| 4 fan | 20% |
| 5 fan | 4.6% |
| 6 fan | 1.2% |
| 7 fan | 0.60% |
| 8 fan | 0.48% |
| 9 fan | 0.16% |
| 10 fan · Limit | 0.42% |
Source: 100,000 hands of computer play on this site (Normal level, 3-fan minimum, 10-fan limit).
The self-draw share is high because of the 3-fan minimum: many ready hands are too small to claim a discard and have to wait for the extra fan from a self-draw.
Waiting for a self-draw or claiming
- Short of fan: one fan short, only a self-draw will do; don't rush to change your wait unless it adds a fan.
- Enough fan: claim when you can — a self-draw adds a fan and a share, but every go-around you wait is a chance lost.
- A wide wait: with several tiles to wait on and plenty of wall left, a self-draw is likely, and passing a small win can be worth it (read the table).
To try it, open a table of online Hong Kong mahjong — the computers play with you and handle fan and payments for you.
Self-drawn in other mahjong styles
Every style has self-draws, but scores them differently:
- Sichuan mahjong: by default a self-draw adds a base unit (Sichuan mahjong self-draw)
- Taiwanese and Japanese mahjong each score it their own way: Taiwanese mahjong tai list, Japanese mahjong yaku list
FAQ
How many fan is Self-drawn?
In Hong Kong mahjong Self-drawn is worth 1 fan. Open hands count; a concealed self-draw also adds Concealed (1 fan).
Who pays on a self-draw?
Each of the other three pays 1 share. On a discard win only the discarder pays: 2 shares by default, 3 with the "discarder covers" option.
Does Win on a Kong count as a self-draw?
Yes. The kong replacement is your own draw, so you score Self-drawn (1 fan) plus Win on a Kong (1 fan).
Is Robbing a Kong a self-draw?
No. You win on the tile someone adds to their kong, like a discard, and score Robbing a Kong (1 fan).
Related hands
Concealed Hand 1 fan
No chows or pungs is worth 1 fan: do concealed kongs count, discard vs self-draw, building 3 fan with All Chows and No Flowers, and how common it is.
Win on a Kong 1 fan
Self-draw your win on the replacement tile after a kong: 1 fan. Any kong counts, flowers don't; who pays and how often it happens.
Last Tile Win 1 fan
Self-draw the very last tile of the wall: 1 fan. The rules, why a discard doesn't count, the flower case, and how often it comes up.
Try it at the table
Hong Kong Mahjong — Play classic Hong Kong (Cantonese) mahjong free in your browser against three computer opponents. 13-tile hands, flowers, 3-fan minimum, 10-fan limit and automatic fan scoring. No sign-up, works on phone and desktop.