Three-player Riichi mahjong (sanma)

Three-player Riichi, called sanma in Japanese, is a popular variant in its own right, not just a fallback when someone can't make it. It's faster, swingier and full of big hands.

The core changes

• Remove the 2 to 8 of characters. Only the 1 and 9 of characters stay. That takes 28 tiles out of the usual 136, leaving 108.
• No chi. You can't call a discard to make a sequence. Pon and kan work as usual, and you can still win on a discard (ron).
• The North tile becomes a bonus. In the most common rules there's no North seat. Instead, when you draw a North wind, you can set it aside as bonus dora (often called nukidora) and draw a replacement tile.
• No flowers. As in four-player Riichi, flowers aren't normally used.
• Every win still needs a yaku. The core Riichi rules are the same; see how to play Riichi mahjong.

Why it plays differently

With a whole suit mostly gone, hands come together faster and one-suit hands are much easier to make. North bonus tiles add dora. The result is more big hands and bigger swings than in the four-player game, which is a big part of its appeal.

Rules that vary

Sanma is less standardised than four-player Riichi. Before you start, agree on:

• The North tile. Most online play treats it as a bonus you set aside; some groups let you keep it in your hand like any other tile.
• Self-draw payments. With only two opponents paying, rulesets differ on how a self-drawn win is paid.
• Calling to win. Some groups allow a sequence from a discard only when it completes a winning hand.
• Starting points and match length.

Where to play sanma

Tenhou runs separate three-player ranked lobbies. Note that most free AI reviewers, including Mortal, only handle four-player games.

If you're three players because you're one short, you don't have to switch games. Four-player Riichi on Mahjong Live has AI opponents any time, free in your browser. See also where to play Riichi mahjong online.