Sichuan Mahjong · 1 fan

Last-Tile Self-Draw (Hai Di Lao Yue) in Sichuan Mahjong: Fan, Examples and Odds

In Sichuan mahjong, the last-tile self-draw (海底撈月, hai di lao yue — "fishing the moon from the seabed") adds 1 fan: one tile is left in the wall, it's your turn to draw, and it completes your hand. Even a plain hand gets 1 fan, and each payer pays 3 units (including the self-draw bonus).

The rules for a last-tile self-draw

• You draw the last tile of the wall and self-draw with it
• If the last tile is a kong replacement it counts too, plus a win after a kong
• If someone else draws the last tile and you win on their discard, it's a last-tile discard instead
• Like every Sichuan win, you can't hold your void suit

After the last tile

When the wall runs out, the hand ends and the players who haven't won settle up:

• Flower-pig check: anyone still holding their void suit pays the cap to every player who isn't a flower pig
• Ready-hand check: players who aren't ready pay every ready player (by the best fan that player could win)
• Kong refund: players who aren't ready give back the kong money they collected this hand

So drawing the last tile without winning isn't neutral: not being ready costs money. A last-tile self-draw turns "about to be checked" into "collecting".

How a last-tile self-draw is scored

Fan add up, and each extra fan doubles the payment, up to the cap of 4 fan. The hands below are scored live by the same code the game uses (the self-draw bonus and kong payments come on top).

Common combinations:

How it relates to other hands

• Last-tile discard: after the last tile is drawn, the drawer's discard deals in — the winner adds 1 fan and only the discarder pays.
• Win after a kong: if the kong replacement is the last tile and you self-draw it, both fan add.
• Self-draw: a last-tile self-draw is a self-draw; with the self-draw fan option it adds another 1 fan.
• Plain hand: a plain hand on the last tile gets 1 fan, doubling each payment (self-draw bonus aside).

Last-tile self-draw odds

In 40,000 hands of normal computer play, 11% of hands reached the last tile (the rest ended earlier when three players had won); in those hands, the player drawing the last tile self-drew a win 7.7% of the time. Overall, last-tile self-draws were 0.30% of all wins, about once every 116 hands, averaging 1.6 fan.

Source: 40,000 hands of computer play on this site (four normal-level players, 115,067 wins in total), cap 4 fan.

Playing the last few tiles

• Work out who draws the last tile: tiles left and players still in tell you.
• Get ready first: not being ready at the end means paying in the ready-hand check; being ready keeps the last-tile self-draw alive.
• After drawing the last tile you still discard: if that tile deals in, it's a last-tile discard worth 1 fan more to the winner.
• No pungs or kongs once the wall is empty: the last discard can only be won on, not claimed.

To try it, open a table of online Sichuan mahjong — the computers play blood battle with you and count the fan for you.

Last-tile self-draw in other mahjong styles

• Taiwanese mahjong: 1 tai (Taiwanese mahjong scoring)
• Japanese mahjong ("Haitei Raoyue"): 1 han (Japanese mahjong yaku list)
• Hong Kong mahjong: 1 fan (Hong Kong mahjong fan list)
• Chinese Official (Guobiao): "Last Tile Draw", 8 fan — note that Guobiao's "hai di lao yue" means winning on the last *discard* (Guobiao fan list)

FAQ

How many fan is a last-tile self-draw?

It adds 1 fan to everything else; for a plain hand under the default rule each payer pays 3 units.

Does it have to be a self-draw?

Yes. Self-drawing the last tile is a last-tile self-draw; winning on the last discarded tile is a last-tile discard.

Does a kong replacement count as the last tile?

Yes — and it's a win after a kong as well, so both fan add.

Is there still a ready-hand check after a last-tile self-draw?

Yes. The wall is empty and the hand ends; players who haven't won still go through the flower-pig check, the ready-hand check and the kong refund.

Related hands

Last-Tile Discard 1 fan The discard after the last tile deals in: 1 fan for the winner, paid by the discarder alone. Self-Draw 1 fan Everyone pays on a self-draw: the +1-unit bonus versus the +1-fan option, and how often wins are self-drawn. Win After a Kong 1 fan Self-draw the kong replacement: 1 fan plus the root, at least 2 fan. Examples, who pays, and the odds per kong.