Sichuan Mahjong · 2 fan

All 2-5-8 Pungs (Jiang Dui) in Sichuan Mahjong: Fan, Examples and Odds

In Sichuan mahjong, all 2-5-8 pungs (將對, jiang dui) is worth 2 fan, and it always comes with All Pungs' 1 fan — 3 fan in total, so each payer pays 8 units: you win with All Pungs, and every pung and the pair are 2, 5 or 8. "Jiang" (將) is the traditional name for the pair, and 2-5-8 are the classic pair tiles.

The rules for all 2-5-8 pungs

• It must be All Pungs first: four pungs or kongs, no runs
• Every pung and the pair are 2, 5 or 8 (any suit)
• Pungs and kongs are fine — the hand doesn't need to be concealed
• Like every Sichuan win, you can't hold your void suit, so only the 2s, 5s and 8s of two suits are available

How all 2-5-8 pungs waits

Like All Pungs, the usual waits are two pairs or a single tile:

Watch your wait: if the other tile you're waiting on isn't a 2, 5 or 8, winning on it leaves just All Pungs — 2 fan less.

How all 2-5-8 pungs 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:

At 3 fan on its own, any one more fan reaches the default 4-fan cap.

How it relates to other hands

• All Pungs: all 2-5-8 pungs is always All Pungs, and adds on top of it.
• Golden hook: four 2-5-8 sets claimed and a single wait on a 2, 5 or 8 adds the golden hook.
• Root: every 2-5-8 pung you upgrade or kong concealed adds a root.
• Pure One Suit: impossible (one suit has only three 2-5-8 tiles).

How often it happens

In 40,000 hands of normal computer play, all 2-5-8 pungs barely appears: just 1 of 115,067 wins. The computers don't aim for it, and four pungs that happen to be all 2s, 5s and 8s are very unlikely.

Even when forcing All Pungs (the player with the most pairs must go for All Pungs — see the simulation on the All Pungs page), only 0.037% of the finished hands were all 2-5-8 pungs; in the same games 6.4% were golden hooks and 43% had a root.

Which hands suit all 2-5-8 pungs

• Lots of 2-5-8 pairs and pungs to start: four pairs or more; with three or fewer, just play All Pungs.
• Pung only 2s, 5s and 8s: once you commit, let pairs of 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9 go by.
• Void the suit with the fewest 2-5-8s: the more 2-5-8s in the other two, the better.
• Wait on a 2-5-8: if one of your two pairs isn't 2-5-8, winning on it is only All Pungs.

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

All 2-5-8 pungs in other mahjong styles

All 2-5-8 pungs is a Sichuan hand. Guobiao has a similar one, "All Even Pungs" (every pung and the pair are 2, 4, 6 or 8), with different rules and value; see the Guobiao fan list.

FAQ

How many fan is all 2-5-8 pungs?

All 2-5-8 pungs is 2 fan, plus All Pungs' 1 fan that always comes with it: 3 fan, so each payer pays 8 units.

Does all 2-5-8 pungs have to be All Pungs?

Yes. It's "All Pungs made of 2s, 5s and 8s"; any run breaks it.

Do seven pairs of 2s, 5s and 8s count?

Not on this site — it's scored as Seven Pairs. Some tables call it "2-5-8 seven pairs" and add fan; agree before you play.

Can all 2-5-8 pungs be pure one suit?

No. One suit has only three 2-5-8 tiles, not enough for four pungs and a pair.

Related hands

All Pungs 1 fan Four pungs and a pair — 1 fan. Examples, 2-5-8 / golden hook / pure-pungs combos, and how many pairs you need to go for it. Golden Hook 1 fan Four sets claimed, one tile left for a single wait: 2 fan with All Pungs. Examples, combos, and wait-switching tips. Root 1 fan All four copies of a tile in your hand adds 1 fan: examples, no kong needed, stacking roots, and how common they are.