Tian Hu And Di Hu 天胡 · 地胡

What They Are

Tian Hu (天胡, Heavenly Hand) is the Banker winning on the fourteen tiles they’re dealt, before any discard, with nothing declared. Any winning shape counts, even one with no tai of its own.

Di Hu (地胡, Earthly Hand) is another player winning on the Banker’s first discard, with nothing declared before it. You were dealt a hand that was already waiting, and the Banker threw your tile.

What They Pay

Both pay the Singapore limit, 5 tai, in place of every other tai. Tian Hu is a Zi Mo, so everyone pays the Banker 192 points in all. Di Hu is a discard win, 128 points, and the Banker is the shooter.

Can You Do Anything About It?

Not really, and that’s the charm. There’s no plan for either hand. What you can do is notice it. If you’re the Banker, check your dealt tiles before you throw: a complete hand is easy to miss when you’re expecting to discard. If you’re dealt a waiting hand, know your winning tiles before the Banker’s first throw.

A declared Kong before the win spoils both. If the Banker declares a concealed Kong first, Tian Hu is gone; if they declare anything before that first discard, Di Hu is gone too.

Defence, Such As It Is

Di Hu can only come from the Banker’s first discard, so nothing anyone chose caused it. Nobody can read a hand that hasn’t been played yet. As Banker, your first discard is a blind throw: nobody has claimed or thrown anything, so there’s no information to defend with. Throw what’s best for your own hand and don’t lose sleep over it. No Bao applies to either hand, and neither is anyone’s fault.

At Other Tables

Hong Kong pays Tin Wu and Dei Wu the limit, and there a concealed Kong first cancels Tin Wu; Dei Wu needs the Banker’s discard to be the game’s first move. Malaysian 3 Kaki pays both the limit as well.

Riichi’s versions differ in one way: Chiihou is a non-dealer drawing their winning tile on their first turn, before any call, not winning on a discard. Both it and Tenhou are yakuman.