Toitoi 対々和

What It Is

Toitoi (対々和) means every set is a triplet or a kan. No runs at all. The pair finishes it, and the pair can be anything: numbers, a guest wind, even a dragon.

What It’s Worth

Toitoi is 2 han, the same open or closed. Singapore’s Pong Pong Hu is the same shape; compare the tables above.

Triplets also earn more fu than runs, and terminal or honour triplets earn the most, so a toitoi hand often scores a bit above what its han alone suggest. Add a yakuhai pon or a dora triplet and it climbs quickly.

Closed Or Open

Open is fine and normal. Most toitoi hands are built with two or three pons. If all four triplets come from your own draws and you win by tsumo or on the pair, though, you’ve made the yakuman suuankou, so a closed toitoi deserves a moment’s thought before every pon.

How To Build It

Look for four or five pairs in your starting hand. Pon freely, especially honours, which nobody can use in a run. A dragon or valued wind pon also gives you yakuhai, which is useful insurance.

The finish is the hard part: you end on a pair wait or two pairs (shanpon), so only a few tiles win. Wait on tiles others are likely to throw, and count what’s already visible before you commit.

Honours and terminals make the best final waits. Others discard them freely once they’ve given up on yakuhai or chanta, while a middle tile like 5 Circles is more likely to be sitting in someone’s runs.

Common Mistakes

• Going toitoi with too few pairs. Three pairs and a dream is how hands stall.
• Ignoring what you show. Three open pons make your hand easy to read; others stop feeding you.
• Forgetting you need nothing else. Toitoi is a yaku by itself. You don’t need yakuhai too, though it helps.

What It Combines With

Sanankou is its closest friend: three of your triplets concealed adds 2 han. Yakuhai, honitsu and tanyao fit too, and toitoi with only terminals and honours is honroutou (2 han). The same number pon in all three suits is sanshoku doukou, 2 han.