Chinese Official Mahjong · 8 pt

Mixed Triple Chow in Chinese Official Mahjong (MCR): Points, Examples and Odds

In Chinese Official Mahjong, Mixed Triple Chow (三色三同顺) is worth 8 points: your winning hand has the same numbered chow in each of the three suits, for example 2-3-4 characters, 2-3-4 dots and 2-3-4 bamboo. 8 points is exactly the minimum, and together with Mixed Straight it is one of the two most common ways to reach a legal win.

The rules for Mixed Triple Chow

• Three chows with exactly the same numbers, one in each suit: any run from 1-2-3 to 7-8-9
• Claimed chows count; no concealed requirement
• The fourth set and the pair are free, honors included
• The same chow in only two suits is a Mixed Double Chow, 1 point

What Mixed Triple Chow does not combine with

Each pair of the three identical chows would be a Mixed Double Chow. Under the non-repeat principle, no Mixed Double Chow is scored among those three chows.

Under the "account once" principle, the fourth chow may still combine with one of them. In the second example below the fourth chow is another 2-3-4 of characters, which adds a Pure Double Chow (1 point) with the first.

How Mixed Triple Chow scores

Scored live by the site's engine, exactly as in the game, including the fan left out by the non-repeat rules.

Common combinations:

How it relates to other fan

• Mixed Double Chow: the same chow in two suits, 1 point — what you are left with if the third suit never comes.
• Triple Pung: pungs of the same number in all three suits, 16 points — bigger. If all three suits already hold a pair of the same number (say 3-3 in each), consider pung-ing for Triple Pung instead.
• Mixed Straight: 1-2-3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9 across the suits, also 8 points; the two routes often swap.
• Mixed Shifted Chows: chows stepping up by one across the suits (1-2-3 characters, 2-3-4 dots, 3-4-5 bamboo), 6 points — not enough alone.
• Pure Triple Chow: three identical chows in one suit, 24 points.

Mixed Triple Chow odds

In 4,000 hands of normal bot play on this site, Mixed Triple Chow appeared in 16% of winning hands — with Mixed Straight (15%) the two most common 8-point patterns. Those wins averaged 13.2 points, and 25% were self-drawn.

It is common for the same reason as Mixed Straight: each suit needs a single chow and every chow can be claimed. Middle runs (2-3-4 to 6-7-8) are easy to complete and often bring All Chows and All Simples along.

How to build a Mixed Triple Chow

• Look for the same run started in all three suits: 2-3 characters, 3-4 dots, 2-3-4 bamboo — find the run every suit can reach.
• Prefer middle runs: 3-4-5 or 4-5-6 can be completed from both sides in each suit; 1-2-3 and 7-8-9 rely on edge and closed waits.
• Chow freely: no concealed requirement; take it from your left.
• Swap to Triple Pung: with a pair of the same number in all three suits, Triple Pung (16) may pay better.
• Fallback: if one suit will not cooperate, check whether a Mixed Straight is closer.

Try it at a table of online Chinese Official Mahjong — scoring is automatic.

Mixed Triple Chow in other mahjong styles

Japanese riichi mahjong has the same hand, sanshoku doujun: 2 han closed, 1 han open (see the Japanese mahjong yaku list). Taiwanese and Sichuan mahjong have no such hand.

FAQ

How many points is Mixed Triple Chow?

Mixed Triple Chow is worth 8 points in Chinese Official Mahjong — exactly the minimum to win.

Does Mixed Triple Chow also score Mixed Double Chow?

Not among its three chows. The fourth chow can still combine once with one of them.

Can I chow for Mixed Triple Chow?

Yes, it does not require a concealed hand.

Which is bigger, Mixed Triple Chow or Triple Pung?

Triple Pung is 16 points, more than Mixed Triple Chow's 8. With a pair of the same number in all three suits, pung-ing for Triple Pung pays more — but each pung needs the third tile, while chows can be claimed from the left, so Mixed Triple Chow is much faster.

Related fan

Mixed Double Chow 1 pt The same chow in two suits for 1 point: counting it twice, the account-once limit, and how it grows into Mixed Triple Chow. Mixed Straight 8 pt 1-2-3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9 across three suits — exactly 8 points. The most common route to a legal win: how to build it and what it stacks with. Triple Pung 16 pt Pungs of one number in all three suits — 16 points. Pungs may be claimed; Double Pung is not added; how it stacks with All Pungs.