Chinese Official Mahjong · 12 pt

Knitted Straight in Chinese Official Mahjong (MCR): Points, Examples and Odds

In Chinese Official Mahjong, Knitted Straight (组合龙) is worth 12 points: each suit contributes one "every third tile" group — one suit 147, one 258, one 369 — nine tiles in all, such as 1-4-7 characters, 2-5-8 dots and 3-6-9 bamboo. In a winning hand these nine tiles count as three sets, so you add one more chow or pung and a pair; or they can sit inside Lesser Honors and Knitted Tiles.

The rules

• Nine tiles: one group per suit, 147, 258 and 369 (any assignment of suits — six patterns)
• All nine must be in your hand: you can't chow or pung them; the other set may be claimed or a kong
• Way one, normal hand: knitted straight (as three sets) + one chow or pung + a pair
• Way two, knitted honors hand: the nine knitted tiles + five honors, 14 different tiles — Lesser Honors and Knitted Tiles (12 points) plus Knitted Straight

Knitted Straight itself excludes no other fan.

Building it

• The nine tiles usually come together slowly: when each of 147, 258, 369 is a tile or two short, be ready to break partial sets in other suits
• Keep the extra set and the pair in good shape: two-sided waits and pairs give you a wider wait
• When the winning tile is the missing knitted tile, this site's engine scores no Edge Wait, Closed Wait or Single Wait (a knitted straight isn't a chow, so those waits don't apply)

Scoring examples

Every hand below is scored live by this site's scoring engine — the same code as the game — including the fan left out by the non-repeat rules.

How it relates to other fan

• Lesser Honors and Knitted Tiles: with all nine knitted tiles it stacks, 24 points together.
• Greater Honors and Knitted Tiles: only seven suited tiles, so never a Knitted Straight.
• Mixed Straight, Pure Straight: also "1 to 9" in three sets — Mixed Straight is 123, 456, 789 in three suits (8 points), Pure Straight in one suit (16 points). Knitted Straight scores more than Mixed Straight, but its nine tiles can't be claimed.
• All Types: the knitted straight already covers three suits; make the extra set and pair a wind and a dragon and you have All Types.

Odds

Knitted Straight is a route this site's MCR AI uses a lot: in 4,000 games of normal play it appeared in 8.0% of all wins (including knitted-honors hands with a full straight), averaging 17.5 points, 27% self-drawn.

How far an opening hand is from a knitted straight shows in how many different tiles of one knitted pattern plus honors it holds (the same number also tracks progress toward the knitted honors hand):

Source: 1,000,000 random 13-tile deals (flowers already replaced).

When to go for it

• All three suits present as gapped singles: lots of unconnected tiles like 1, 4, 7 are exactly what a knitted straight needs.
• Many honors? Go knitted honors: with five or more honors, the knitted straight plus Lesser Honors and Knitted Tiles makes 24 points in one go.
• Settle the extra set early: the nine knitted tiles can't be claimed, so the other set is the only place a chow or pung can speed you up.

Try it at a real table — play Chinese Official Mahjong online against the AI, with every point counted for you.

FAQ

How many points is Knitted Straight?

12 points in Chinese Official Mahjong — enough for the 8-point minimum on its own; with Lesser Honors and Knitted Tiles it's 24 points.

Can I chow tiles for a Knitted Straight?

Not the nine knitted tiles — they must be in your hand. The other set can be chowed, punged or konged.

Can Knitted Straight score All Chows?

In this site's engine, yes: the knitted straight counts as three chows, so with a chow as the other set and a suited pair you add All Chows for 2 points. The rulebook doesn't spell this out, and some tournaments rule otherwise.

What's the difference from Mixed Straight?

Knitted Straight is 147, 258, 369 in three suits (12 points); Mixed Straight is three chows 123, 456, 789 in three suits (8 points), and those can be claimed.

Related fan

Lesser Honors and Knitted Tiles 12 pt Fourteen unconnected tiles for 12 points: the knitted tiles plus honors, how it waits, how it stacks with Knitted Straight, how often it shows up. 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. Pure Straight 16 pt 1-2-3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9 in one suit for 16 points — enough on its own. What it excludes and what the fourth chow can still add.