Conclusion: Separately manage point sticks, points, profit and loss with three-player mahjong exclusive rules!
Three-player mahjong (three-player mahjong) tends to have local rules for each table, such as starting points (having 35,000 points, etc.), return points, ranking points (uma), chips, tsumo loss (payment calculation when tsumo rises), etc., so the trick is to record with conditions specific to three-player mahjong without reusing the settings of four-player mahjong. After the match, please make payment smoothly in the following order: ``Calculate points from point sticks → convert rate → add/subtract tip - table fee''.
If you are concerned about the basic rules of mahjong such as tsumo/ron, parents, and multiple homes, please firstIntroduction to mahjong rules for beginnersIt is recommended that you keep track of the overall flow.
Items to be recorded separately for three-player mahjong and four-player mahjong
| Item | What to record | Reason for separation |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point/return points | Example: Have 35,000 points, return 40,000 points | The reference point is different for each table. |
| Ranking points | 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place uma | It is necessary to set the total to 0 for 3 people. |
| okay | Difference between starting points and return points, addition destination | Total number of distribution points is different from four-player mahjong |
| Recruitment rules | Tiles used, north, tsumo loss, premature termination, etc. | Affects points and fighting style |
| actual profit and loss | rate, tip, table fee | A unit other than points |
| performance indicators | average placement, first-place rate, last-place rate | The center of average placement is different from four-player mahjong |
Even with the same name "three-player mahjong", there is more than one rule. Before using the calculation example, please check that it matches the actual table setting method.
Three-player mahjong is not just "four-player mahjong minus one person"
There are methods such as removing manzu 2 to 8 from the tiles used, disallowing chi, and removing north and treating it as dora. However, not all three-player mahjongs adopt these. The movement of the station's point sticks will change depending on whether you leave a "tsumo loss" where the original north family is missing at the time of tsumo, or whether you increase the payments of two people to make them the same amount.
In the profit and loss table, leave not only the final starting points but also a name that allows you to identify which ruleset you hit with. Instead of "three-player mahjongA" and "three-player mahjongB," it will be easier to separate the totals later if you use a name that shows the main difference, such as "35,000, 40,000 return, tsumo loss, north removal."
Combine three-player mahjong rules into one sheet before match
Most payment errors occur due to discrepancies in assumptions rather than calculation formulas. Before starting, read out the following items and have three people, not just the recorder, confirm the same conditions.
| classification | Items to check | Impact on profit and loss |
|---|---|---|
| point sticks | starting point, return points, end | Total raw score and oka |
| rank | 1st to 3rd place uma, tie breaking | final point |
| tsumo | With or without tsumo loss, payment method | Point sticks movement per station |
| north | Used in yakuhai, dora, hand, etc. | RBI/chip conditions |
| tiles/calling | Tiles used, chi availability, number of red fives | Comparability of match conditions |
| Additional payment | rate, tip, table fee, tobi award | Final result after converting profit and loss |
For example, Sega NETmahjong MJ ARCADE and Tenho each have official rules that specify starting points, return points, tiles used, north, calling, etc. for three-man play. In addition, there is an example of a named official tournament of Jakukon that clearly states "tsumo loss". Rather than generalizing one mode of a particular service to the entire three-player mahjong, we refer to it as the basis for the existence of rule differences.
Conditions that cannot be covered by the setting name alone are left in a match memo. For example, write with a granularity that allows you to reproduce the settlement later, such as ``35,000, 40,000 back / +20, +10, -30 / tsumo loss / north / chip is red, one shot, tails''. Do not overwrite the same name on the day you change the rule, and separate it as a new setting to avoid confusion between before and after the change.
Three-person uma reduces the total of three people to 0.
For the three-player mahjong ranking points, if you set a large plus for 1st place, a small plus for 2nd place, and a minus equal to the total for 3rd place, everyone's points will be balanced.
1st place: + high uma / 2nd place: + low uma / 3rd place: - (high uma + low uma)
Example of uma20/10
1st place +20, 2nd place +10, 3rd place -30. The total will be "+20+10-30=0". If you remove just one person from +20, +10, -10, and -20 for four-player mahjong, the total will not add up, so we will reset it for three players.
Write the value for 3 clothes based on the name of uma
Names such as "One Three" may have different interpretations depending on the region or group. In the record, all rankings are expanded like "1st + 20, 2nd + 10, 3rd - 30". If the total is not 0, check to see if it is an external bonus or a typo.
You can also create distributions like +20, 0, -20, where the second place is 0. It is not important that the distribution is correct, but that the total for the three players matches the conditions normally adopted by the table.
Three-player mahjong point calculation example
You have 35,000 points, return 40,000 points, uma is +20, +10, -30, and oka is +15 at the top. The final starting points are 50,000 points, 35,000 points, and 20,000 points, for a total of 105,000 points.
| rank | Final starting points | Difference from return points | uma | okay | final point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 50,000 points | +10 | +20 | +15 | +45 |
| 2nd place | 35,000 points | −5 | +10 | 0 | +5 |
| 3rd place | 20,000 points | −20 | −30 | 0 | −50 |
The difference from the return points is -15 in total, but if you add oka+15 to the top, it becomes 0. Furthermore, uma is also 0 in total, so the final points are +45, +5, -50, totaling 0.
Decide on rounding first
If you round off fractions of 100 points, the total for all students may be incorrect. Please decide on the ranking and handling of fractions in the event of a tie before the match, and record it in your records.
Check the first place calculation using the formula
- Raw score:
(50,000 points - 40,000 points) ÷ 1,000 = +10 points - uma：
+10+20=+30 points - oka：
+30+15=+45 points
2nd place is(35,000−40,000)÷1,000+10＝+5, 3rd place is(20,000−40,000)÷1,000−30＝−50It is. If you process the three people in the same column order, it will be easier to find duplicates of oka and uma.
Rates, tips, and table fees are reflected after points.
Once the points are determined, add or subtract the rate, tip, and table fee in separate columns. Here we use P as a neutral unit for explanation that does not represent money.
Final profit and loss = points × rate + number of chips × unit price of chips − share of table fee
The total number of chips received and paid is usually 0. If you want to pay the table fee equally, make sure that the amount paid by three people matches the table fee for the entire table. It is natural for the total profit and loss including table fee to be negative by the amount of table fee.
Example of calculating with P
- Final points: 1st place +45, 2nd place +5, 3rd place -50
- 1 point = 100P
- 1 chip = 100P, number of chips is 1st place + 2 pieces, 2nd place - 1 piece, 3rd place - 1 piece
- Table fee total of 1,200P will be paid equally by 3 people (400P per person)
| rank | Point conversion | chip | table fee | final profit and loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | +4,500P | +200P | −400P | +4,300P |
| 2nd place | +500P | −100P | −400P | 0P |
| 3rd place | −5,000P | −100P | −400P | −5,500P |
The total point conversion is 0P and the tip is also 0P. After reflecting the table fee, it will be +4,300P, 0P, -5,500P, totaling -1,200P. The settlement is balanced because it matches the table fee for the entire table.
The general payment flow including four-player mahjong is as follows:mahjong's profit and loss calculation methodBut it is explained in detail.
The average placement of three-player mahjong is 2.0, which is the mathematical center.
If the probabilities of being in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place are the same, the average placement is "(1 + 2 + 3) ÷ 3 = 2.0". Since the standards are different from the center 2.5 of four-player mahjong, please do not add up the average placement or rank distribution.
| indicators | View in three-player mahjong |
|---|---|
| average placement | Total rank ÷ number of matches. Center value is 2.0 |
| first-place rate | Number of 1st place ÷ Number of matches |
| last-place rate | Number of 3rd place ÷ number of matches |
| average score | Average score calculated by rules for three-player mahjong |
| profit and loss | Increase/decrease including rate, tip, table fee |
Rather than using average placement alone as a criterion for strength, align it with first-place rate, last-place rate, and number of matches for the same rule and same period. For more detailsGuidelines and views on mahjong's average placementPlease refer to
Matches with different tsumo losses are tabulated separately.
If the tsumo payment is different, the amount of movement of the point sticks will change even in the same win form, which will affect the final points and average score. Looking only at average placement does not eliminate the cause of rule differences. Instead of consolidating into a single aggregation of "three-player mahjong", you should at least be able to filter by the main rule name.
three-player mahjong record/verification checklist
- Saved three-player mahjong and four-player mahjong as separate game formats
- Recorded starting points, return points, uma, and oka.
- The adopted rules such as north, tsumo loss, and premature termination were left in place.
- The total of the final starting points matched the total number of distribution points.
- The total of 3 people's final points became 0.
- The receipt and payment of tips are balanced.
- The total amount of table fee is equal to the table fee of the entire table.
Order of confirmation when the totals do not match
- Does the final starting points for 3 people match the total number of starting points?
- Does the total difference from return points match the minus of oka?
- Is the total for 3 umas 0?
- Do the number of chips received and the number of chips paid match?
- Does the total table fee burden match the table fee for the entire table?
If you add Tobi prizes or external bonuses in the middle, make them a separate column and leave information about who moved them to whom. If you boil it down to one word, "adjustment," you won't be able to track down the basis for the next recalculation.
Three-player mahjong profit and loss calculation FAQ
How do you decide on three-player mahjong's uma?
Prioritize the rules of the table to be adopted, and record all the values of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. If it is a zero-sum ranking point, the sum of the three people will be set to 0. +20, +10, -30 are examples for explanation and are not common rules.
Does the formula for calculating profit and loss change with or without tsumo loss?
The ``formula to calculate raw score from final starting points'' after the end of Hansho is the same, but the tsumo payment for each station changes, which will affect the final starting points. Matches with different tsumo payments are recorded using separate rule names.
Can the average placement of three-player mahjong and four-player mahjong be combined?
I can't. The mathematical center is three-player mahjong2.0 and four-player mahjong2.5, and the ranking range is also different. We will divide the games into three-player mahjongs and four-player mahjongs, and compare them by aligning the main rules and periods.
three-player mahjong rules reference material
- SEGA NETmahjong MJ ARCADE "Three-person hit" — Examples of official rules specifying tiles used, north, chi, tsumo payments, starting points, return points, etc.
- Jakutama “Jakutama 3rd Anniversary Appreciation Cup” — Example of an official tournament with a name that clearly states “tsumo loss” for three-man matches
- Online match mahjong Tenho "Manual" — Official rules such as starting points, return points, tiles used, north, chi, etc. for Dan-sen Sannin Uchi
Each document contains rules for specific services and tournaments. The material for the Sparrow Soul is a named tournament in 2022, and it has not been generalized to all current modes. Tenho materials are not used as the basis for tsumo loss, but are limited to examples of setting differences. The uma/oka and P payment in this article are unique examples for explanation that clearly state the conditions. Document confirmation date: July 25, 2026.
Summary
In three-player mahjong's profit and loss management, the starting point, return points, three-player uma, and oka are saved all at once, without reusing the four-player mahjong settings. You can easily find calculation errors by setting the point total and tip receipts and payments to 0 and confirming that the final profit and loss total decreases by the table fee.