What is Honroutou? The All Terminals and Honors 2-Han Yaku Explained for Beginners

What is Honroutou?

Honroutou (混老頭), also called “All Terminals and Honors,” is a 2-han yaku in mahjong where your entire hand consists of yaochuuhai (terminals 1/9 and honor tiles). Also called “honrou,” it’s a rare yaku positioned as the opposite of tanyao.

Since sequences can’t be made, the hand necessarily forms 4 triplets (or quads) and 1 pair, always combining with toitoi. It’s a difficult yaku aimed at by advanced players, though it doesn’t lose han value when opened.

Detailed Explanation of Honroutou

Conditions for Completion

To complete honroutou, you must meet these conditions:

Available Tiles

13 types of yaochuuhai:

Suits: 1m, 9m, 1p, 9p, 1s, 9s (6 types)
Honors: East, South, West, North, White, Green, Red (7 types)

Total 13 types (4 each, 52 tiles)

Usage Examples

Real Game Situations

Example 1: Confirming the yaku

"Honroutou confirmed"
"Only yaochuuhai for honroutou"

Example 2: Building the hand

"Cutting middle tiles for honroutou"
"Toitoi + honroutou = 4 han"

Example 3: Calling decisions

"Honroutou is still 2 han when open"
"Pon the yakuhai to advance honroutou"

Honroutou Shapes

Basic Form

Hand: 111m 999p EEE WWW NN
Complete: All yaochuuhai, always combines with toitoi

Common Practical Forms

With calls:

Pon: EEE (exposed) WWW (exposed)
Hand: 111m 999s NN
→ Honroutou 2 han + Toitoi 2 han = 4 han (Mangan)

With yakuhai:

Hand: 111m 999m EEE WWW GG
→ Honroutou 2 han + Toitoi 2 han + Yakuhai 2 han = 6 han (Haneman)

Related Terms

• Chinroutou: 1s and 9s only (Yakuman)
• Toitoi: Necessarily combines
• Yaochuuhai: Terminals and honors
• Tanyao: Opposite yaku
• Chanta: Similar yaku

Common Mistakes and Points to Note

Points Beginners Often Mistake

1. Confusion with Chinroutou

   • Honroutou: 1s, 9s, honors OK (2 han)
   • Chinroutou: 1s and 9s only (Yakuman)

2. Including Middle Tiles

   • Even 1 tile of 2-8 invalidates
   • Yaochuuhai only

3. Relationship with Toitoi

   • Always combines
   • Total 4 han together

4. Difference from Chiitoitsu

   • Chiitoitsu isn’t 4 sets + 1 pair
   • Honroutou doesn’t combine with chiitoitsu

Tactics for Aiming at Honroutou

Starting Hand Guidelines

When to aim for honroutou:

Calling Decisions

When to call:

1. Early game calls

   • Pon yakuhai aggressively
   • Fix direction

2. Mid game calls

   • Pon yaochuuhai immediately
   • Speed priority

3. Late game calls

   • 4 han confirmed value
   • Win reliably

Honroutou in Practice

Path to Honroutou

Typical flow:

Starting hand: 9 yaochuuhai
↓
Early game: Discard all middle tiles
↓
Mid game: Create yaochuuhai triplets
↓
Late game: Complete honroutou, tenpai

Handling Middle Tiles

Procedure:

1. Discard early

   • Process all in early game
   • Consider danger level

2. Dora decisions

   • Cut middle tile dora too
   • Keep yaochuuhai dora

3. Flexible response

   • Give up if impossible
   • Transition to regular toitoi

Combining Yakus

Always Combined

Often Combined

Combination Example

Honroutou + Toitoi + 2 Yakuhai + Dora 1:

Hand: 111m 999p EEE WWW GGG
→ 7 han (Baiman or Sanbaiman)

Honroutou Probability and Value

Occurrence Rate

Statistics:

• Success rate: ~0.06%
• Very rare yaku
• Special even among toitoi

Comparison with Other 2-Han Yakus

Difficulty ranking:

1. Chiitoitsu (~3%)
2. Sanshoku (~2%)
3. Ikkitsuukan (~2%)
4. Toitoi (~1.5%)
5. Chanta (~1%)
6. Honroutou (~0.06%) ← Overwhelmingly difficult

Honroutou Strategic Points

Early Game Decisions

Starting hands to aim for:

• 9+ yaochuuhai
• 3+ pairs
• Multiple yakuhai pairs
• Few middle tiles

Starting hands to give up:

• 7 or fewer yaochuuhai
• 1 or fewer pairs
• Many middle tiles
• Other promising hands

Mid Game Development

Efficient progression:

1. Strictly yaochuuhai only

   • Discard all middle tiles
   • No hesitation

2. Utilize calls

   • Pon aggressively
   • Speed priority

3. Flexible response

   • If impossible, regular toitoi
   • Giving up is important

Difference Between Honroutou and Chinroutou

Honroutou (2-Han)

Characteristics:

• 1s, 9s, honors OK
• Relatively easier to make
• 4 han with toitoi

Chinroutou (Yakuman)

Characteristics:

• 1s and 9s only (no honors)
• Extremely difficult
• Yakuman (48,000 pts)

Usage:

• Many honors → Honroutou
• No honors → Aim for Chinroutou

Psychological Warfare

Effect on Opponents

Honroutou pressure:

1. Readable from discards

   • Keeps cutting middle tiles
   • Quickly obvious

2. Forces defense

   • Can’t release yaochuuhai
   • Restricts hands

3. High score threat

   • 4+ han with toitoi
   • Suppresses attacks

Responding to Honroutou

Signs of opponent’s honroutou:

• Cutting middle tiles from early
• Calling yaochuuhai
• Toitoi atmosphere

Countermeasures:

• Hold yaochuuhai
• Consider folding
• Preemptive attack

Local Rules

Han Variations

Regional differences:

• Standard: 2 han
• Some regions: 3 han (rare)
• Competitive: Always 2 han

Special Treatment

Variations:

• Yakuman treatment (very rare)
• Separate calculation from toitoi
• Upgrade rule to chinroutou

History and Culture

Origin of Honroutou

Meaning of the name:

• Hon (混): Mixed
• Rou (老): Old (terminal)
• Tou (頭): Head
• “Honrou” is the abbreviation

Value of Rarity

Position in mahjong culture:

1. Memorable

   • Rarely seen
   • Special form

2. Sense of achievement

   • Satisfaction on completion
   • Proof of skill

Conclusion

Honroutou is a 2-han yaku where your entire hand consists of yaochuuhai (terminals and honors). Since sequences can’t be made, it always combines with toitoi for 4 total han. With about 0.06% occurrence, it’s a rare yaku even advanced players rarely complete, but when it does, mangan or better is expected. Beginners should remember the basics “yaochuuhai only, no middle tiles,” and if you have 3+ yaochuuhai pairs in your starting hand, try for it. It’s an attractive yaku that can leverage the toitoi combination for high scores.