Uke-ire (Tile Acceptance) - Counting Useful Tiles

What is Uke-ire?

Uke-ire (tile acceptance) refers to the types and count of tiles that advance your hand. For example, if 3 types (12 tiles) get you to tenpai, you have “12-tile acceptance.”

Uke-ire measures hand-building efficiency - a key indicator for optimal play.

Counting Uke-ire

Basic approach:
1. Decide what to discard
2. Identify what tiles advance the hand
3. Count types and quantities

Types of Uke-ire

Acceptance Count Guide

Common Usage

Example 1: Comparing choices

"This has wider acceptance"
"20-tile acceptance, keep this"

Example 2: Hand building

"Acceptance shrinks but aiming high"
"Prioritizing acceptance for quick tenpai"

Example 3: Riichi decision

"8-tile ryanmen, riichi"
"Low acceptance, stay dama"

Acceptance Examples

Simple Case

Hand: 123m 456p 789s 34s EE
34s ryanmen wait
Acceptance: 2s, 5s = 8 tiles

Complex Case

Hand: 234567m 456p 55s E
Iishanten with many tiles:
- E comes = tenpai (3 tiles)
- 1,4,7m comes = tenpai (12 tiles)
- 5s comes = tenpai (2 tiles)
Total: 17 tiles

Related Terms

• Hai-kouritsu: Efficiency play
• Shanten: Steps from tenpai
• Tegawari: Shape change
• Tamenchan: Multi-wait
• Ryokei: Good shape

Common Mistakes

1. Missing tiles

   • Check all useful tiles
   • Don’t overlook shanpon

2. Ignoring live count

   • 3 of 4 visible = 1 tile left
   • Count actual acceptance

3. Tenpai-only counting

   • Good shape also matters
   • Future acceptance increase

4. Count-only decisions

   • Consider safety and value
   • Balance is key

Maximizing Acceptance

Tips to Increase

1. Cut isolated tiles

   Edge tiles like 1m, 9s
   Tiles with no connections

2. Keep connected shapes

   Consecutive like 345, 456
   Has many accepts

3. Compare taatsu quality

   Ryanmen > Kanchan > Penchan

Acceptance vs Value Balance

Calculation Examples

Basic Calculation

Hand: 234m 567p 34567s WW

What to cut?
1. Cut 3s → 4567 = 3-way (11 tiles)
2. Cut 7s → 3456 = 3-way (11 tiles)
3. Cut 4s → 3567 = 2 ryanmen (16 tiles)

Result: 4s cut has most acceptance

Considering Live Tiles

If 5m shows 3 times:

34m ryanmen wait
→ 2m (4) + 5m (1) = 5 tiles

Surface 8 tiles, actual 5 tiles

Advanced Application

Looking Ahead

Currently: Iishanten
→ Consider tenpai acceptance too
→ Multi-wait possibilities

Defense-Aware Acceptance

Acceptance including safe tiles
→ Attack-defense balance
→ Flexible response possible

Statistics

Average Acceptance

Summary

Uke-ire shows the types and count of tiles that advance your hand - fundamental to efficient hand building. Beginners should learn basic counting and always ask “which discard maximizes acceptance.” Mastering acceptance-focused play leads to faster, more reliable tenpai achievement.