Topic: Request for rule clarifications

I would like some rules clarified.

First: deal rotation in case of chombo.

Second: Is this hand tenpai or no-ten?

The way we currently play is:


1) Dealer Rotation in case of Chombo?

After a chombo, riichi deposits are returned to the players who declared riichi. No renchan counter is placed, and the dealer does not rotate.

That is to say, after a chombo, the round is void and there is a re-deal as if the round never happened.


2) Is the hand 111 333 555 9999 tenpai?

This hand is noten.

You are not tenpai if ALL of the tiles which could complete your hand are used within your hand. That is, you are not tenpai if you are waiting ONLY for a tile of which you already have four.


Note that this is the way we are playing while USPML official rules are under development.
Note also that this is the way the EMA plays.

There are absolutely no exceptions to 1 and 2 that I know of.

"You are not tenpai if ALL of the tiles which could complete your hand are used within your hand. That is, you are not tenpai if you are waiting ONLY for a tile of which you already have four."

Another way of saying this is that you are only tenpai if a situation exists in which you can legally complete your hand.

A similar question to consider is if you have only one tile left in your hand and an open pon of the same tile. As in:

(111) (222) (456) (555) 2
The lone "2" is the only concealed tile. This hand is clearly noten. It's a good example to remember if someone with one tile in their hand decides to declare "noten" even though it is very likely that they are tenpai. Since a legal situation exists where they may not be tenpai, it is legal to declare "noten" with only one tile in your hand.