Heavenly & Earthly Hand (天胡／地胡) — Limit Hands
Heavenly Hand and Earthly Hand are both limit hands — the dealer winning on the opening deal, or a non-dealer winning on their very first draw.
What it is
The Heavenly Hand belongs to the dealer alone: the fourteen tiles dealt at the start already form a complete winning hand — an instant win before a single discard. The Earthly Hand is the non-dealer’s version: winning by self-draw on your very first turn, before any claims have been made. Both are limit hands, paying the maximum outright.
How to form it
There is no forming these — they are pure luck of the deal. A Heavenly Hand requires the opening fourteen tiles to be a ready-made win, which is so improbable that many players never see one in a lifetime. That rarity is exactly its prestige.
Common scoring mistake
The Earthly Hand’s definition varies by table: some require a self-draw on the first turn, others count winning off the dealer’s very first discard, and most require that no chow, pung or kong interrupted the opening. Settle the definition before you play — you don’t want the argument on a once-in-a-lifetime hand.
Combines with
Heavenly and Earthly Hands are limit hands in themselves — nothing else in the hand needs counting; they pay the cap directly.
Frequently asked questions
How many faan is a Heavenly Hand?
The Heavenly Hand is a limit hand — it pays the maximum automatically. The dealer’s opening fourteen tiles form a complete win with no discard made.
How is the Earthly Hand defined?
The base definition: a non-dealer wins by self-draw on their first turn, with no claims made before it. Some tables instead count winning off the dealer’s first discard — agree beforehand.
How rare is a Heavenly Hand?
Extraordinarily rare — the dealt hand must already be complete. Many lifelong players never witness one, which is why it carries such prestige.
Related hands
See how this hand fits into the complete scoring table: