Small Four Winds (小四喜) — 6 Faan
Small Four Winds is worth 6 faan — pungs (or kongs) of three wind types plus a pair of the fourth wind as your eyes.
In 162,390 online hands played on mahjonggame.hk since 10 August 2026, 2 were won with Small Four Winds — about once every 81,195 hands. How we count this
What it is
Small Four Winds is the wind-tile counterpart of Small Three Dragons: of the four winds — East, South, West, North — three form pungs (or kongs) and the fourth is your pair. The one remaining meld can be any chow or pung.
How to form it
The hand is only worth chasing when you’re dealt six or more wind tiles. The strategy is simple: pung every wind you can and keep the last wind type as your eyes. Each wind has only four copies, so if one type gets punged by someone else or discarded out, the hand dies — count the discards.
Common scoring mistake
Small Four Winds is always a Half Flush (or All Honours) by construction, so under standard Hong Kong rules the 6 faan already covers the Half Flush — don’t add 3 more for 9 (some house rules do; agree first). And don’t confuse it with Great Four Winds: all four winds as pungs is Great (13 faan, a limit hand); three pungs plus a pair is Small.
Combines with
Small Four Winds can add Seat Wind and Prevailing Wind (1 faan each for your own seat’s or the round’s wind pung) and All Pungs (3 faan). Sitting East in the East round with East, South and West pungs, a North pair and a fourth pung: 6 + 2 (double East) + 3 = 11 faan — past the cap at many tables. If even the last meld is honours, the hand is All Honours, a limit hand.
Frequently asked questions
How many faan is Small Four Winds?
Small Four Winds is worth 6 faan in Hong Kong Mahjong: pungs or kongs of three of the four winds plus a pair of the fourth wind. Seat Wind, Prevailing Wind and All Pungs can be added on top.
What is the difference between Small and Great Four Winds?
Small Four Winds has pungs of three winds plus a pair of the fourth (6 faan). Great Four Winds has pungs or kongs of all four winds (13 faan — a limit hand).
Do you add Half Flush to Small Four Winds?
Not under standard rules: Small Four Winds is always a Half Flush by construction, and the 6 faan already includes it. Some house rules add it for 9 faan — agree before you play.
Can the wind pungs be claimed from discards?
Yes. Open and concealed pungs count equally toward Small Four Winds. A fully concealed hand adds 1 extra faan.
Related hands
See how this hand fits into the complete scoring table: