Start with these ideas
- Two dragon types form Pungs or Kongs; the third is the pair. Complete the other two sets too.
- HKMA records 3 plus the two dragon bonuses, totalling 5. Our game displays an inclusive 5; the concealed calculator example below reaches 6.
Reference values below follow the Hong Kong Mahjong Association (HKMA) rules. Worked calculator examples use our browser game’s house rules; check the differences before comparing results.
What is Little Three Dragons?
Red, Green and White Dragons must all appear: two types as Pungs or Kongs, and the remaining type as the pair. The two remaining sets may be Chows, Pungs or Kongs. Open dragon groups are allowed.
The grouped hand below has Red and Green Dragon triplets and a White Dragon pair, plus two Chows. It is complete; simply holding three dragon pairs would not be.
3 or 5 faan? And what if Half Flush also applies?
The HKMA reference gives Little Three Dragons 3 faan and separately adds 1 for each of its two dragon groups: 5 in total before other bonuses. Our game instead gives one inclusive 5-faan award. Adding the same two dragon groups again would overcount.
Add Half Flush 3 when the other sets use one numbered suit: 5 + 3 = 8. For example, change both Chows to Characters and expose the two dragon Pungs; with a discard win and no flowers or other bonuses, the result is 8.
The calculator example below uses Chows in two suits and keeps every set concealed. It therefore scores Little Three Dragons 5 + Concealed Hand 1 = 6 under our house rules, without Half Flush.
Counterexamples and double-counting
Three dragon pairs do not qualify: two types must be complete triplets or Kongs. If all three become triplets, the hand may qualify for Big Three Dragons instead, but the fourth set and pair still have to be completed.
Do not combine the names of mutually exclusive dragon patterns. Our game treats Big Three Dragons as an 8-faan limit and does not add Little Three Dragons or the three dragon bonuses to it.
Change one condition
Load the example and expose a dragon Pung: remove those three concealed tiles before adding the Pung. Compare 6 and 5 faan.
Sources
A hand to try
Win: discard · Seat: East · Round: East · Minimum: 3. Declared melds and special draw context are loaded with the hand.
With the saved win method, seat wind and round wind, this example is expected to score 6 final faan under sc_hk13_v1_2. The calculator also shows every contributing pattern and whether the hand reaches the selected minimum.
Try this in the calculatorCheck your understanding
Which statement matches our house rules?
Choose a statement to see the explanation.
A few things to know
Is Little Three Dragons always exactly 5 faan?
Five includes the two dragon groups, but other eligible patterns may increase the hand’s total. The saved concealed example is 6; Little Three Dragons plus Half Flush has a subtotal of 8. Apply the selected table’s minimum and cap last.