What makes a limit hand
Limit hands are patterns so rare or difficult that they are paid the maximum. They include thirteen orphans, big three dragons, big four winds, all honours, all terminals, all green, nine gates, four concealed pungs and four kongs.
By style
Hong Kong treats them as the limit. Riichi calls them yakuman. MCR assigns them 88 points or other high values. American Mah Jongg has no limit hands in the Chinese sense, but certain card hands — especially concealed ones — carry the highest values.
How rare are they?
Most players see only a handful in years of play. Online riichi statistics show yakuman in a small fraction of a per cent of hands, with nine gates among the rarest of all.
Should you chase them?
Usually not. Limit hands are best pursued when your starting tiles are already pointing that way. Chasing one from a poor start often leaves you with nothing.
