Category-a-Day 7, Section 6: Similar Sets

This section lists points for patterns with similar sets. These are sets with the same numbers, but different suits. Honor tiles are not included. Similar sets can be sequences (chows) or triplets (pungs). While it isn't against the rules to score more than one of these patterns, it is still impossible because you have only four sets in a regular hand.

6.0 Similar Sets

6.1    Three Similar Sequences       :  35

6.2.1  Small Three Similar Triplets  :  30

6.2.2  Three Similar Triplets        : 120

6.1 Three Similar Sequences

This is a very popular pattern in all the modern styles. To score it, you need three chows, one in each suit, and all having the same numbers. 2,3,4 dots; 2,3,4 bamboos; 2,3,4 characters is one example. This is by far the easiest of the middle-scoring patterns to obtain with a regular hand.

6.2.1 Small Three Similar Triplets

6.2.2 Three Similar Triplets

The second pattern is easier to describe: You have three triplets (pungs), one in each suit, all with the same number. 222 dots; 222 bamboos; 222 characters is one example. It's very difficult to get because it's pretty obvious unless you have one of these concealed.

If one of those is your pair, you've got the Small version. 222 dots; 222 bamboos; 22 characters; triplet of West, triplet of Red would be one example. Much easier to get (over ten times as many possible ways to do it), and worth much fewer points.

These patterns mess up any chance of a One Suit hand, but they can combine with the patterns in Category 8: Terminals for a very strong hand. Change those 2's to 1's in that last example, and suddenly you have Small Three Similar Triplets (30), Four Triplets (30), and Mixed Greater Terminals (100) for a very nice score.