10 Strategies for Mahjong begginers
Mahjong Is a Game of Choices
First, understand the philosophy behind mahjong.
Mahjong is a game where players compete based on the outcomes of their various decisions.
While luck plays a significant role in mahjong, the best decisions don't always lead to the best results.
However, relying on "reading the flow of luck" is unscientific and merely gambling.
What players can do is make decisions that are "statistically more favorable."
Put Your Opponents at a Disadvantage
In mahjong, there are situations where it’s important to hinder your opponents, even if it reduces your own chances of winning.
Putting an opponent at a disadvantage can relatively make things more favorable for you.
However, with three opponents in mahjong, making one player lose doesn’t always mean you gain an advantage.
Consider whether disadvantaging one player will benefit another. Ideally, try to create a situation where all opponents are at a disadvantage.
Some players may criticize this as unfair, but there’s no need to hold back.
Don’t Back Down
To clarify, knowing when to back down is a crucial skill, and advanced players excel at minimizing risks.
So why shouldn’t beginners focus on backing down? Because retreating is a skill that relies on various factors and experience.
If beginners overly focus on retreating, they become easy prey for advanced players.
Early on, learn from losing experiences to develop a sense for when retreating is absolutely necessary and when to aim for victory.
Master the Five-Block Theory
Now, let’s get technical.
The five-block theory is a way of thinking about tile efficiency, focusing on how to organize your tiles to reach tenpai (ready to win).
Why focus on tenpai instead of a win? Because once you reach tenpai, you only need to wait for a winning tile, giving you an edge in the game.
How do you apply this? It’s not simple.
Special patterns like kokushi musou and chiitoitsu complicate things, as does the concept of the pair (jantou).
Here, we’ll simplify and cover the basics: aim to form five strong blocks.
A strong block is one with high potential to form a meld, such as a sequence or a triplet. Below are examples ranked by the number of possible tiles to complete the block.
Tile Acceptance for Melds
This table shows the types and numbers of tiles that can complete specific shapes.
| Waiting Shape | Types and Numbers of Acceptable Tiles | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| "Ryanmen" (Open Wait) e.g., | 2 types, 8 tiles | ×4 tiles ×4 tiles |
| "Ryanmen + Pair" e.g., | 3 types, 10 tiles | ×4 tiles ×4 tiles ×2 tiles |
By keeping these patterns in mind, focus on creating stronger blocks.
If possible, count the total number of acceptable tiles.
Key Tips to Remember
- Don’t reduce the total number of acceptable tiles.
- Try to limit your hand to two blocks with pairs.
- For example: with a hand like "22 44 ⑦⑦⑧," discard ⑦ to keep your acceptance at 16 tiles instead of 18.
Don’t Aim for Hands
While aiming for specific hands can result in high scores, it’s not something you can consistently achieve.
In riichi mahjong, where dora bonuses significantly impact scores, hands often form naturally.
Over-focusing on hands can cause you to miss easy wins and lose points, making it a double-edged sword.
Instead, progress your hand naturally and let hands form as they may.
Calls: Quick or High
Calls (pon, chi, kan) are essential to mahjong, significantly impacting the outcome.
Calling can make it harder to score high, but it speeds up your path to victory.
When deciding whether to call, follow these guidelines:
- Call when a quick win is highly likely.
- Call when you can aim for a high-scoring hand, such as honitsu (half-flush).
Avoid unnecessary calls, as they increase your risks against aggressive opponents.
Default to Riichi
Riichi offers two major advantages:
1. Increases your hand’s value by adding one yaku (riichi) and opening possibilities for ippatsu and ura-dora.
2. Declares tenpai, applying pressure on opponents.
While riichi limits your tile selection and requires a 1000-point deposit, its benefits usually outweigh these downsides.
Exceptions include:
- Situations where the additional score from riichi doesn’t matter.
- Situations where revealing your tenpai state could harm your position, such as in the final hand of the game.
Avoid “Shibori”
"Shibori" refers to restricting your discards to prevent opponents from calling tiles. While some consider it a skill, it’s usually unnecessary.
Shibori only makes sense when dealing with a specific dangerous opponent. Otherwise, it hurts both the player using shibori and the targeted opponent, benefiting the remaining players.
Focus instead on strategies that maximize your gains rather than reducing others’ opportunities.
Learn the Steps for Safe Discarding
Safe discarding (betaori) is logical and follows a predictable sequence:
1. Discard tiles that have just been discarded by others.
2. Use tiles safe against the riichi declarer (genbutsu).
3. Save completely safe tiles for emergencies.
4. Rely on wall (kabe) and suji principles if no safe tiles remain.
Evaluate Risk
From the first discard, mahjong carries inherent risk. Evaluating whether the risk is acceptable is crucial.
Balancing offense and defense requires understanding risk, opponent behavior, and table dynamics—a skill only gained through experience.
Conclusion
Keep these 10 principles in mind to enhance your mahjong experience. For beginners or casual players, these strategies could lead to significant improvements in your gameplay!
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