Those who possess a sound ability to observe and adapt their method of strategy, gain the greatest reward in Mahjong; patterning a simple collection of tiles into victory by the clever formation of hands and correctly estimating the aims of the rivals. A few means of gaining greater successes at the game starting with elementary and leading up to advanced methods which will be beneficial to the game of each individual.
Know the Principles of Hand Construction
In the beginning, attain the skill of constructing versatile hands by playing for medium tiles, trying for collection of the all-mingled kinds. Beginners find the simplest kinds of hands the better ones to aim for, such as four pungs and a pair. Learn to sort well, that you may learn to be quick to see the opportunities, and do not allow yourself to keep suits out of which you can not win. Therefore, excellent hand construction will lead to a more stable foundation for tactical maneuvering.
Keep your opportunities open by not committing yourself to any meldings unless they are perfect. Hold pairs in your hand as a stay to the winning hand, as they are
suitable largely in any combination. On the contrary, change yourself from defense to offense as the wall goes down. Draw for desirable tiles in an aggressive manner.
Thus good hand construction will give you opportunities during the process of your hand to take advantage of uncertainties in the draws.
Value the tiles according to their worth. The best numbers are from 3 to 7, as they will compose readily into pungs or chows. Dependence on chows should not be made until pung hands are out of the question. It is well not to be too liberal with the honors when alone, unless for all-honor hands.
Find another hand after each pung is drawn to see if a change of tactics will help. Herein lies the difference between those who have skillful hands and those of little ability.
Watch the Discard of Opponents
The discards will yield a careful study which can provide you with all possibilities of hypotheses concerning the general winner of the opponents. Learn what suits discarded by them indicate, and discard such suits as they in turn prefer no care for. Detect exposures disclosing meld directions, as in the case of several dragons that foretell a pung pursuit. Body language during selections or calls gives indications of strength of hand; indeed it must be observed that if the noticings are accurate, it is possible to be upset before they are settled down.
Anticipate calls by refraining from discards which give a visible set completed, particularly about the end of the round. If it is a game with several players, transfer your sights on the most aggressive player so as to supplement his plays. Use passed tiles as an aid during Charleston phases to learn the needs of the group and adjust your exchanges.
Accordingly then the information really is transmuted into remedial advantages by being an instrument of well-directed watching.
Make mental notations of the repeated discards carefully made, as for instance the early removal of the 1’s and 9’s which are a clear indication that a suit expects non-indulgence, by adjustment of this discard on your part, indicate weakness in places where possession is actually made, and thus the opponents are deceived into making safe plays for you; thus thoroughly can it be seen that the observations made are actually a source of psychological usefulness to you as the watcher.
Optimizing Discards for the Purpose of Deception and Safety.
Choose the discards which mean little to your own hand but note the reactions by your opponents. Early in the rounds it is advisable to make safe tiles discarding those of depleted suits thus valuably utilizing concealed strength. If necessary, split the pairs. The object of discard is to prevent your being understood that a waiting hand is in play.
Thus wisely chosen, your safe tiles create mischief and the benefit of black-board overflows.
Change from the attacking to safeguard if behind, discarding where necessary the honors or extremes plausibly held by the opponents. Bluffing the result by discarding a tile of which you have several others, the knowledge of which can denote troubles elsewhere. Time the discards of attack so as to bait calls on opponent cases which will disclose things prematurely.
Thus it will be ensured that the safe and optimized means are chosen by us as there is a fair division of results cognizant of both player and risk.
Dealing in avoidance. Check up on tenpai signs, riichi calls being particular. At all times discard in rolls which trifle and cause defeat or expose the opponent. Use time pressure to practice eliminations to differentiate a game situation from just practice. This lets gains produce wins and losses.
Balance Offense and Defense Properly
Expand aggressively in your hand only after melding basic melds so as not to extend too far. Alternate between producing your own and blocking barriers to others′ sequences. Whenever several possible wins develop, progress toward the quickest possible tenpai. For example, when chows seem slow, go to a more primitive pung type hand.
The rounds succeed well in defensive play. Throw out neutrals so as not to feed others with possible mahjongs. If not winning, aim to do only compatible play even if you have to weaken your own hand. This approach means a minimum loss of points through the several rounds.
Thus, balance means a survival and opportunity for thrusting strikes.
Study the table after each throw: strong exposures means caution, weak ones means pressure. Make use of the lucky winds to secure bonuses, get more boldly the tenpai if East. Recognize the influence of group technique; conservative players lend themselves to steady risk. Thus, the principle of balance is to influence games.
Use Efficiency in Tile Principles
Learn to value the tiles that may be used in making a combination of at least two melds, and whittle out first the ones of zero possibility, and thus improve your hand. Use the medial tiles such as 4 to 6 in suits by which connection may be made with both higher and lower numbers for the chows. Retain the flexible honors for pungs and pairs in special combination hands. This facility of efficiency means more rapid finishes and less dead draws.
Compute shanten, the number of steps to tenpai, mentally, and watch the result. Strive to lessen shanten by one at an average through the distribution of tiles. Avoid adding dummy tiles that increase hand size for no purpose. Thus, effective play shortens game length and increases wins.
In place of edge waits, prefer waits inside the hand for more calling options. This maximizes ron possibilities when discards are made from others, and practice botching exercises with hands. This is necessary, as these exercises are the framework of advanced win.
Using Bluffing and Psychological Tactics.
Discards that cause wrong conclusions to be drawn concerning the nature of the hand, such as discarding a tile of a bamboo suit while trying to collect the circle suit, should also be exercised. Melds should be declared sparingly to mislead opponents as to what style of hand is being prepared. In riichi, varieties make calls timed to confuse players who are undecided. Thus, psychological plays cause uneasiness to the opponents and make possible openings.
Verbal cues should be invested in sparingly, such as showing surprise upon observing went to safe discards, thus prompting excessive calls. Mirror aggressive styles to conservative players causing an imbalance. Coolness of demeanor must be maintained to prevent opponents being warned as to hand strength. Thus, the mind games can be turned to advantage tilewise.
Study the weaknesses of opponents over a number of sessions so that found inefficiencies can be taken advantage of. Bluff little against experts who follow the game thoroughly. Blend bluff with observation so that layered deceit can be used. Thus, these things become advanced tactics, befitting that which is beyond mere mechanics.
Capitalize on the form of Charleston and exchanges.
In American Mahjong when Charleston is on, tiles which don’t fit into the plan of hand at once should be put by so that the hand can incline in the right manner. Watch at Charleston what is discarded and the group voids can be observed and the suit will be sought. Pacify the Charleston as rapidly as possible if you have a strong special starter hand to protect it. Thus, smart exchanges make way for victory in rounds.
Request exchanges of tiles so that you get the tiles needed to fill one of the gaps in your hand, but don’t over spend any jokers. Put in first trades pairs and then hands approaching melds. Alter hand preparations according to the tiles on hand without being set rigidly to any hand. Thus this part of the game usually decides the outcome of the round.
Practice Charleston sequences of tiles only. Thus practice makes the forms of discarding easy and rapid. Charleston can be used defensively also by discarding what is dangerous. Thus the game becomes a protection of a close in acquiring but a denying of types of hand formation opportunities.
Mastering the phases makes an advantage on winnings times the sums up rapidly.
Understand Scoring and High Value Winds
Certain yaku or place patterns which multiply the points scored should be discoverable. Such as concealed hands, self drawn doubles for which a hand is played. It is necessary to know the minimum requirement for mahjong wins if certain wind scores due to tile loss come into play. Thus base scoring knowledge helps to maximize the play possible and the wind times compared values in point gains.
Pursue specials like all of the pungs as points when tiles are parallel. It is necessary to chase points but also special hands must be speedily got off. The introduction of flowers and getting their blossoms allows a large improvement and no risk in the hand resulting. Thus knowledge of the scoring gets the absolute best of values.
Examine the annual card in the variants for those who command max points. The pressure of the hand style necessitates angle of table play. Note scores of opponents as direct pressure can be brought to bear upon leaders. Thus, the feat gains outweighs that of wind alone dimly.
Bottom Line
Winning within the game of Mahjong is the necessary fusion of tile management in this way, still more keen observational power with vest liberal balance of aggressiveness, whereby discarding methods and flexible hands always outbeating mode enemies use of. Thus practice the matter in detail so that the means there will be tones of are built about hands. Thus falls down from each game add to that of learning from victories.
