Gaming Mahjong

The ins and outs of mahjong

Written by Jenn Barr

This article first appeared in the Chinese New Year 2010 special issue of World Gaming magazine.

Thanks for joining us again. This issue we’ll be treating you with tips to maximize your wins both in frequency and points. Here are the Ins and Outs of the two most common and easily recognisable hands.

Value Tiles (yaku-hai, jikaze, bakaze)

Value tiles should be the first points that you learn in any rule set. These include the three dragons and the winds that correspond to your seat and/or the round. If one wind corresponds to both your seat and the round, you get double hand points for it. The tiles must be used in a set of three.

In Reach Mahjong, you will get one hand point for each of these sets of three. These are especially useful when you have dora (lucky tiles) in your hand. Even alone they’re great for cheap, “defensive-wins,” when you’re main goal is to keep your opponent from winning or to stop an opponent’s deal. In those situations you’ll want to pung the third value tile right away. Alternatively, if you have a hand that promises a quick reach, you’ll want to let that first value tile go and let your hand grow. In WSOM rules this translates to 10 points per set. There is no round wind and no reach declaration, but otherwise strategy is similar to Reach.

Let me win or else!

Let me win or else!

With any rule set you’ll want to include the value sets with half-flush hands. In both rule sets hands require at least one hand point in order to win a hand. When an opponent calls tiles with no obvious points, those unseen value tiles will be his last resort and therefore very dangerous to discard.

Inside Hand (tanyao)

RCR rules do not allow open inside hands (no pung or chow), but most Reach rules in Japan do, and in those cases this hand serves the same purpose as the value tiles. Either use it for a quick win to stop your opponents, or combine it with lots of dora and other hands to improve your score. What puts the inside hand above value tiles is the versatility in combinations with other hands. You can use the inside hand with the peace hand, double run, three coloured runs, all sets, all pairs and flushes. In WSOM rules this hand is a measly five points but all the same rules apply as in Reach and so do the combination possibilities.

Next issue we’ll bring you more hands and tips to maximise your wins, so stay tuned.