Thank you so much to all those people who watched and listened to us.

First of all, I hope it fulfilled some of your expectations. I think we learned something from doing it, and can make some improvements.

We’re taking feedback and also questions for future shows.

Emails: gemma [at] reachmahjong.com, jenn [at] reachmahjong.com

I recommend emailing both of us if you have a question for the show.

Twitter: @mahjonggem, @mahjongjen

We’ll tell Ben and Garthe that you asked for them by name so hopefully we can welcome one or more of them to the stream next time.

If you missed the show, you can access it here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/reach-mahjong-live

This is a thing that is actually happening!

First of all, thank you to those who emailed me! I’m still sorting through the information sent. Plus I got super sick… If you listened to Jenn and Garthe’s show on Tuesday, you’ll have heard how bad I was. Please do feel free to send any more feedback and ideas. It may be late for Saturday. However, we hope to make this a regular thing so it won’t go to waste.

Secondly, you need a time and a place… It will be held on Saturday 18th 9pm (Tokyo), 1pm (GMT), 8am (New York). Apologies to the West coast of America…

Niconico

Ustream

We are using niconico and you can already reserve a timeshift. I understand that there are some issues with getting membership and some of the features are not available to free members. If you can, please do join the community!

However, we are also using Ustream so there will be two avenues.

I’m anticipating some teething troubles, but please keep letting me know how things are looking on your side.

I’m hoping that as many of you as possible can join us live!

gemma [at] reachmahjong.com

@MahjongGem

We need your help to do this!

First and most obvious, we need people to watch. Otherwise we’re talking to ourselves. Details have yet to be finalized… However, pencil in Saturday 18th for our first show. This will be in the evening Japan time, early afternoon European time and very early morning for America.

Benjamin Boas (THE mahjong guy) and our two resident pros, Jenn and Garthe, will be contributing. I’ll be there to ask the dumb questions.

We’re also looking for questions and topics you want discussing. Perhaps you had a particularly difficult hand that you would like a more expert opinion. Or you have a replay you want to show us so we can discuss how it could be played differently.

How do you get in contact with us?

@MahjongGem for any general comments. We’re still at planning stages so now is the time to give us some direction and opinion!

gemma [at] reachmahjong [dot] com for your more detailed questions and pictures/replays. Please also include how you would like to be called (real name, tenhou handle etc.), or you can keep it entirely anonymous.

Another basic strategy article translated from the JPML site. Original link is at the bottom of the article. We now begin a long discussion on the various yaku in riichi mahjong.

In Riichi Mahjong, we have ‘yaku’.

‘Yaku’ are particular hand shapes.

The units to count yaku are ‘han’.

In Japanese mahjong, you have to create four sets and have one pair as a head. If you don’t have a yaku, then you can’t go out on the hand.

This is called ‘i-han shibari’.

For the next several articles, I want to introduce the yaku.

For those who are just starting out in mahjong, you should first learn riichi and menzen tsumo (fully concealed hand).

Riichi  立直　リーチ Closed / 1 Han

Keywords: Self Ready

☆  Even if you don’t have a yaku, you can reach to go out.

With your initial deal and/or subsequent draws, you reach ready. You declare that you’re ready and if you go out, that is one han.

It does not matter what your hand looks like. If you have dora or additional yaku, this adds to that score.

After declaring riichi, you must discard any other drawn tiles unless it is your winning tile. (Unless you can declare a concealed hand that does NOT change the shape of your hand).

The procedure of declaring riichi is as follows:

1. Declare riichi
2. Discard a tile and turn it to the side
3. Place a 1000 point stick on the table

If no one wins off your discarded tile that you riiched with.

(If someone does win off this tile, you do not need to pay the 1000 points.)

Pros

-If you riichi, you can go out on any hand.

-Riichi is a yaku so adds another han to your score.

-Other players will not want to play into your hand, and thus it will be harder for them to build their own hands.

-If ippatsu or ura dora rules are being played, you might get an even higher score.

Examples of when you should reach:

-You have no yaku but several dora.

-You have three or more possible winning tiles.

Cons

-You can’t change your hand after you have riiched.

-Because people know you’re ready, other players may play defensively making it harder to win.

-You can’t play defensively even if you draw a dangerous tile.

Examples of when you shouldn’t reach:

-You are ready, but you don’t have any dora.

-When another player is going for a full flush or yakuman.

Combines with: All yaku other than double riichi.

Tsumo自模　ツモ (Officially called Fully Concealed Hand or menzen tsumo)  Closed / 1 Han

Keywords: Total Self Win

☆  You can win with a closed tsumo even if you have no other yaku.

☆  If you have called any tile (pon, chi, open kan), you cannot count this as a yaku.

With your initial deal and/or subsequent draws, you reach ready and draw your winning tile. This counts as a yaku. There are no restrictions on the shape of the hand.

Pros

- You’re ready, but it’s not a hand you should reach on or by changing your hand you can get a yaku. In these situations you can still win with a closed tsumo.

-If you reach and then tsumo, you have 2 Han in total to add to your score.

Cons

-There are no disadvantages of this yaku.

Combines with: All yaku except Toitoi (all pungs), Chankan (robbing the kong) and Houtei (bottom of the river)

Jenn and I have known it for a long time now. However, our esteemed moderator and ever-patient Sylvain Malbec is now also awesome on MahjongNews.com.

MahjongNews.com has been running a Sherlock Holmes Mahjong Mystery and Sylvain’s entry won! Congratulations Sylvain! Just don’t let Martin Rep poach you to help him on his site.

For more information on Sylvain’s entry and the competition: http://www.mahjongnews.com/en/columns/sherlock-holmes-mahjong-mysteries/2554-winnershm

Link: http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv131262814

Details below…

-          When you sit at a table, say hello.

It’s polite to greet your fellow players when you sit at a table to play mahjong. Doing so will leave a good impression on them. [Translator’s note: Do people need to be told that?!!!]

-          When the tiles come up [on an automatic table], push your wall forward at a slant so the right side is closer to the center.

This makes it easier for people to take. If the left side is forward, a player may not see a tile and take the wrong one.

-          When building the wall, make sure you place the last tile down (in the king’s tiles or dead wall).

A tsumo from a tile drawn after declaring a kan (rinshanpai), equals one more fan. Thus it is a very important tile. If it is accidentally knocked over and prematurely shown, it could create an unfair advantage.

-          Do not moupai (feel the tiles).

Wait until the player before you has discarded their tile. Taking a tile and waiting for the player before you to discard could result in an illegal action. You are not leaving any time after the previous player’s play for pon, chi, kan or ron before starting your own turn. Being able to feel the tiles is good, but I have seen people get it wrong and discard their winning tile after reaching.

-          Treat the tiles with respect.

Be careful to not knock tiles from the wall or drop them from the table. If you hit the tiles against the table, you will make other players feel uncomfortable or intimidated. If you’re not careful, you may even damage the table [in the case of automatic tables].

-          Line the discard piles in lines of six.

Long lines of discards are difficult to see. When someone has reached, it’s difficult to work out when that happened if you have long lines. They also restrict the discard space of the player after you.

-          Play as quickly as possible.

Get in the habit of placing the tile you just drew in your hand AFTER making your discard. You should get into the rhythm of deciding your potential discards while other players are drawing to ensure that play is smooth.

-          Play mahjong with only one hand.

It may not be possible while you are still getting used to mahjong, but try to always play with one hand.

-          Make clear and distinct calls.

Everyone on the table should be able to hear your calls. If your call is indistinct or too quiet, others might not be able to hear it.

-          Don’t give anything away about your own hand during play.

Mahjong as a game becomes pointless if you reveal information about your hand. Psychological word games are not part of mahjong. Therefore, do not say anything that could lead other players to speculate about your hand.

-          Don’t tut.

You shouldn’t tut when paying other players or when someone tsumos. It makes other people feel uncomfortable. Of course, you should also refrain from humming, whistling, singing, tapping, crossing your legs, wearing hats or sunglasses etc.

-          Don’t display your tiles with one hand (when you win).

Using only one hand to put your tiles down a few at a time looks clumsy. When displaying your tiles or pushing the wall forward, use both hands.

-          Be polite when paying with sticks.

Do not throw or drop sticks when paying. Instead politely place them near the person you are paying. It is good manners to place them on the table so that everyone can see them and not pass them into someone’s hand.

Original Japanese article: http://www.ma-jan.or.jp/jan-up/class_1/04.php

You can access it at this link:

http://blog.nicovideo.jp/en_info/2013/04/post-039053.html

Please show your support by joining in the community so that the powers-that-be know that the English-speaking mahjong market is there and growing.

A thank you to @Osamuuuu for alerting me to it.

(On a totally unrelated note, if you like niconico and speak some Japanese, Jenn, Garthe and Shinya’s show is definitely worth a watch. I’m helping out with it at the moment and they’re really funny. I’m not funny but I push buttons so that’s okay. http://com.nicovideo.jp/community/co1801524)

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One of the basics in mahjong is reading the discards.

If you let your opponent win, it doesn’t matter how beautiful your hand could have been, you’ve lost.

That is why we need to try and understand what our opponent is doing by learning to read their discards…

1. Discarded tiles

The safest tiles are of course the ones that have been discarded. However, you have to be careful – not only one person might be waiting and their hand may change between a discard and your discard depending on positioning. The safest tiles are of course those that the player before you has just discarded. If someone doesn’t call it, then even if it is their waiting tile, they can’t call for it until play has proceeded one turn around the table.

2. Honor tiles where there are a lot on the table or in your hand

These can’t be used in runs, so their use is limited, making them relatively safer.

If you can see a lot of one of them, the likelihood is that it will be safe.

However, if there is an early reach, you need to beware of seven pairs (chitoitsu).

If there is an honor tile reach, or middle figure suit tiles are discarded before an honor tile, you need to be super careful!

Like in this example:

3. Discard tile Suji [Translator’s note: Sometimes referred to as piano keys]

Here is an example of a discard pile.

As  is discarded, then we can deduce that the player is not waiting with  or .

It then follows that   and are relatively safe.

However, this isn’t correct in all cases as your opponent may not have a double-side wait.

If someone discards the , you should also look for on the table.

If you can see 4 of , they don’t have an end wait.

If you can see 4 of or , then they don’t have a middle wait.

If you can see 3 of , then they are not hoping for a head with two waits (shanpon-machi)

If you can see 4 of , they are not waiting on the head.

In the same way as  discarded,  is relatively safe.

4. When discards on the table create a wall

A wall is created when four of a tile is discarded. For example if you can see 4 of , then   is a safer discard .

No one is holding a . Therefore any wait on the would have to be for a head.

If you can see , then the is only a ‘one chance’ for .

If an opponent does have the last , they would have to have .

Original Japanese link: http://www.ma-jan.or.jp/jan-up/class_1/03.php

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The Basics of Building a Hand

The flow of mahjong is getting dealt a hand, drawing a tile and discarding a tile. This is repeated until of course someone wins or we run out of tiles.

First, discard any unnecessary tiles that are ‘floating’.

Tiles that are out on their own and don’t gel with any others or singular honor tiles should be discarded first.

For example:  then the  or an honor like  if it isn’t a dora.

Slowly your hand should be taking shape. What do you do if you have a hand like the one below?

This is an “Extra Sets” hand (mentsuoobaa)

This means that if the potential sets (mentsu) were completed, there would be more than four (too many for a mahjong hand).

Let’s take as the head.

By removing that, we have six potential sets. Therefore, we have to choose one of these potential sets to discard.

So which sets are going to be difficult to complete?

(1) An end wait (penchan)

(2) A middle wait (kanchan)

(3) Waits where two tiles will be useful (nidouuke)  and

The most difficult to complete is an end wait.

With an end wait , you can draw a  to make a middle wait.

With a middle wait , you can draw a  for a double-sided wait (ryanmen).

An end wait requires two tiles to be changed for a double-sided wait.

A middle wait requires one tile to be changed for a double-sided wait.

With the last example, even if a  is drawn for    , then one more tile (out of two options) is still required.

is also the same situation, but this is called Double Sets (daburu mentsu).

However, if you draw the  and get a three-sided wait ,(3-menchan) before you are one tile to tempai (1-shanten), then we should keep it.

(1)  Clear out unnecessary tiles

(2)  Drop honor tiles that won’t be used

(3)  If you have extra sets, clear from the least useful.

Original Author: Saori Atsuma

Translator: Gemma Collinge

Original Link: http://www.ma-jan.or.jp/jan-up/class_1/02.php

They’re playing seven hanchan over the 8th and 9th June.

It’s a MERS 2 tournament so good if you want to bump your place on the EMA rankings.

There is also some evening entertainment that is billed as “Terroir n’ Tradition”. Surprises are promised!

Subscription is open until May 1st. However, I suggest you get your application in sooner rather than later. For more information, head over to their website.

The French tournaments are always a challenge, but you have plenty of time to get some practice in (before they thrash you).

The first tournament is the Kaiser Tournament being held in Hanover on the 17th March. It is being held at Gaststätte Kaiser and I highly recommend taking extra pocket money to eat there. The currywurst is particularly amazing!

The second tournament is the adventurous Great Scholars being held in Oxford on the 6th April. Why is it ‘adventurous’? Martin Lester, the organizer, is planning a dynamic seating method that will adjust the table allocations depending on your scores. I heard the theory already and I am very excited!

The final tournament before summer hits is a firm favorite of the calendar – the Cherry Blossom Tournament (Sakura Taikai) held over two days on the 13th and 14th. If you’re worried about traveling there, just contact the organizers and they’ll definitely help you. It’s not as difficult as Google maps makes it out to be, and as someone who habitually gets lost, I’ve never managed it in the Netherlands.

Unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to join any of these tournaments. I decided to leave Germany at the beginning of the year and have temporarily relocated to Japan. I’m genuinely going to miss attending the tournaments and seeing my friends there. However, I’ll be wishing you yakumans from a distance.

Also, if any participants of the above tournaments want to fill in and write reports or run a twitter for an event, please let me know (gemma@reachmahjong.com / @mahjonggem).

[Edit: Correction "Cambridge" -> "Oxford" - Thanks to @SwanseaRiichi for noticing!]

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[This is from the tournament held in Paris December 2012]

Writing interesting tournament reports isn’t easy. Do you go for a more objective tone? Or do you go for a more personal experience? I’m not sure yet to be honest. However, I have a bit of both for this one.

The French have quickly put themselves on the riichi mah-jong map. There is no doubt about that. There were two tournaments in France this year. All have been excellent. The quality of players is particularly high, which is why their tournaments have a very international feel. The rest of Europe wants to try their hand against the French!

The tournament was a ‘smaller’ tournament of 56 players. There were XX nationalities represented. Everyone I spoke to commented on the friendliness of the participants and certainly I didn’t hear any rules arguments at tables, which there have been in some recent tournaments (excepting the usual calculation ‘debates’).

For myself, I have a very sad experience to share with you. It’s sort of like a What Would you Discard, if you could go back in time… I would love to hear what others would do in this situation. At the time, I had a dora in my hand (not shown). It was the fifth discard from the end. One green dragon had recently been discarded and there was someone else looking dangerous so I knew it was safe. Maybe I did the right thing, I don’t know… But it’s going to haunt me for a long time.

Apart from that, the first day went well! I got some big hands and some big scores. I went home feeling pretty chuffed with myself. Finally! I was back to playing well.

The second day, and… I was back to my more usual form as of late. Compounded by one hand that I reached on my third discard (I was East) only to sit there frustrated for an entire game. On the very last tile (haitei) I pull and throw into a double ron. I can’t even chastise myself for not defending, I’d already made my bed 15 tiles prior.

Ah well! Xxkime tweeted something like its good luck when you win and poor skill when you lose. It’s a good motto to have. It means that you need to up your skill to get better. You can’t just abandon all hope because lady luck doesn’t love you.

I got to play some really good players, including all of those who took home a trophy. I always particularly like playing with Nicholas from France. He knows how to play good riichi. I also think we should all be watching a Finnish player called Konsta (I hope I got that information correct?!) – very impressive play.

Was there any gossip at the tournament? Well… Nothing that will make the front pages. However, Martin Lester (UK) was explaining his plans for a table arrangement system that would change depending on your current total scores. He intends to try out his system on the 6th April in Oxford at the tournament he is arranging. Look out for it!

This might be my last European tournament for a while now… I’ll keep you updated on the reason why!

Subscribe on iTunes (search for Reach Mahjong) or download here

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Maehara-pro came in with a Reach after Itakawa-pro’s reach, using 5 of Itakawa’s winning tiles, and and the hand ended in a draw.
When Maehara and Itakawa opened their hands, I looked at the tiles of both men and I trembled again the genius in Maehara’s fighting style.

“Maehara is fighting hard and smart. What the hell am I doing,” I thought.

Fighting 18 games over 3 days is tough. The road is long no matter which way you look at it, so I think it’s fine to go full speed or keep it at a low gear the whole way.
Either way, the time alternates between offense and defense.
But, you can’t be on the fence during the times of defense and when you’re attacking you can’t be concerned with only yourself.

Out of the 4 contestants I was 3rd or 4th.
I saw the results in this order.
Until the last hand, the biggest win was 3,900 points and the scores were as to be expected:
Maehara 38,000, Itakawa 30,200, Shibata 24,900, Setokuma 26,900

Maehara had set the pace.
The rest of us didn’t discuss it, but we all knew we were thinking the same thing.
The 3 of us were thinking, “We need to end this game here.”

But, in the final hand.



If he drew or he never would have discarded . Only Itakawa knew it, but a deafening silence pursued.

“Oh no, next the big one is going to come.”

Then, the dreaded scene was set, the last hand, 1 continuance. The word “reach” echoed. Of course, it was Maehara-pro that said it.



I’ve been in this exact same situation numerous times. This reach is for a real hand. “Who can fight him? Not me.”
On the 16th discard, Maehara won the higher end of his hand from Shibata pro, who had also got to Ready (tempai) with Peace (pinfu), Three Colored Runs (sanshoku) and 2 dora.



Everyone besides Maehara-pro knew this would happen when he won the first 1,500 points in the last hand.
But, even knowing the future couldn’t change it. This is the peak of the mountain I am climbing.
In the next hand, Shiata finally won a 2000 point hand from me and the first game was over.

1st Game Scores　
Maehara＋33.4P 　Itakawa▲2.3P　　Setokuma▲8.7P　　Shibata▲22.4P

During the short break before the 2nd game, I was reflecting deeply on the prevous game.
“If I don’t do something, today is already over.”

2nd Game, East 1st Hand, Starting down by 5,200 points.



Shibata-pro pulled this after he was Ready.
After looking at his open hand, I found 4 that would give me my higher score.
I was desperate to keep in the weak tendencies that would break me.
I repeated to myself over and over, “Today I’ll defend. For tomorrow and the next day.”

In the East-2nd hand, I got lucky with a 3,900 point hand from Maehara-pro which led to my turn as dealer.
This was my dealt hand in East-3rd hand, as dealer.

　Dora:


A hand that I couldn’t let get away came. The tile I chose as my first discard was .
Many people asked me about this at the end of the day.
“That hand could’ve been a Triple”
“Yeah, it could’ve,” is all I could say, but in reality I had no idea what there were talking about.



If you look at the example above you’ll understand, but if I had discarded first and then discarded after drawing , then this hand:

　Draw:

could’ve been a Triple (sanbaiman).
But, it’s a little much to break up the dots (pinzu) , so I think it was a bit far-fetched to go for the Triple hand, but at the end of the first day being asked this so much I was confused.
This shock really hit me at the end of the first day and that led to what happened in the 4th game.

In the end I drew a hand good for 6000 from each player and the first-place player from the first game, Maehara-pro, got a big negative, putting me in first place overall.

At the end of 2 games:　

Setokuma＋19.4P　　Itakawa＋4.9P　　Maehara▲3.8P　　Shibata▲20.5P

Before the 3rd game I had a feeling of pointless relief. I was really a fool.
The points going into the last hand of that game were:
Maehara 20,200, Itakawa 31,600, Setokuma 24,300, Shibata 43,900
I figured I was a shoe-in for 3rd place. I really was weak.

This is when Maehara-pro took charge of this game and in the end:
Maehara +22.9P, Shibata +14.2P, Itakawa ▲16.5P, Setokuma ▲20.6P
I got last place.
What in the world was I doing. Did I not realize this was the Phoenix Cup final?

At the end of 3 games:　
Maehara＋19.1P　Setokuma▲1.2P Shibata▲6.3P　Itakawa▲11.6P

At this point it still wasn’t necessary to worry about the scores. But, with Maehara as the only player in the black, it bothered me to no end.
At this point, maybe it was already determined that I would lose.
I wanted to put my feelings away.

Then the 4th game began.
I write about 3 lines in a mahjong journal every day. I write hands that left an impression on me, the results of certain dealt hands, etc.
On this day my journal read as follows:
“On this day, things got tough after I folded with a gut shot waiting for 4. I wonder if I exerted myself when things were going bad overall.
I need to stop going half-ass when I’m folding! I need to turn today’s shame into something good tomorrow.”

That was in East-3rd hand



After Itakawa-pro’s reach, if I discard , then I was ready waiting for .
However, the chance of winning with to try and keep my hand together, I heard the word, “Ron”.

I hadn’t prepared myself to lose those points. The only strategy at that point was to be wary of Itakawa-pro’s reach.
I had totally forgotten. After that discard, I could no longer hear my own voice telling me to, “stay.”

4th game scores:　
Itakawa +18.0P　　Maehara +10.4P　　Shibata▲7.0P　　Setokuma▲21.4P

At the end of 4 games:　
Maehara +29.5P　　Itakawa +6.4P　　Shibata▲13.3P　　Setokuma▲22.6P

5th game scores:　
Shibata +33.9P　　Itakawa▲2.0P　　Setokuma▲10.5P　　Maehara▲21.4P

At the end of 5 games:　
Shibata +20.6P　　Maehara +8.1P　　Itakawa▲4.4P　　Setokuma▲33.1P

In the last hand of the 6th game, the points were:
Maehara 29,500P, Shibata 32,700P, Setokuma 24,400P, Itakawa 33,400P
The dealer in the final hand was Maehara-pro. I had a bad feeling. And on that first day, all of my bad feelings came true.
Just as expected I threw Maehara’s winner of 1500 points and with only myelf in the red, the game continued.



I got a lucky 8000 point hand. I saw a thin sliver of light through the abyss.

6th game scores:　
Itakawa +11.4P　　Shibata +5.7P　　Setokuma +2.2P　　Maehara ▲19.3P

At the end of 6 games:　
Shibata +26.3P　　Itakawa +15.8P　　Maehara ▲11.2P　　Setokuma ▲30.9P

And with this the first day ended.
It was all I could do to hold by my anger at myself. I told myself over and over.
“You’ve paid years of dues for what, to play this pathetic mahjong? Did you already forget those tears of regret? Can’t you play to the death? Can’t you prepare for the worst?”

I decided 2 things at the end of this day.
First was that I would sleep as much as possible. Next, that I would play for 1st place or last place from the 2nd day on. Death before surrender.

When I went home and turned on the TV, Mao Asada was giving an interview through tears after winning a silver medal.
It reminded me of myself 5 years before.
Then I heard something from the gold medal winner Yuna Kim that stayed with me.
“The feeling when I lost helped to create this.”

These words helped shape my feelings after the 2nd day.
I put the regret and desire inside and the night went on.

Coming up: Phoenix Cup Day 2 – Sublimation

Written by: Naoki Setokuma

Translated published by ReachMahjong.com with permission from the Japan Professional Mahjong League. May not be reproduced in any way without written consent from both JPML and ReachMahjong.com.
Original Japanese column can be seen on the JPML website.

Feb 17, 2013
9.00-9.30 Registration
9.30-11.00 Sixth Hanchan
11.00-11.30 Coffee break
11.30-13.00 Seventh Hanchan
13.00-14.00 Lunch
14.00-15.30 Eigth Hanchan
16.00 Ending Ceremony

Jenn talks about the new Mahjong book by Scott D. Miller and playing Riichi in Seattle over the holiday vacation.

Garthe talks about… I forgot.

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Discuss your answer on the RM.com Forums. And look for Jenn and Garthe’s answers on the ReachMahjong.com Podcast

Subscribe on iTunes (search for Reach Mahjong) or download here

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Please head to the RM Forums for the discussion.

For my first real article, I’ve opted to dive in at the controversial end. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’m talking about one of the big controversies of Reach Mahjong: the red fives.

Red fives are one of the most characteristic elements of Japanese mahjong, but also one of the most hotly debated, second only to the ura-dora (but I’ll go into that another time).
First off, let me do a quick recap of the features of a red five.
A red five…
- Replaces a regular five in each suit
- Acts as a free dora
- Can be a double dora if the dora indicator is a 4 of the same suit
A free dora, right? How can you not like that?

The Pros:
- Free dora! That’s 1 more han in the bag if you win.
- Everyone wants a five. They’re highly versatile in general, so it’s easy to work into your hand.
The Cons:
- If it doesn’t fit your hand, tough. You’re not just discarding a five, you’re discarding a free dora.
- Everyone wants a five. It’s far too easy to deal into someone’s winning hand with one.

The primary argument against red fives is basically that they add too much luck to the game.
Terrible player? Love cheap hands? If you have one or more red fives, you can happily go out on a cheap hand because of your free dora.
It’s a kick in the teeth for both strategy and hand variety.
Also, I haven’t had many of these tragic losses since I’m still in early days, but I can imagine that it’s quite heartbreaking to be on the receiving end of a ron (or even a tsumo) from someone with three red fives. They might even flip over the ura-dora and find a 4!

However, this also works in its favour, mainly as an incentive for beginner players.
If you’re a novice and you go up against experienced players, it’s not going to be very fun. But just like with a dora, if you manage to get your hands on one of those glowing red fives, you’ve basically earned yourself a fighting chance.
It can be worked into most basic hands, while still obeying the rules of dora – a red five gives you a boost, but you still need to build a hand around it.
Moreover, dealing a red five into someone’s winning hand is a spectacular way to teach you about not making careless discards.

My personal feeling about red fives is a very simple one, but not a very widespread one.
In my opinion, all strategy and no luck makes Jack a dull boy. I was taught to play by a true gambler, and I think I’ve inherited her penchant for the rush.
Mahjong isn’t chess – you’re not planning out every move in meticulous detail with all the information you have in front of you. You have no idea what tile you’re going to draw on any turn. You can make a good plan, but in the end every turn is a roll of the dice which could upend your entire game.
So, the more degrees of chance we add, the better, in my opinion.
We’re playing a game, we want adrenaline! We want to be sitting on the edge of our seats, feeling the flow, making split-second decisions covering our whole hand! We want to draw that One True Tile and watch as everything changes!

New episodes on Oct 10th and 17th, 2012. Check them out!!

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What have I learnt from this week:

1) Check the dora tile before first discard.

- This is a favourite mistake of mine. I can almost hear the discard noise as I realize that I’ve discarded a dora that could have been quite useful to me.

2) Don’t play mahjong when distracted.

- I have favoured playing online mahjong whilst watching TV, Mad Men, Gossip Girl etc. This inevitably means I’m not playing properly nor am I learning. Must not do this.

3) Fishing is a naughty necessity sometimes.

- This is something that I notice I haven’t been doing so much in live games, but I should be if it’s safe and especially if I am the dealer. The difficulty is knowing when to fish.

Anyway, as I haven’t satisfied my original target, it rolls over to next week. 2.4 must be achieved in seven more days

New episodes on Oct 10th and 17th, 2012. Check them out!!

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As always, discussion is on the RM.com forums…

Hello Everyone.
Thanks to the editorial department, I will be writing my mental state throughout the 26th annual Phoenix Cup and updating regularly until the next Phoenix Cup Final.
The stage is the Phoenix Cup, built up by my elder players encased with a sense of anxiety and accomplishment that would test the limits of most people. I pick up my pen with the idea that I would like anyone who hasn’t experienced this and any fans to get a taste of it.

I want to be straight forward and honest when I write what I felt during this competition.

I’m not a skilled writer, but I hope you will read this.
My fellow pro Ara often writes on his autographs, “Every summit is the base of another mountain”.
Until just a few months ago, these were words that I had heard, but never experienced first-hand.
I’ve finally climbed to the top of this mountain and now I feel nothing but anxiety about the next mountain I have to prepare for and its height. Now, let’s get started.

In the winter 5 years ago, the top of the mountain was right in front of me.
In the 22nd Annual Phoenix Cup Final, out of a total of 18 games, I held the lead for 17 of them. There was a 35.6 point difference between 2nd place and me.
If you know the JPML A-rules point system well then you’ll understand, but a 35.6 point lead with only 1 game left to go is something you can hang on to about 80-90% of the time.

However, I wasn’t able to take it down. Actually, this was a result that revealed my lack of ability.
In the JPML Newspaper at the time, the headline “Setokuma Let the Big One Get Away,” danced on the page.
I don’t know if it was fate, but the correspondent for this match was fellow pro Maehara.
Perhaps to Maehara it reflected my immaturity at the time.
At the end of that year in league I got 5th, 8th and 5th places and ended up watching the final from the sideline.

It’s easy to say now, but it was better that I lost the 22nd Phoenix Cup.
It’s weird to say “Good thing I lost” but the truth is that thanks to that loss I am who I am today.
I laid low in the league tournament. In the 26th Annual League series, when the 9th session finished, with only 1 session left to go it looked like I would be watching the final from the sidelines yet again…

February 6, 2010 was a clear day. The last session of the AI league for the year.
The 25th Pheonix Cup champion was Yudai maehara. And the accumulative points for all players were:

1st　Hiroyuki Shibata　　+186.4 points
2nd　Kazutoshi Itagawa　　+149.6 points
3rd　Yuichiro Migita　+103.3 points
4th　Masashi Ishiwata　　 +80.5 points
5th　Masayoshi Ara　　 +42.4 points
6th　Takanori Oitsuki　　 +32.8 points
7th　Naoki Setokuma　 +32.1 points

It looked like this. The difference between myself and Migita, the 3rd place borderline, was 71.2 points.
Even though we were at the same table, I honestly thought that it was 80-90% impossible. The reason is that even if I was able to catch up with Migita, Ishiwata was still there on another table.
You can try to win all 4 games in the final session, but the A1 league isn’t that easy and in my experience I’ve come to realize that this is a near impossible order.

When I look back at my own blog from that time it reads,
“Under this blue sky without a cloud in it, I know I’m not a good person, mahjong is the one thing in which I have given my all. Today I’m going to put everything out on the table.”
I was putting on a brave face and forcing myself into a state of confidence.

That year I really learned a lot from Ara, Moriyama and Maehara.
It seemed that since the 4 years earlier, since Maehara had started keeping his eye on me, I had perhaps grown, but for the entire year I thought that I wanted to advance to the final stage and show this year’s Phoenix Cup winner, the 10-Tier winner and Grand Prix winner, the triple crown, the best, and show my gratitude to him, saying, “I’m finally here.”

However, going into the final session, on the inside I was realistic, thinking, “I’m going to have to give it my all for another year.”
On the other hand, I also had this in my mind:
“If I do make it to the final, will I now be able to handle the energy that I wasted that time that I lost? With my current level, maybe it would be better to try after I’ve improved a bit”
With these 2 thoughts stirring together in my mind, no part of me thought, “I’m going to make it, no matter what.”
Of course I told everyone cheering me on, “I’ll do my best and advance…”

The venue held the unmistakable atmosphere of the final session. This was the day the winners would be separated from the losers. The wins and losses we all go through throughout each year.
This is the day when I really feel that I’ve stepped into this industry.
When I feel happy that I get to experience days like this, the truth is that I always wonder if it is better to leave a more normal life.

At my table was Shibata (currently 1st, +186.4 points), Migita (currently 3rd, +103.3 points), and Ara (currently 5th, +42.4 points)
Then there was me, Setokuma (currently 7th, +32.1 points).

In the first game I could feel a bit of Migita’s anxiety. I had also experienced a final session in 4th place, 5 years ago, with a 30 point buffer.
So I was able to pick up on his feeling.

A stroke of luck got me a 12,000 point hand won directly from Migita. Migita was struggling.
However, in a 4-game match with both Ara and I chasing him, only 1 discarded winner would be fine.
Now it was us, the chasers, that would struggle. The game ended with Migita in last place and myself in 1st.

On the other table Ishiwata also took last place, making the totals:

Migita　　currently 3rd　+80.6 points
Setokuma　currently 4th　+67.3 points
Ishiwata　　currently 5th　+57.5 points

With all 3 of us vying for the same spot, there were only 3 games left to play.
At this point I was still quite calm. I was seizing Migita’s unfortunate state of mind.
Little by little, I began to light the fire of the fighting spirit sleeping inside of me.

In the 2nd game I attacked and took 1st.
In the south round I noticed that Migita seemed to be preparing himself for the worst. Then he took a positive 2nd place.
On the other table Ishiwata also ended positive, keeping himself in the race.

At the end of the 2nd game
Migita　　currently 2nd　+87,9P
Setokuma　currently 3rd　+80,7P
Ishiwata　　currently 4th　+63,8P

This is the point when I was first conscious of victory.
There is a saying, “Don’t think you’re going to win. If you think that, you’ll lose,” and if you go into a match with misplaced confidence is your biggest enemy.
In mahjong, controlling yourself at this point is a very heavy weight to bear.
I went into the 3rd game, forgetting to contain the excitement welling inside of me. Then my weak side started to show.
As anticipated, Migita was concentrating more than me. The 3rd game ended.
The bitter taste of the time I had lost before felt as if it was seeping through my skin more than ever.

Migita +19.1 points, Setokuma -15.7P points, on the other table: Ishiwata got an effortless +4.1points

At the end of the 3rd game
Migita　　currently 3rd　+107.0 points
Ishiwata　　currently 4th　+68.9 points
Setokuma　currently 5th　+65.0 points

The difference between myself and Migita was 42.0 points. This is where my 26th Annual Phoenix Cup race should have ended.
In this life of competition, I’ve experienced countless humiliating comebacks from other players but I’ve comeback with miraculous wins just as many times.
But, this time, I didn’t think there was any way the, “Goddess of Mahjong” would forgive my inability to control my own demeanor.
I arrived at the table, knowing in my heart that at the very least I needed to put my best forth, so as not to disappoint all the people watching me.

In the first hand (East-1) of the last game I was dealer. Migita dealt to me for a 5,800 point hand. My heart started to beat.
Right after that Migita drew an All Pairs hand with 2 dora and my light of hope went out.
After that the game continued with Migita and I taking turns winning hands.

In South-3, Migita was the dealer. He held 38,000 points.
I was in the West seat and held 40,000, currently in 1st place for the game. I had only 2 hands left to close up the 42 point gap between us.
I had to put Migita in the red for the game and take a big 1st place, keeping everyone else below 30,000 points. In my mind I was working out situations in which I could draw at least 3,000/6,000 or take 8,000 or more from him directly.
In the corner of the mind I had the objectivity to think, “real mahjong is not a comic book.”

Then, the fateful hand.

Dora:

The hand went smoothly from the first draw. I drew and suddenly a light went on. I came back to my senses.

I thought of a final hand and moved forward with a clear mind.

I declared a quad (kan) with . On the supplementary draw I picked up . After that I drew 2 . I declared another quad.

Conc-Quad: Conc-Quad: Reach

I had discarded 2b the round before, so as not to stray from my path.

The 12th discard came and I drew 3b. Then I reached.

Conc-Quad: Conc-Quad: Reach

I’m sure everyone thinks that I was thinking, “I will draw this winner” but I was actually thinking something completely different.
I was thinking, “I always said that hands [that you force from scratch] don’t win.
After making the effort to build this hand up, if I can’t win it, it’s going to feel even worse.”

Then I felt something that I never had before.
It was strange, I got this overwhelming feeling of, “I want to win this hand,” which led to, “I’m not going to come close and lose it.”

After a few more discards, I was enveloped in a sound of spectators I’d never heard before.
I still don’t know what forces it was that allowed me to complete this hand.
And then the only thing that I could think of was, “It’s my first limit hand (yakuman) ever since I started league.
After the game ended I was also surprised to see the results from the other table.
I had just managed to overcome my difference with Migita and Ishiwata didn’t beat me.

I came back to the spot I was in before. I finally earned my ticket to sit with the best player.
After it was over Moriyama gave me a light sock in the head. I’ve never told anyone that at that moment my tear ducts gave out and I ran away to the bathroom.

There is no doubt that was the day that I turned into one of the winners. But I’ve already experience that as that happiness grows the potential damage in the next battle also grows.
I swore to myself that this time I would only let that satisfaction last for 1 day.

Coming up: Phoenix Cup Day 1 – Going Crazy

Written by: Naoki Setokuma

Translated published by ReachMahjong.com with permission from the Japan Professional Mahjong League. May not be reproduced in any way without written consent from both JPML and ReachMahjong.com.
Original Japanese column can be seen on the JPML website.

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There seems to be a feeling that Japanese pros will be revealing exciting mahjong secrets through their internet scribblings. I can assure you they are not. They save those for their books and articles. After all, mahjong is their bread and butter. Unless  you’re a fan of that particular player, their blogs are fairly banal.

Let’s take some examples:

http://saki-pico.seesaa.net/article/296456018.html

Here we get to learn about a special pillow her mother gave her as a birthday present. It seems it was quite an expensive pillow…

http://ameblo.jp/kaoru-aisawa/entry-11374461231.html

Talk about haircuts and fashion…

http://ameblo.jp/mutirv/entry-11364806678.html

Food, this is quite a staple of Japanese blogging. I work with a lot of Japanese people and I’ve now trained myself to not start eating until I’ve seen a camera flash go off.

I am exaggerating here, to be fair. But I think you can see that mahjong is not the staple of their blogs. They’re letting fans into their lives so they can keep their fanbase.

If I delve further, there are indeed comments on mahjong.

http://ameblo.jp/masa0418/entry-11372991429.html

Ah! Something about mahjong. Three sentences…

http://ameblo.jp/northavenue/entry-10992635622.html

Some more mahjong news, but it won’t help me because I live far, far away.

http://ameblo.jp/northavenue/entry-10814429588.html

This is interesting. I’m amazed that anyone can write that neatly if anything else. But again, no strategy tips.

So, in general, I don’t think Mahjong Pro blogs make for the most interesting material. That’s not to say there isn’t a lot of interesting material out there. Maybe pro blogs aren’t the place to look and other places in the blogosphere will be more profitable.

Either way, if you feel I’ve overlooked something within pro blogs, please point me in the right direction!

Determined to change this, I went ahead and signed up for ron2. I guess the thought process being that by paying for something, I’m sure to get better. Like the gym, you don’t have to actually go to get fit, right? I’m healthy as long as they keep taking money out of my bank account.

Anyway… I soon realized that my being rubbish was not limited to real life but extended to online life as well.

After ten matches, my placement ratio is… 3.10.

That is pretty miserable, but confirms that my performance at tournaments is a fair representation of my abilities.

Going back to my performance review, I had two targets. First was to win a tournament in 12 months. Second was to not end  up in the bottom half of the table in any tournament I participate in.

First one didn’t work out for me (see here). Second isn’t looking so good either unless I take measures. Hence the ron2 membership. Ron2 has the advantage if you are a Japanese speaker of additional content etc. that you can access, which claims to reveal the secrets to winning. I guess I can be the judge of that now.

I’m going to set another target to improve that ratio to at least 2.4 in the next fortnight. Hopefully this target will be more achievable…

I Did it My Way

What do you have to have and what makes you an intermediate player? I’m not sure what the difference between an intermediate and beginner player is. It’s the same with intermediate and advanced. For example, in golf, you can tell the level of a player from their score. It’s not the same for mahjong. I definitely don’t think that it’s about winning or losing. Even an advanced player could be beaten by a complete beginner. So what is the difference then? I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a difference of “awareness” (意識 ishiki).

Beginners first learn what a winning hand is. If you taught them to hold back, they wouldn’t understand what makes mahjong fun. They always go for a win and have fun doing it. During this process, they then start gaining an awareness of winning and losing. A beginner will lose, that’s the way of the world. But you can’t just keep losing. At some stage people will start thinking of a method of winning. Then you start creating your way of playing.

Dora

This is a hand dealt to you as the North seat on the first hand of the south round. You have 35,000 points at second place, the top place is 3000 points ahead of you. This isn’t a particularly a good hand, but you could have a half flush (honitsu). You’ll probably discard the bamboos and go straight for the dots.

In the seventh draw, you have the following and your hand is looking good.

Tsumo

But the other White dragons are already on the table. Plus two each of North, Green Dragon and Red Dragon are also already down on the table. You’re going to need to rely on the dot tiles to make your half-flush. Two rounds later, you draw the four of dots. This is excellent.

You discard the dragon and now you just have to wait until you’re waiting (tenpai), but there is the problem. Do you stay closed or do you take it when it comes? Normally, you wouldn’t normally call it as you’d come this far closed. However, as the White Dragon is out of the picture now, so you may change your mind slightly.

For example, the 2, 5, or 8 of dots comes out. Then you’ll have a mangan, but you’re winning tile may be elusive in that case. If you are thinking of calling for a tile, you need to make sure you have a two-sided wait (ryanmen). That will get you 3900 points too so it’s a valid strategy. If the 1 or 9 comes out, you have a three-sided wait, plus you may get a straight if you’re lucky.

   Chi 

   Chi 

What would you do?

I don’t think either staying closed or opening your hand is the wrong answer. The question is how you want to play. If you have resolve, you should have confidence in your own actions. You won’t have anything to regret then, no matter what the results.

The player before you throws the 6. If you call, you will have a three sided wait and if you win, you will get 1300 or 2600. It’s not a bad score and it’s not a bad thing to do. You may even take it from the top player. We often have to go for such compromises.

However, I personally would not call. This is the way I decide to play. There are still several draws to go. I want to take this on closed. I’ll see what tiles I draw. This hand still has plenty of options.

The next draw, and I’m waiting on the five.

It’s a bad wait, but I am waiting. It’s not outside the realms of possibility that another player will play into my hand. Now I just have to wait for a change.

I may have reached tempai closed but I still have the option to open it up. In the game I’m describing, people were discarding dots so I can discard safe tiles and keep my waiting hand.

The dots are cheap on this table and I don’t feel anyone wants them. Three players have thrown the 8. The player to my left discards 3. By taking this tile, I can discard the 8 and be waiting on the 1 or 4.

   Chi 

This is a good wait and my winning tile is likely to come. However, I would still stay closed and push on. If you lose your focus, you often lose the game. You may still lose, but as you had played it your way, there are no regrets. Forming a way of playing that goes with you way and then using it is the most important step in getting better at mahjong.

This time I pulled the fourth 6. I dropped the eight but did not reach. I wanted to show my opponents that I don’t always reach when I want to win. It is essential to put your opponents off the scent sometimes.

If you want to get better at mahjong, you need to first think about “your way”.  You won’t win in the long term without an aim.

Original Author: Hisato Sasaki URL: http://www.ma-jan.or.jp/jan-up/class_2/01.php
Translated and adapted from original Japanese. All rights remain with the JPML and author.

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As always, discussion is on the RM.com forums…

3 Hands That Will Ruin Your Day

You’re in the back half of the South Round, and the end is edging its way towards you. The tension is so thick, you could cut a slice and take it home as a souvenir.
Maybe you’re already winning and you just want to further destroy everyone around you.
Maybe you’re not doing so well and just want to scramble away from dead last.
Then it comes. The One True Hand™. You know what I mean. The kind of hand where, rightfully, time should stop and the tiles should start sparkling. The planets have aligned, baby, and they’re pointing right at you.
This is the point where a sensible player stops, sits back, centres themselves on their strategy, and decides to play it safe. You’re in the home stretch, why risk putting your entire game down the toilet?
That’s what a sensible player would do, anyway. But hey, the one thing every mahjong player knows is that sensible is boring.
Let’s rock this karma.

…

…

And then, it all goes pear-shaped. And how.

Here are just some of the wonderful ways a good hand can go south. Tick them off as you go along, because we’ve all been there.

#1: The Noob Mistake

This is my favourite, and easily the most embarrassing.
Once you’re in the One True Hand™ high, rules just go out the window. Common sense? Gone. All that exists is you and the hand.
Let me pull an example from my sordid past, and lay my shame out to the world.
I’m at a national tournament, and doing remarkably badly. I’ve given up all hope of top ten, and my goal is basically just to struggle out of the bottom ten.
Table 6, South Round, third hand.
Deal, deal, deal, WHAT. Is this- is it really- WHAT.
Three of one dragon, two each of another. Three big whopping dragons, waiting for my summons.
You’re on, karma.
…
It’s only a few turns before I’m ready and waiting on that last beautiful dragon.
I reach.
…
The player to my right drops the last one. Reach, ippatsu, three big dragons? Yes please.
(Yes, I know it’s a limit hand. I told you I was fragile.)
“Ron!” I cry.
The other calmly replies, “Oh, that is indeed a lovely hand. If only you hadn’t reached after you opened it.”
“…”

And now you know. The only thing worse than a stupid penalty is a stupid penalty where you mess up a limit hand.

#2: The Threat

It’s the third turn of the hand. You’re ready, your One True Hand™ is winking at you from the table and your wait is delicious.
Smoothly and calmly, you place your tile out sideways. “Reach.”
You look at the other players. They look at you.
With one languid gaze, you’ve let everyone know that you’ve just brought it. It’s on. You’ve released the hounds and the chase is on.

The next tiles come out. None of them are what you want. Fine, you have a whole round to claim your prize. No rush.
Now, there are three ways this can go:

1. Your tile arrives. You scream “Ron!” or “Tsumo!”, dance around for a bit and custard pie the other players. I hope you have a good imagination, because this is not going to happen.
2. You wait. And wait. And wait some more. Your tile does not come. Not even a hint of it. Either another player is hoarding your winning tile (the jammy git probably has a quad of it) or, against all logic, they’re all sitting in the dead wall. Regardless, you hit stalemate, claim your meagre winnings and rage at the unfairness of it all.
3. Another turn barely passes before you hear the one word that brings it all tumbling down: “Ron.” You look at the caller. They look at you. With one gaze, you know that while you might have brought it, they’ve brought it with interest. Good luck ever getting your ego back after this.

#3: My Precious

…or, alternatively, “If at first you don’t succeed, wait a bit longer.”
I hold that this is the most common pitfall to strike any mahjong player.  Sometimes you just do not want to let go of a good thing.
Thousands of years ago, when the great Elders of Mahjong convened and devised this most sacred of pastimes, they also introduced a mechanism we know today as Sod’s Law.
The law basically goes as follows: “No matter what the situation is, fate will always be there to headbutt you and steal your shoes.”
In my experience, this is most frequent when I get presented with an opportunity to chase down the rarest hand of all: 13 Orphans.
(Incidentally, this is my One True Hand™. Now you know why I never win.)
Situation
You’re dealt a hand with a good 9-10 terminals/honours. You have every right to call a re-deal. Do you do it? Of course you don’t, silly, you go for gold.

Possible outcomes

1. Your remaining tiles make their way into your hand. You scream “Ron!” or “Tsumo!”, everyone around looks at your hand in shock, horror and awe, and faints. Just like in #2, this is not going to happen. Sorry.

2. You remain strong, you stick with it, you do not waver. Either you go to stalemate, or someone wins off the juicy inside tiles you’re casting away.
3. You bottle out early on and start dropping your tiles in hopes of at least an outside hand. As soon as you do this, the honours and terminals start strolling into your hand. Exactly the ones you needed and more. Alas, it’s a pity you’re in Furiten.

This is Sod’s Law in action.
Lesson: Never trust fate unless you’re a superhero. Always be ready to abandon your hand.
(Don’t worry, I know you’ll keep doing this. So will I. You never know.)

DAY ONE

Myself and my mah-jong buddy, Colin Farrell, came to the Netherlands to participate in the Oranda Sai-Kou Tournament. Unfortunately our journey from Frankfurt was less than smooth. Our train broke down meaning we were over two hours delayed and we got in much later than planned the night before.

We crawled out of bed the next day exhausted, but still excited for the games ahead. This year the Oranda Sai-Kou is nine tables. Five on day one and four on day two. Five tables in a day is quite a fear, especially when you’ve only had about five hours sleep the night before. However, on a cup of coffee, we started our games with the enthusiasm and optimism that everyone has at the start of the tournament. Unfortunately for me, that optimism was quickly proven to be misplaced.

I lost sooo badly on my first table. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t get a break. Several tsumos later and I was wreaked. Second and third tables were not so bad with a respectable second places. Fourth table and it had come back to get me. This one I couldn’t blame entirely on luck. I made some foolish decisions. I’ve often found it hard to read a closed wait and this really was my downfall, dealing into one pretty big hand. Final table for that day and the first hand won was by the dealer as a baiman tsumo. I tried not to lose my head though and crawled up to second place. In conclusion, not a good day at all for me, but I’ve done much worse in the past.

Colin had a better day than me but still a mixed bag. He got small winds on one table, but also chomboed twice during the day. However, despite his inconsistent performance, he’s about 50k points higher than me in the rankings so I’m in no position to judge him!

Tom (Wortex) is making both of us look very, very bad. Tom is displaying his usual excellent play and finished the day overall third. If you want to root for one of the reachmahjong.com team, it’s definitely Wortex. As long as his luck stays with him, he’s in a good position to take the trophy this year!

DAY TWO

This tradition started in 2010 and articles are written by the current title holder and updated on JPML’s website monthly. The content includes insite to games that the winner has played or generally what the author feels like writing.

The 2010 winner was Naoki Setokuma and he started writing in November of 2010. He wnet on to win again in 2011 and wrote monthly until January of 2012. In February of that year Masayoshi Ara won the title (not for the first time) and he has been writing monthly this year.

RM.com will run translations of this article biweekly from here on out, updated every Friday starting in October, 2012, intermittent with translations of other columns, interviews and blogs written by pro’s in Japan.

Taking Your Tiles

Once you’ve taken your tiles, what do you do first?

-Check that you don’t have too many or two few tiles

If you’re North, it’s not uncommon to forget to take your final tile. If you’re South, you might forget your first draw.

To prevent this, take three tiles in each hand and lift them above the rest of your tiles like in the picture below.

If it looks like the picture above with one tile extra in the row below, you have the right number of tiles as long as you’re not dealer and you aren’t waiting to discard.

If you’re dealer you should have taken an extra tile at the initial draw and it should look like the picture above with two tiles extra in the row below.

This is also useful when you have a kan (kong/quad/four of a kind). You need to make sure that you take an extra tile. Otherwise you will be short.

Until you’re more familiar with Mahjong, it’s always good to check the number of tiles before discarding.

-Next you should check the dora (lucky tile)

If you just discard the least useful looking tile, you could find yourself discarding a dora without realizing.

It is also good to get into the habit of checking it regularly. You don’t want to lose the chance of an even better hand because you discarded dora too readily.

-Finally, you should predict what your final hand will be

Could it be sanshoku (three colour run) or itsu (flush)?

Maybe you want to call for tiles from others’ discards or maybe you want to keep your hand closed. Perhaps you want to go for reach? You need to get used to asking yourself these question and forming a strategy for building your hand.

If you’ve already decided your best chance for hand points is to stay closed and go for reach, you’re unlikely to want to react to others’ discards.

Original Author: Azuma Saori URL: http://www.ma-jan.or.jp/jan-up/class_1/01.php
Translated and adapted from original Japanese. All rights remain with the JPML and author.

Why not review my Mahjong performance at the same time? Anyone who knows me will be aware that my performance at tournaments recently has been pretty poor. When I say recently…I mean twelve months or so. Therefore a performance review is well due!

The first question I need to address is why was I winning before and now losing. I don’t think it’s a case of me or my strategy changing – it’s everyone else has changed! I stayed the same because what I was doing was getting me results. However, everyone else got better and left me behind.

So not changing has resulted in my current stagnant results. To fix this, I need to assess what I’m doing so I can change it. I tweet my scores when I attend tournaments so this has kept a record of my scores. One observation I have noted is that I seem to have two modes.

Mode One: Play conservatively and just lose a little and win a little so I comfortably cruise around the middle of the rankings

Mode Two: Play like a lunatic, win big and lose big!

 
Neither of these modes seem to be working (obviously). I believe (but please correct me if I’m wrong) the underlying problem is that I am failing to read the situations correctly to know when I should be taking the risks and when I should be pulling back.

This means I’m throwing good hands that I should have pushed on or conversely just going for everything. This results in me losing constantly, because most other European players have grown beyond this error.

How do I fix it? Playing more hands is the obvious thing to do. Online games are the easiest way to achieve that. However, I don’t think they’re as effective as discussing games over a table with players in real life. That can be aim one.

The other thing to do is watch games. Luckily YouTube has plenty of games that I can watch. That’s aim two.

In all good performance reviews, one needs targets by which one can measure success. My first target will be to win another tournament in the next 12 months. However, this won’t be able to measure if I’ve achieved sustained improvement. Therefore, my second target will not to end up in the bottom half of the table in any tournament I participate in.

Let’s just hope I can achieve it!

I wrote a lot about what I wasn’t doing well, so what I have been doing well? That’s easy! Enjoying Mahjong and my Mahjong friends. Every tournament has been massively enjoyable even when I was losing. I’ll keep that up!

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The St John’s Centre located in Guildford will act as the stage for the tournament.

The tournament will have 5 sessions total played in one day and will be using the revised version of the EMA Riichi Competition Rules.

It’s a shame that the tournament registration is already closed, but not to worry! Reachmahjong.com is going to cover this event and deliver you a live twitter reporting from the lovely Gemma Collinge! More details to follow.

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The Take set is one of the most popular articles in the shop with it’s excellent quality and clear and detailed carvings. It comes with optional red fives to spice up your games, and there are gems socketed in the red five of dots!

The tiles are firm and with the set weighing in at 2kg you can really feel the game by handling the tiles.

The set also comes with scoring sticks, 4 dice,  a dealer button and a complimentary keychain.

Order your own Take set today! Head onto the product page by clicking the picture below!

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You will be able to spectate the games through here.

For more information visit the Korean Mahjong League and the official Tenhou page (in Japanese)

WWYD

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The winner was Antonio “Tony” Hernandez who dominated the final table with the runner up Brian Mikolajczyk who lost the first place only by a difference of 4600 points. Third place was Ben Lewis and the 4th was Thomas Horton.

Here are the results of the final table:

1st Tony 52000
2nd Brian 47400
3rd Ben 2700
4th Thomas -2100

Junk mat is the perfect surface to play on and to protect your table and your precious tiles from scratches.

The mat is made of neoprene and comes with plastic borders so wall building is a cinch.

The borders even have trays for the scoring sticks during the game.

Junk mat is portable and comes with a carry bag for easy transport and storing.

Order your own today! Head onto the product page by clicking the picture below!

The tournament will take place in Austria between 18th to 22nd of September 2013 and is organized by mahjong club Great Dragons. Acting as the venue is Schlossberg Vineyards in Bad Vöslau, just 40 kilometers from the city of Vienna. The entry fee for the tournament will be 100€ and will have 10 han-chan sessions. The number of participants is limited to 80 and player quotas for each country will be announced at a later date. There is also a team tournament before the invidual tournament. Rules of the invidual tournament and the team tournament will be announced shortly.

For more information about the tournament visit the organizing mahjong clubs site www.greatdragons.at and the vineyards site www.weingutschlossberg.at

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Now we are ready to combine our two sites and offer you the ReachMahjong.com Shop! We are striving everyday to make RM.com your number one stop for Reach/Riichi style mahjong and now you can get mahjong tiles and goods at your favorite website.

We’ll be working hard to get used to our new setup over the next month or two, but make sure to check out our products, tell us what else you want to see and give us feedback on the products you’ve already tried out. If you order Jenn’s book from our site she’ll sign it for you before dropping it in the mail as well.

To view products and place orders, just click on “RM Shop” located on the far right of the menu. Be sure to keep us in mind for your next home game, your personal collection, or gifts for your friends. Happy shopping!

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Place: Rosemont, IL
Date: Saturday, April 28, 2012 from 6:00pm ~ 2:00am
No. of seats: 16
Format: Two advance to next round from each table
Venue: TBA (check out their facebook page below)
Prizes: Top four will receive prizes sponsored by Reachmahjong.com!

There will be Riichi mahjong Workshops and Freeplay during the Tournament.

Follow them on facebook

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Catch us on ustream on Konami’s own channel: fightclub573 from 12:00-18:00 JST (03:00-09:00 UTC+0, 23.03.2012 23:00-05:00 EDT)

 

Other pros scheduled to appear: Asataro Nada, Takeo Kojima, Kazunori Takizawa, Hisato Sasaki, Dump Ohashi, Aki Nikaido, Rumi Nikaido, Yukiko Izumi, Kozue Miyauchi and Akira Wakutsu!

We’ll be playing the Triathlon (East-only, East/South, 3-player) and going up against the Mahjong Fight Club players that won their way to the Jango Finals (雀豪決定戦): To determine the

true king of all Riichi Mahjong!