Mahjong Tips and Tricks - Things To Remember

Mahjong isn't just a game of luck; players need to master its rules and strategies. But there's another crucial aspect most overlook. Once you know how to play, the next step is to grasp the major tips and tricks.

In this guide, we'll share the Mahjong tips and tricks we know so you don't have to worry. Let's dive right in!

Start With a Plan

Before you start playing Mahjong, have a strategy in mind. As soon as you see a tile, start thinking about how to proceed. The best first step is to decide which tiles to pick up, which to wait for, and which ones you definitely don't want in your hand.

• Remember, your opponents are watching what you discard. They're likely picking up on your hand and strategy by observing your throws.
• Experienced Mahjong players use your discarded tiles to gain insight into your hand and refine their counter-strategy. Skilled players will exploit your discards to their advantage.
• Be aware that bluffing might not always work in your favour, as it can reveal your hand to opponents.

Know Your Tiles

You can't form melds if you don't recognise which characters go together. This can be quite a challenge if you're not familiar with Chinese characters. For easier play, consider Mahjong sets that include Arabic numerals alongside the traditional symbols on mahjong tiles. This way, you won't need to decipher Chinese calligraphy to find the tiles you're looking for.

Think Twice Before Your First Throw

Holding back your first discard can be a smart Mahjong tactic, as it doesn't give away your strategy to opponents. This can help you advance in the game early.

The downside to this is it might reveal your winning hand for that round. If your opponents are keen to win, they'll notice your strategy. Even if you could have formed a set with that discard, they'll be more cautious with their throws going forward, potentially preventing you from forming more sets.

• Taking the first throw might signal that you're still new to the game, and opponents could use this against you.
• Don't get too hung up on not getting the leftovers; you're free to discard them if they don't fit your plan.
• In Mahjong, players may use a variety of tiles; they simply need to wait for the right moment to assemble a strong hand that will guarantee victory.

Skipping the Gaps

Avoiding gaps between the tiles when arranging the rack is one of the best mahjong tip methods. Because mahjong players are very perceptive, maintaining gaps might reveal a player’s strategy. They are able to quickly identify the hand a player is attempting to put up and their potential actions.

To line up their tiles in combinations and determine their next movements, some new players would create a gap. Yet, it also implies that other players can use their hands similarly. Placing tiles that are not connected and leaving gaps might confuse opponents. But, doing so is only advised when a player is certain they won't become perplexed by their own tactics.

Appropriate Scoring

For new players, it is better to keep the scoring as simple as possible. If not, it could mess up their game, and they might not be able to win. The easiest approach to scoring the game is to award one point to the person who completes the first mahjong, and zero points to everyone else. Add up the points, and the one who wins the most games is declared the winner.

Players can use the other Mahjong scoring guidelines if they have a better grasp of the game. The regulations of the Chinese Official Mahjong Competition are similar to many of them. After that, they can experiment with more challenging scoring systems, such as those for Hong Kong or Ricchi Mahjong.

Point Values of The Tiles

It's also a good idea to remember that pongs have a higher point value than chows. Chows are only useful when there are four of them available to form a mahjong. Yet, making pongs rather than chows may seem counter-intuitive, particularly if a player has experience of playing poker.

• Pong is equivalent to a three-of-a-kind in poker, while chow is nearly identical to a straight.
• While chows are valued more in poker, a player could be inclined to concentrate on them, but mahjong games have distinct hand rankings.
• If new mahjong players learn the various meld combinations and take into account the point values for each, they will make fewer mistakes and advance more quickly.

Hiding the Melds

A player will get more points by keeping the melds a secret until they are prepared to declare mahjong. Therefore, they shouldn't reveal them until absolutely necessary. Mahjong beginners frequently like moving their tiles around to observe which melds they are effectively working on. Players are free to move their tiles about, but they should try to keep them all in a row.

• It is simple for the adversaries to see what a player is working on when full melds are separated, or certain tiles are set aside, so they will modify their mahjong strategy appropriately.
• A player becomes a more difficult mahjong opponent to play against by maintaining a straight row of tiles.

Discarding the Tiles

Although it may be tempting, it is not a good idea to discard any tiles a player has in their hand that don't fit. Instead, a player should focus on the tiles that their rivals are tossing away.

When a player pays close attention to the discard pile, they increase their chances of finding the discards they require and decrease their chances of accidentally discarding them into another player's mahjong hand.

What would be the wisest course of action if a player had many tiles to discard? If you are certain that your opponents won't desire them, it would be best to discard the tile that is most near other tiles that have previously been discarded.

Sticking To A Pair

A pair is a hand that every player should keep close. These are among the most adaptable tiles. A player can adhere to them as pairs or use them to form a four-of-a-kind (Kong), a three-of-a-kind (Pung), or a group of three identical tiles (Chow).

• Don't try to shatter them if they have a pair or two for this reason. In reality, when a player advances in the game, they can turn out to be their winning tiles.
• It's important for a player to promptly implement their mahjong-winning techniques.

Conclusion

To learn mahjong completely, there are some tips and tricks that a player must remember. Without them, a player would never be complete with other players, as many of them observe the game and figure out others’ strategies as well.