Tonpuusen

Tonpuusen 「東風戦」 consists of a game that ends after the east round. If the goal score is not met by the end of East 4, overtime happens in the South round.

Strategy differences compared to hanchan

In riichi mahjong, a hanchan - a game consisting of two wind rounds - is the standard game length. In tonpuusen, the game is around half as long, which changes the strategy.

• Fast hands are relatively more powerful. In tonpuusen, when a cheap hand is won, 25% of the game is "wasted". In a hanchan, the same thing only "wastes" 12.5% of the game.
• Tsumo payments as the dealer, as well as ryuukyoku tenpai settlements, are more impactful. Less points are exchanged per game, so tsumo's and tenpai settlements are worth relatively more. Also, ties are more common, and these factors can break ties.
• Dealing in is more dangerous. A player dealing into a mangan has less chances to come back.

That being said, tonpuusen is not a radically different game. Many of the tips listed above will also apply to the South round of a hanchan. (For example, when three players are tied in South 2 of a hanchan, winning fast hands and not dealing in become important.)

External links

• 東風戦

Tonpuusen in Japanese Wikipedia