Washizu mahjong: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:24, 6 April 2024

Washizu Mahjong is a variant of Japanese mahjong that originates from the 1991 manga series Akagi. The rules are mostly the same, except that three tiles of every tile type are transparent. As a consequence, players are able to see most of the other players' hands, which alters gameplay greatly.

Tiles

Of the tiles, three out of four of each type are transparent. They can be made out of clear plastic, acrylic, or even glass.

If you do not have transparent tiles, the following can be used instead:

Have two different mahjong sets with different color tile backs. Pick three tiles of one set and one tile of the other. Whenever someone draws a tile of the more common color, they must reveal it and keep it face up.
Mark the backs of 3/4 tiles of a regular mahjong set to show what tile it is.

Other rule differences

The main rules to the game is retained. Rules dictating yaku, furiten, completed hands, and any selected rule variations still apply. The game processes are altered to fit the transparent tiles.

No walls are built. Instead, when picking tiles from the live/dead wall, tiles are shuffled and drawn from a non-transparent bag. In order to prevent players from feeling tiles, players wear gloves. Similarly, to reveal dora indicators, a tile is drawn from the bag.
Players are not required to arrange the tiles in any particular way. This allows players to mask the use of opaque tiles to hint some tile disinformation.

In computer game interfaces, these are non-factors. In the case of Majsoul, the game does not display the walls. Also, the game masks how the tiles are arranged when other players view them. This makes implementation of Washizu mahjong possible to play "normally".

Strategy

Game strategy is altered from the additional information of tiles in player hands. This increases a player's ability to count tiles and assess tile availability. Likewise, it's usually much easier to defend when you know what the player's hand structure is. Conversely, it is a lot harder to win by ron.

External links

Washizu (YouTube)

A demonstration how Washizu Mahjong will be played during the 'Washizu in Holland Tournament', Nijmegen, the Netherlands, April 17th, 2010.

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-[[Image:Washizutiles.jpg|thumb|250px|Transparent Jihai in Washizu Mahjong]]'''Washizu Mahjong''' is a style of [[Japanese mahjong|mahjong]] play, where three tiles for every tile type are transparent.  As a consequence, players are able to see most of the other players' hands.  That aspect alone alters player approaches to the game in both terms of play style and strategy. The variant originated from the key arc of the 1991 manga series [[Akagi]].
+[[Image:Washizutiles.jpg|thumb|250px|Transparent Jihai in Washizu Mahjong]]'''Washizu Mahjong''' is a variant of [[Japanese mahjong]] that originates from the 1991 manga series [[Akagi]]. The rules are mostly the same, except that three tiles of every tile type are transparent.  As a consequence, players are able to see most of the other players' hands, which alters gameplay greatly.
 == Tiles ==
-Of the tiles, three out of four of each type are transparent.  This is made possible in the material.  Clear plastic, acrylic, or even glass may be used for transparency.  Other methods of implementation may involve different colored tiles.  Tiles indicated as "transparent" are played face-up.
+Of the tiles, three out of four of each type are transparent. They can be made out of clear plastic, acrylic, or even glass.
-== Main game rule differences ==
+If you do not have transparent tiles, the following can be used instead:
-The main rules to the game is retained.  Rules dictating [[yaku]], [[furiten]], completed hands, and any selected [[rule variations]] still apply.  Nevertheless, the game is significantly altered.
+*Have two different mahjong sets with different color tile backs. Pick three tiles of one set and one tile of the other. Whenever someone draws a tile of the more common color, they must reveal it and keep it face up.
+*Mark the backs of 3/4 tiles of a regular mahjong set to show what tile it is.
-The game processes are altered, because three of each tile type are transparent. The tiles are not set up in [[Yama|walls]].  Likewise, a physical [[dead wall]] is not used either.  Instead, all the tiles are mixed into a non-transparent bag for players to draw from.  To draw tiles, players wear gloves to draw tiles and not read them with the hand.  Furthermore, players are not required to arranged tiles in the hand in a specific order.  This allows players to mask the use of opaque tiles to hint some tile disinformation.  Finally, to mark a [[dora]], one tile is automatically drawn at the beginning of the game.  Additional dora as either [[kandora]] or any [[uradora]], they are drawn in a similar fashion.
+== Other rule differences ==
+The main rules to the game is retained. Rules dictating [[yaku]], [[furiten]], completed hands, and any selected [[rule variations]] still apply. The game processes are altered to fit the transparent tiles.
-In computer game interfaces, the wall is not necessarily displayed on screen.  In the case of [[Majsoul]], the game does not display the wall at all under any game mode.  This makes [[List_of_special_rooms_in_Mahjong_Soul#Battle_of_Clairvoyance|implementation]] of Washizu mahjong possible.  Thus, the game can be played "normally".
+*No [[yama|walls]] are built. Instead, when picking tiles from the live/dead wall, tiles are shuffled and drawn from a non-transparent bag. In order to prevent players from feeling tiles, players wear gloves. Similarly, to reveal dora indicators, a tile is drawn from the bag.
+*Players are not required to arrange the tiles in any particular way. This allows players to mask the use of opaque tiles to hint some tile disinformation.
+In computer game interfaces, these are non-factors. In the case of [[Majsoul]], the game does not display the walls. Also, the game masks how the tiles are arranged when other players view them. This makes [[List_of_special_rooms_in_Mahjong_Soul#Battle_of_Clairvoyance|implementation]] of Washizu mahjong possible to play "normally".
 ==Strategy==
-Game strategy is altered from the additional information of tiles in player hands.  This increases a player's ability to count tiles and assess tile availability.  Likewise player [[Defense|defense]] uses that information as well.  Possible player waits are either known or inferred.
+Game strategy is altered from the additional information of tiles in player hands. This increases a player's ability to [[kabe|count tiles]] and assess tile availability. Likewise, it's usually much easier to [[defense|defend]] when you know what the player's hand structure is. Conversely, it is a lot harder to win by ron.
 ==External links==