Single suit modified

Single suit modified is a modification to the single suit, bamboo mahjong game. Instead of just a single suit, honor tiles are added in relation to the number of players: two. This modification is devised by Kyuu and members of the Chicago Area Mahjong.

Overview

This version was developed while playing the regular single suit game using actual tiles, instead of just the flash or app version. However, the problem arose when hands were developed too quickly. Basically, every hand was a chinitsu, which is notorious for complex waits. That aspect provided hand development with a wide range of tiles in a single suit to use. This prompted an overuse of the wall building and tile shuffling process. To slow down the hand development process, honor tiles were brought back, as an attempt to bring the essence of the normal four player game into this two player version.

Tile setup

This version takes the number of players into account. The regular four player mahjong game has three suits, four wind types, and three dragon types. Under a similar approach, this two player game uses one suit, two wind types, and one dragon type. Players have the liberty of selecting the suit and the dragon type. Both the east and south wind tiles are recommended; but the game is still playable with different wind combinations, as long as one is designated for the dealer. With this, the number count is down to 48 tiles.

The wall

With 48 tiles, the wall is arranged as a single line of tiles. Each of the two players here are responsible for shuffling and then rearranging the tiles into a 12-tile width double stacked wall. Then players arrange their own walls left oriented to the opposite player's wall. Then the two walls are connected together to form a single double stacked line.

Example wall, with break at dice roll of 5

Top

Bottom

Dice procedure

The dice are used for two primary purposes: determining the initial dealer and breaking the wall. To determine the initial dealer, players may either roll for the highest value or simply call based on even-odd. For wall breaks, the dealer makes the roll and breaks according to the dice count starting from the right side of the wall.

Dead wall

Given the tile count, the dead wall is shortened. For the 4-player game, the 14-tiles for the dead wall is about 10% of the total tile count. Likewise, a similar proportion is used for the dead wall. As usual, the dead wall marks the dora, with the second tile from the wall break is flipped. As a consequence, kan can only be used two times for the hand, with only two tiles allocated for the extra tile draw.

Yaku

Given the tile count reduction, the yaku involved is also reduced. Some yaku from the four-player game are incorporated; and any yaku physically impossible by the tile make up, like sanshoku, are omitted. Furthermore, most of the yaku retain their original values, but some are modified.

• Honitsu

1 han closed only. A limit of closed only is applied, as every hand is essentially a honitsu.

• Chinitsu

2 han (1 han open). The original value is severely reduced, as only one numbered suit is used.

• Pinfu

1 han closed only.

• Iipeikou

1 han closed only.

• Ryanpeikou

3 han closed only.

• Toitoi

2 han.

• Yakuhai

1 han each.

• Sanrenkou

2 han. This optional yaku is reincorporated to make up for omitted yaku. However, its cousin, iishoku sanjun, is not used.

• Ittsu

2 han (1 han open).

• Chiitoitsu

2 han.

• Chanta

2 han (1 han open)

• Junchan

3 han (2 han open)

• Honroutou

2 han.

• Shoujihai

1 han plus 2 yakuhai, for 3 han. A collection of two honor tile groups, while pairing the third kind.

• Daijihai

2 han plus 2 yakuhai, for 4 han. A collection of three honor tile groups, which is essentially all of them.

• Sanankou

2 han.

• Suuankou

• Chuuren poutou

• Tenhou and Chiihou

Scoring

Regarding scoring, the values from the scoring table is not used. Instead, a different set of point values are used using a modification to the scoring equation.