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 you win a cheap hand, you "wasted" 25% of the game. In a hanchan, you "wasted" only 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. If you deal into a mangan, you have 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 you have relatively equal points to another player in South 2 of a hanchan, you'll want to win fast hands and not deal in.)

External links

• 東風戦

Tonpuusen in Japanese Wikipedia