Damaten: Difference between revisions

'''Damaten''' (黙聴) is a strategy used with closed [[tenpai]] hands.  This strategy may also be referred to as a "hidden tenpai".  [[Riichi]] is an optional play, rather than a mandatory one.  Therefore, a player may sit and wait with a closed tenpai hand, hoping to win the hand without riichi.  Typically during damaten, the player usually already has a valid yaku in their hand; otherwise, [[mentsumo]] would be the only option for winning.

The major weakness of riichi stems from the inability to change the hand after making the call.  In doing so, a player makes oneself vulnerable to the changing conditions of the game.  In turn, the player may become susceptible to playing into another player's hand.   

Finally, a player may not actually want to announce their hand as a tenpai hand.  Instead, a damaten hand awaits for other players to unexpectedly play into the hand.