Defense: Difference between revisions

Defense in [[Japanese mahjong]] means to '''avoiding dealing into other players' hands by not discarding winning tiles'''. Defense is an important skill, especially when other players call [[riichi]] and/or the threat of a high scoring hand. All else equal, a player with a lower "[[ron|deal in rate]]" will have a higher chance of winning the game.

== General overview ==

Defense is part of the game's learning curve. Typically, beginners may not be aware of defense, due to a greater focus towards general hand development and memorization of [[yaku]]. In the early stages of learning, a player may prioritize winning, since winning gives points. This is to some extent true, since you'll need to win at least one hand to finish first. However, it it not necessary to win every single hand to win a game.

Eventually, players learn the importance of minimizing deal-ins. In many instances, the points you lose matter more towards placement than the points you've gained. Still, a player has to produce hands, but they know when to attack and when to defend.

Defense focuses on finding '''anpai''' {{kana|安牌}}, or safe tiles. These are discarded tiles that opponents cannot [[ron|win off of]].  Players should take into account all visible tiles, including tiles in discard piles, the dora indicators, tiles in your own hand, and any called tiles.

Japanese mahjong offers players the ability to determine, deduce, and infer safe tiles. Players may show threats you may want to defend against, such as [[riichi]] declarations or particularly valuable open hands.

'''Sakigiri''' is the act of discarding tiles before they become dangerous.  With each tile draw and discard, the game's conditions are constantly changing.  Most of the time, players may possess winning tiles for other players in the hand.  They must either be used for the hand, discarded in time, or simply kept in the hand.

== Techniques to find safe tiles ==

A number of techniques can be used to determine safe tiles. All of them utilize visible tiles from the discards, dora indicator, and the player's own hand.

===Furiten and genbutsu===

The most important defense technique.  [[Genbutsu]] involves tiles that are 100% safe due to the rules applied. Specifically, the [[furiten]] rule can be used:

*Any tile that an opponent discarded is 100% against them.

*Any tile that the player to your left has discarded this turn is 100% safe for this turn only.

*After an opponent declares [[riichi]], any tile that is discarded and not won off of is 100% safe against that riichi player.

[[Honor]] tiles, especially those which have been discarded before, are generally safer. This is because you cannot form [[Shuntus|sequences]] with an honor tile, meaning they are harder to wait off of.

 

*Honor tiles you can see three copies of are extremely safe. They can only be won off a [[tanki]] wait or kokushi musou. Even yakuhai are safe.

*Honor tiles you can see one or two of are relatively safe, safer if they have been discarded already. Guest winds are safer than yakuhai.

 

"Live" (unplayed) yakuhai can be dangerous, becoming more dangerous as the game goes on. They are especially dangerous against a suspected [[honitsu]] hand.

'''Suji''' focuses on taking advantage of the furiten rule, and its application to the "mahjong intervals". Most two-sided or better waits will wait on tiles in the same suji, e.g. a {23} wait wins off either 1 or 4. Therefore, if a player has discarded 4-pin, the 1-pin and 7-pin become safer against that player. Neither is perfectly safe, however.

*Suji terminals (1 and 9) are the safest, as they can only be targeted by a [[tanki]] or [[shanpon]].

 

Note that "half suji" tiles are not much safer than a regular tile. For instance, if a player has discarded 7-pin, 4-pin is not safe, because the 1-4 suji is not safe. In order for 4 to be considered suji, both 1-pin and 7-pin have to be safe.

 

Using suji on the riichi declaration tile is more dangerous than normal. This is because of the ryankan shape (e.g. 135, 246, or 357). Ryankans are often kept as they can improve [[tile efficiency]]. But if the hand reaches tenpai with a ryankan intact, then it must discard one of the tiles. In this case, a player can discard the 5 and wait on the suji tile 2.

 

In addition, opponents may intentionally take advantage of this strategy by setting up suji traps, like discarding a 6 and waiting on the 9. Players may also declare riichi on a one-sided wait or a [[shanpon]] wait, where suji would be useless. Relying only in suji to defend will result in many play-ins. Therefore, suji should be used when genbutsu tiles have ran out, or in Uchi-mawashi.

A tactic similar to suji, kabe uses "walls" forms by seeing all four of a tile to remove the possibility of ryanmen waits

 

For example, if you can see all four copies of 3-pin, then 1-pin and 2-pin cannot possibly be part of a ryanmen wait. This is because no opponent can possibly have a 23 or 34 shape, because no opponent can have a 3 in the first place. Like suji, other waits are still possible. Kabe is comparable to suji (though kabe is safer), and should be used in a similar fashion.

'''Betaori''' is pure defense - it focuses on discarding nothing but safe tiles. In this state, a player has completely abandoned all hope of developing a winning hand, only trying to minimize the chance of dealing in.  At times, even a player achieving a tenpai hand may need to completely break the tenpai for avoidance. The essence of betaori is to always discard the safest tile first. Suji tiles or even hell wait only honors shouldn't be discarded before any genbutsu tiles.