Japanese mahjong: Difference between revisions

'''Japanese mahjong''' {{kana|麻雀、 麻将、 or マージャン}} is the Japanese varation to the 4-player table card game of mahjong, whose objective can be best described as a combination of gin rummy and poker. Even though tiles are primarily used to play the game, the game is available online and can be played with regular mahjong playing cards. It's a four player game that combines the elements of calculation and strategy that is found in many strategy board games with the elements of risk assessment, observation skills, and luck.

 

The Japanese variation is primarily played in Japan. Yet, it is available to everyone via a few Internet sites and video games.  With the past 10 years or so, the game is spreading its way into Western cultures.  While a few Westerners were exposed to the game prior to the creation of mahjong anime and manga, Western interest had significantly sparked a new wave of Western riichi players.  The formation of play groups across North America and Europe is indicative of that trend.

Besides the tile groups, players also need to meet another condition called [[yaku]]. The yaku can be synonymous to "poker hands", where yaku are a set of patterns or conditions. Just like a poker hand, for example the "full house", each yaku is associated with a name. In addition, yaku directly affect the value of a player's hand, as each yaku has an associated value. The yaku add richness and depth to the game but at the same time requires some additional starting knowledge. When mahjong is not played on/via a computer, scoring by hand also requires additional starting knowledge.  The game is otherwise known as '''riichi mahjong''', due to a feature in the game rules allowing [[riichi]].

Finally, the game is a zero-sum game. All players begin with a certain number of points, usually 25,000. Player hands are used to take points from other players.  So, it is the objective of each player [[Tile efficiency|to develop their hands]] to accumulate more points than any of the opponents.  Individual hands are scored with appropriate yaku and [[dora]].  Each [[Agari|winning hand]] value is determined with the number of [[han]] and [[fu]], that corresponds to a specific number of [[Scoring|points]].  On the flip side, it is also the objective of each player to [[Defense|minimize point losses]] against opponents.  

{| class=wikitable style="width:30%; min-width:215px;"

{| class=wikitable style="width:30%; min-width:215px;"

The procedure of drawing, discarding, and maintaining a hand ends with many different scenarios.  The ideal for any player is the completion of the hand and winning it. A hand may end when all the tiles, except for the dead-wall tiles, are drawn, or when a player chombos, meaning making an illegal play. After the end of the hand, points are exchanged accordingly. Then afterwards, the tiles are reshuffled to setup the next hand, or [[renchan]].

The '''chombo''' is a penalty to the player, who performs specific illegal procedures. Other illegal procedures may be forgivable if done accidentally, like accidentally drawing a tile from a different part of the wall. However, things like cheating or winning without a yaku are more serious offenses. In the event of a chombo, the player must play out a penalty of points to the amount of a [[Scoring|mangan]].  Otherwise, the rules to chombo may be [[Rule_variations#Chombo|modified]].  A more common practice involves docking penalized points after the game to expedite it and not waste time enforcing the penalty.

==Hand scoring==

Out of all the mahjong variants, this is the most complicated scoring system.  Winning hands are awarded points based on their composition. So, the appropriate amount of points are exchanged between players according to the tables in the [[Scoring|scoring rules]] of the game. The scoring for this game features two variables: [[han]] and [[fu]].  These two factor into the game's scoring equation and other factors to generate the game's [[scoring table]]. Naturally, the point exchanges are already handled by software and mahjong game sites. Even some automatic tables are capable of scoring calculations.  Otherwise, players go on to [[Score table memorization|memorize the point values]].

{{main|Ba}}

===Washizu===

 

 

 

 

 

[[Jansou]] are known as mahjong parlors.  They're generally commercial establishments catered for mahjong play.  Most jansou are located in Japan, but a small number are located in the United States.  Typically, players enter these establishments to play with a fee.  They typically apply their own [[Rule variations|game rules]].

 

=== Etiquette practices ===

 

* [http://uspml.com/documents/japanese_mahjong_guide_v103.pdf Barticle's Japanese Mahjong Guide]