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Riichi strategy: Difference between revisions
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There is an advantage to being the first to tenpai, and thus an advantage to being the first to declare riichi. Only one hand can win per round, so faster hands can just win before anyone else. A tenpai hand can call ron off anyone, while [[chii]] can only be called from the left player. Also, the earlier you declare riichi, the less safe tiles are available. A riichi in the 6th round is much harder to defend from than a riichi in the 16th round. | There is an advantage to being the first to tenpai, and thus an advantage to being the first to declare riichi. Only one hand can win per round, so faster hands can just win before anyone else. A tenpai hand can call ron off anyone, while [[chii]] can only be called from the left player. Also, the earlier you declare riichi, the less safe tiles are available. A riichi in the 6th round is much harder to defend from than a riichi in the 16th round. | ||
In addition, going from [[iishanten]] to tenpai | In addition, going from [[iishanten]] to tenpai can take a while. Even with great [[ukeire|tile acceptance]], you will often need multiple turns to do so. (Of course, this is dependent on luck.) | ||
*If an iishanten opponent decides to attack into your riichi, you have the speed advantage. They will often need to spend multiple turns to reach tenpai. Therefore, they may need to spend multiple turns discarding dangerous tiles, which could be tiles you could ron off of. | *If an iishanten opponent decides to attack into your riichi, you have the speed advantage. They will often need to spend multiple turns to reach tenpai. Therefore, they may need to spend multiple turns discarding dangerous tiles, which could be tiles you could ron off of. You could also tsumo before they reach tenpai, or win after they get tenpai. | ||
*If an opponent at iishanten decides to fold, you'll have one less player to worry about. | *If an opponent at iishanten decides to fold, you'll have one less player to worry about. | ||
Due to these advantages, a player who declares riichi first will often exert pressure on the other players. | Due to these advantages, a player who declares riichi first will often exert pressure on the other players. Therefore, other players may choose to give up their hands. Of course, this is not guaranteed, especially if the point standings force some other players to take on offense at all costs. However, you will still have the advantages listed above. | ||
Conversely, a chasing riichi (riichi after another player has declared riichi) is weaker | Conversely, a chasing riichi (riichi after another player has declared riichi) is weaker for the same reasons. | ||
=== Hand shape and waits === | === Hand shape and waits === | ||
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{{#mjt: 123m345p888p4449s}} Waiting for: {{#mjt: 9s}} | {{#mjt: 123m345p888p4449s}} Waiting for: {{#mjt: 9s}} | ||
You could upgrade the hand to a two-sided or better wait with: {{#mjt: 14m235679p2356s}}, which is up to 48 tiles. Of course, this number is reduced for every opponent discard, so keep note of that. | You could upgrade the hand to a two-sided or better wait with: {{#mjt: 14m235679p2356s}}, which is up to 48 tiles. Of course, this number is reduced for every opponent discard, so keep note of that. You must also be wary of [[furiten]]. As the round progresses, you should be more willing to riichi; you don't have as much time to wait for an upgrade. | ||
Also, the hand lock prevents you from defending, which is arguably the biggest risk of riichi. Often, the reward is worthwhile. But if the risk of dealing in is greater than the reward of winning the hand with additional value, then it can be a bigger point of consideration. | Also, the hand lock prevents you from defending, which is arguably the biggest risk of riichi. Often, the reward is worthwhile. But if the risk of dealing in is greater than the reward of winning the hand with additional value, then it can be a bigger point of consideration. | ||
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When the game is closer to its end (generally around the second half, but may be earlier if particularly large wins and losses have been going on), point standing becomes more of a concern. If the game could end on the next round, gaining +1000 points to go from 3rd to 2nd becomes much more valuable. At this stage, players who are ahead may not want to riichi, as the risks are amplified, among other considerations. | When the game is closer to its end (generally around the second half, but may be earlier if particularly large wins and losses have been going on), point standing becomes more of a concern. If the game could end on the next round, gaining +1000 points to go from 3rd to 2nd becomes much more valuable. At this stage, players who are ahead may not want to riichi, as the risks are amplified, among other considerations. | ||
In other words: in the earlier end of the game, going for raw points is often the best play. In the later end, aiming to retain (or improve) your placement | In other words: in the earlier end of the game, going for raw points is often the best play. In the later end, aiming to retain (or improve) your placement can matter more than the points themselves. This balance will depend on the game's [[oka and uma]] settings. | ||
=== Point standing === | === Point standing === | ||