Situational analysis: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:40, 24 April 2024

When performing situational analysis, a player accounts for important game conditions, namely the game round and the current scores.

In riichi mahjong, your final placement (1st/2nd/etc.) is often important. Due to the oka and uma systems, you can gain huge bonuses or penalties when changing place. In competitive environments, your placement can be important for gaining rating points. Therefore, players should act differently the conditions change. For example, a player with a huge lead may not want to riichi, but a player far behind may be desperate to riichi.

Hand values

Main articles: Scoring table and Gyakuten

Players should know the potential hand values in order to accurately access a point difference. Knowing the score table is important when determining when to riichi and when to open the hand. For instance, if it is the last round, there is no need to riichi if you are 2000 points behind 1st place with a 2 han hand.

Relative goals

Especially in the last hand, players may need to address the different goals of the other players. Players in last generally have a win-at-all-cost mentality. Players in either second or third may seek to improvement their placement. Point leaders may simply want the game to end and/or protect their position. The point differences between players indicate any sort of possibility for these scenarios.

Fourth Place Avoidance

In the online clients tenhou.net and Majsoul, there is a huge penalty for 4th place for players at a high rank.

Tenhou.net: If a 6-dan player plays, they get 75/30/0/-120 points for placing 1st through 4th, respectively.
Majsoul: If a Saint 1 player plays in Jade Room, they get 125/60/-5/-255 rank points for placing 1st through 4th, respectively (counting uma).

Say you are playing at Majsoul. If you currently 3rd and doing something has a 50% chance to be 2nd, but a 50% chance to be 4th, don't do it. If it succeeds, you'd only get 65 points, but if it fails you lose a significant -255 points. Even if you had a 50% for 2nd / 25% to be 4th, it is an unwise decision.

It is important to restate that an extreme level of 4th place avoidance only applies when you are at a high rank. At lower levels, it is best to improve on average placement (including fundamentals like tile efficiency and defense) rather than focus on avoiding 4th specifically. At these high ranks, do what you can to avoid being last - try not to take risks late in the game, even if there is no immediate threat of being 4th.

These online clients have big penalties to encourage players in 4th to not leave the game. In most real life areas of play, the point distribution is more even (they tend to favor 1st place, due to the oka system). Of course, no matter where you play: if you are currently in 4th place, you should obviously do what you can to escape.

Also, note that once you reach Celestial in Majsoul, there is no more special 4th place penalty. At Celestial, the point rating becomes 0.5/0.2/-0.2/-0.5, so there is no special need to avoid fourth.

External links

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-'''Situational analysis''' takes into account important game conditions, mainly the [[Ba|game round]] and the current scores.  This prompts players to a state of awareness regarding their hands and actions necessary to attain particular goals regarding placement.  Likewise, players take into account the goals of the other players.  Analysis is particularly required during the last hand of the game or even in the [[Enchousen|extra wind round]].
+When performing '''situational analysis''', a player accounts for important game conditions, namely the [[Ba|game round]] and the current scores.
+In riichi mahjong, your final placement (1st/2nd/etc.) is often important. Due to the [[oka and uma]] systems, you can gain huge bonuses or penalties when changing place. In competitive environments, your placement can be important for gaining rating points. Therefore, players should act differently the conditions change. For example, a player with a huge lead may not want to [[riichi]], but a player far behind may be desperate to riichi.
 == Hand values ==
-{{main|Scoring table}}
+{{main|Scoring table|Gyakuten}}
-Players must know potential hand values to address point differences between players.  Given a [[haipai|starting hand]], a player may receive a good picture on the viability of attaining a hand of particular value.  Naturally, this may stem towards the decision of opening or retaining a closed hand.
+Players should know the potential hand values in order to accurately access a point difference. Knowing the score table is important when determining [[riichi strategy|when to riichi]] and [[naki strategy|when to open the hand]]. For instance, if it is the last round, there is no need to riichi if you are 2000 points behind 1st place with a 2 han hand.
 == Relative goals ==
-Particularly true for the [[oorasu|last hand]], players may need to address the different goals of the other players.  Players in last generally have the win at all cost mentality.  Players in either second or third may seek to [[gyakuten|improvement their placement]].  Point leaders may simply want the game to end and/or protect their position.  The point differences between players indicate any sort of possibility for these scenarios.
+Especially in the [[oorasu|last hand]], players may need to address the different goals of the other players. Players in last generally have a win-at-all-cost mentality. Players in either second or third may seek to [[gyakuten|improvement their placement]]. Point leaders may simply want the game to end and/or protect their position. The point differences between players indicate any sort of possibility for these scenarios.
+== Fourth Place Avoidance ==
+In the online clients [[tenhou.net]] and [[Majsoul]], there is a huge penalty for 4th place ''for players at a high rank''.
+*Tenhou.net: If a 6-dan player plays, they get 75/30/0/-120 points for placing 1st through 4th, respectively.
+*Majsoul: If a Saint 1 player plays in Jade Room, they get 125/60/-5/-255 rank points for placing 1st through 4th, respectively (counting [[uma]]).
+Say you are playing at Majsoul. If you currently 3rd and doing something has a 50% chance to be 2nd, but a 50% chance to be 4th, don't do it. If it succeeds, you'd only get 65 points, but if it fails you lose a significant -255 points. Even if you had a 50% for 2nd / 25% to be 4th, it is an unwise decision.
+It is important to restate that an extreme level of 4th place avoidance only applies when you are at a high rank. At lower levels, it is best to improve on ''average placement'' (including fundamentals like [[tile efficiency]] and [[defense]]) rather than focus on avoiding 4th specifically. At these high ranks, do what you can to avoid being last - try not to take risks late in the game, even if there is no immediate threat of being 4th.
+These online clients have big penalties to encourage players in 4th to not leave the game. In most real life areas of play, the point distribution is more even (they tend to favor 1st place, due to the [[oka]] system). Of course, no matter where you play: if you are currently in 4th place, you should obviously do what you can to escape.
+Also, note that once you reach Celestial in Majsoul, there is no more special 4th place penalty. At Celestial, the point rating becomes 0.5/0.2/-0.2/-0.5, so there is no special need to avoid fourth.
 == External links ==