I'd like to write about the things that helped me go from 4th dan to 6th dan in the online mahjong game Tenhou.
In my case, I felt that I needed a significant change in my mindset to win at the top-tier tables.
A collection of articles on improving your mahjong skills, techniques, mental game, Tenhou (online mahjong platform), etc.
The difference between premium tables and advanced tables
When I started challenging myself at the top-tier tables, the biggest differences I noticed compared to the regular tables were the speed at which players could reach a ready hand and the sense of when to call tiles.
I tend to be more of a face-to-face player, and my thinking was more focused on defense.
Making noise lowers both offensive and defensive capabilities, so I wasn't very good at making noise.
However, at the top-tier tables, regardless of whether you're good or bad at the game, the pace of play is completely different from the lower-tier tables.
The 8th to 10th rounds felt like the endgame, and if my hand wasn't in a good position by then, I would consider folding for the win.
The important thing is to "make the use of calling (melding) to your advantage."
There are ways to maintain defensive capabilities even when calling, and there are more situations than you might think where calling is the right move, even if it means a decrease in RBIs.
Even if calling a tile when you have two good tiles in a winning position would cause your score to drop drastically, your score won't increase unless you win.
On the contrary, if another player draws a winning tile, your own score will decrease even if you don't deal into them.
Furthermore, once you reach the top-tier tables, you'll encounter "trustworthy opponents" who will become wary of your calls.
Even if your hand isn't particularly high, you can expect your opponent to play cautiously, perhaps wary of you having a strong hand like a dragon.
Thus, calling tiles to get closer to a winning hand offers various advantages beyond just the value of your own winning points.
- If you have 7700 points after calling, call with all your might from the start.
If calling a tile seems likely to result in a good hand worth 2000 points, it's okay to call from around the 8th turn.
- A pair of honor tiles is usually called on the first turn.
If you're unsure whether to call or not, try calling until your calling rate reaches around 35%.
Furthermore, judging the score situation is also important.
When another player declares a reach, it's crucial to consider whether you need to take a risk and attack.
For example, if you're currently in the lead, there's no need to take on the last-place player who's declared a winning hand.
If, in the final hand, you're in second place and you have the option of losing a high-scoring hand to finish third, or taking a gamble to potentially win first place, then I can understand why you might do it.
However, except in special circumstances, if you are slightly ahead, it is important to play defensively and try to avoid finishing in fourth place.
- When another player gets a ready hand, if someone other than you deals into it, your chances of finishing last decrease.
If you have 30,000 points or more, there's no need to compete so much with other players' riichi declarations.
- In the second half, play aggressively against other players who are likely to finish in fourth place (e.g., play cheaply to end the dealer's turn, or restrict their ability to open melds).
Recommended tactics books
Modern Mahjong Techniques for Winning (Authors: Mr. Nemata, Mr. Fukuchi Makoto)
This is a textbook-like book that provides the fundamental theory for competing at the highest level and beyond.
You should read it through at least once.
I don't think there are many other books that cover intermediate and advanced mahjong techniques so comprehensively, statistically and logically.
However, it's quite comprehensive, so it might be difficult to read.
301 Essential "What to Discard" Situations (Author: G. Uzaku)
It is extremely useful for developing tile efficiency.
The era of considering tile efficiency solely in terms of the number of tiles that can be accepted is long gone, and this book clearly shows what comes next in mahjong.
First, try solving the problems quickly, just like in a real test, to identify the patterns of mistakes you tend to make.
Rather than simply memorizing the correct answer, it's important to understand "what factors were considered to arrive at this correct answer?"
If I had to recommend just one book, I would recommend this one.
The Modern Mahjong: A Textbook of Push and Pull Strategies (Author: Makoto Fukuchi)
This is a unique book specifically designed to cultivate a sense of push and pull.
You can develop judgment skills that directly impact your academic performance.
The criteria for making decisions change depending on the turn in the game and the progress of the round, so you'll develop that kind of intuition as well.
Learning the fundamental concepts of pushing and pulling from this book will provide a solid foundation for your future thinking.
That's all for the three books.
Books like "301 Selections of Standard Mahjong Discards" and "Modern Mahjong: A Textbook of Pushing and Pulling" are similar in content to "Modern Mahjong Techniques for Winning," but explained in a slightly simpler way.
If reading all three books is too much, you can start with just the ones that interest you.
If you diligently work through these books repeatedly and put what you learn into practice during matches on Tenhou, you should naturally become stronger.
It's difficult for people to correct bad habits, but if you have the courage to work hard and correct them, you will definitely improve.
Learn with videos (Unimaru Mahjong Channel)
If you find reading books tedious, I also recommend watching videos.
This website is run by Unimaru, who holds the highest rank of 9th dan in Tenhou."Unimaru Mahjong Channel"There are many very helpful and easy-to-understand videos uploaded there.
The way the player is thinking is clearly shown, and the recording includes commentary during actual gameplay, making it very easy to understand.
What do I need to do to reach 7th dan? (In my case)
When comparing the detailed statistics of a certain Tenhou champion with my own, the most striking difference is the rate at which I open tiles (meld).
My rate of calling tiles is about 28%,
The percentage of players who have achieved the Tenhou rank is around 36-38%.
My average turn count per meld is 7.987, while the Tenhou champion's is 6.624, a difference of nearly 1.3 turns.
This likely means that I'm too late in calling out.
They probably do this to avoid reducing their offensive power and lowering their defensive capabilities, but it seems to make them too slow.
It seems we need to start singing a little over one beat earlier than we feel.
At the same time, I haven't fully grasped the content of the books I mentioned earlier.
Ideally, I'd like to steadily acquire these skills and reach the 7th dan level before I know it, but we'll see what happens.
I hope to continue striving for improvement in the future.
(Added in May 2020)
I successfully reached the 7th dan rank!
I think this article will serve as proof that the books I recommend are definitely worth checking out.
A collection of articles on improving your mahjong skills, techniques, mental game, Tenhou (online mahjong platform), etc.
