I had heard that there was an AI with the ID "Bakuchi" playing on Tenhou (an online mahjong platform).
I was thinking how advanced AI has become, and then I saw a book based on its achievements, so I bought it.
I'd like to give you a brief overview of the content.
A collection of articles on improving your mahjong skills, techniques, mental game, Tenhou (online mahjong platform), etc.
・About the explosion
Bakuda is an AI that achieved a highest rank of 9th dan and an average rank of 2.35th in Tenhou (an online mahjong platform).
I had heard that it would be difficult for a computer to play mahjong, a game with incomplete information, and achieve good results, but it seems that this is no longer the case.
This book is based on the premise of the choices that Bakuda makes in various situations, and why certain choices are advantageous.
Criteria for determining a "big hit"
Bakuda makes decisions in real time, calculating all available information in every situation.
The criterion for that decision is, quite simply, "expected final ranking."
In a given situation, when deciding to discard a certain tile to declare a reach, you calculate all available information, such as the probability of other players having a ready hand and your own probability of winning, and then make the choice that gives you the highest expected ranking in the end.
·example
For example, let's consider the case of "In the 7th turn of the 1st round, I have a hand that is ready for a Pinfu (all simples) in a normal game. Should I declare Riichi or keep it concealed?"
The game likely simulates the scenario where all 14 tiles are discarded and then selects the one with the best expected final rank.
In this problem, the question becomes: Which option—keeping your hand concealed or declaring a ready hand—gives you a better expected final ranking?
What makes this book unique is that when comparing one choice with another,"How much difference will there be in the expected final rankings?"That's the point they're putting out.
This allows us to quantitatively determine the relative advantages of one choice over another.
Even if you know from experience whether pushing or pulling is better, it's difficult to know exactly how advantageous it is.
I think this is something we haven't done before, where we've been able to clearly articulate these previously ambiguous aspects.
・About the contents of this book
The content begins with a problem being presented, followed by explanations from the student characters and Bakuda, accompanied by lighthearted banter.
The problems included are mostly standard in nature, making it a useful book for intermediate-level players looking to improve their skills.
Those who have already read several such books and have absorbed the information may not need this.
However, the information on "how much of an advantage they have over their expected final ranking" is quite interesting, so I think it's worth reading.
Some choices are heavily influenced by the situation, while others offer a significant advantage that works in almost any situation.
・Expectations for the future
What's amazing about AI isn't just that the AI itself is powerful, but that it can come up with tactics that humans wouldn't even think of.
When analyzing seemingly strange tactics, such as those played by AI in the world of Go, it turns out they are actually very rational and gradually become effective in the later stages of the game.
It is said that by simulating dozens of moves ahead—far beyond human comprehension—and choosing the move that gives it the greatest advantage with each subsequent move, the opponent is gradually put at a disadvantage.
I hope that in the future, AI for mahjong will help us discover entirely new tactics and ways of thinking, even from seemingly strange discard patterns.
*As a side note, I happened to play against "Bakuda" for the first time in a Tenhou match just before writing this article.
The result was that I came in 3rd place, and Bakuda came in 1st place...
It's quite an amazing coincidence that I bought the book, read it, and was about to write an article about it when this topic came up.
A collection of articles on improving your mahjong skills, techniques, mental game, Tenhou (online mahjong platform), etc.
