a3geffen's Hints and Pointers – to kong or not to kong

There are quite a number of manuals on the basics of how to play a game of mahjong. The amount on strategy and tactics however is limited. Mahjong Time has asked Adrie van Geffen (a3geffen) to share his views in that territory. In the year 2011 he will publish a series of articles with hints and pointers having to do with strategy of mahjong in the different styles (except American): Hong Kong (HK); European Classic (EC); Mahjong Competition Rules (MCR); Riichi Competition Rules (RCR); Taiwanese (TW). Below part 8 – To kong or not to kong

All too often I sit at a table and hear 'Kong' and all too often I wonder: 'Why?'. This is especially the case is the pung isn't exposed yet.
It seems that a lot of players underestimate the amount of information that is revealed to the other players when a set is melded. Claiming a tile to 'promote' a concealed pung to kong is in most instances just a show off and not helping. Apart from EC, where you get double points compared to pungs, in no other style the points weigh out the information revealed. Color, all pungs, tile no longer available for players: too much to risk. A consideration both IRL as on MJT is to hamper a player calling 'chow' which one can overrule with a kong. Otherwise it's hardly of any use.

What is more is that a lot of times neighboring tiles are the ones to be discarded after the kong is claimed. Those tiles often prove to be on the list of tiles to discard next for other players too: you are the one that knows that the discarded and adjacent tile is no longer available but to you which gives you opportunity to use the pung you have for three chows with them. If not then you still have got a concealed pung worth something. And when things get tougher and you manage to make only one chow you have either a closing pair available or possibly two safe tiles to discard.

Another way of playing should be taken into consideration. If you have adjacent tiles to you pung in hand you'd do well to think about making a pung when the fourth is discarded for you to claim. You stay in color and the chances that you can make a chow, using that fourth tile you already have, could be profitable. If necessary you can always promote your melded pung to a kong. Of course beware if you have punged while another player claimed a chow on that tile. That's something you should keep in mind as well as having a close check on the discards of that player. You don't want to lose by having your kong robbed.

As usual RCR makes making kongs even more dangerous. Or profitable. Another dora indicator tile will be turned and you should be quite convinced of your own victory to do such a thing. You should have a chance to make mahjong on the replacement tile after making the kong (which goes for more styles) but also you have to consider if the dora indicator could be profitable for you. Are lower adjacent tiles to you own still available to be turned up?

Personally I'm not much of a konger. As said: hardly of any use. Unless of course in RCR and there are already the game shows 3 kongs already. Usually I will be happy to make the fourth kong to end the nightmare immediately.

Written by
Adrie van Geffen

homepage: http://homepages.ipact.nl/~geffen

a3geffen's Hints and Pointers – first discard

There are quite a number of manuals on the basics of how to play a game of mahjong. The amount on strategy and tactics however is limited. Mahjong Time has asked Adrie van Geffen (a3geffen) to share his views in that territory. In the year 2011 he will publish a series of articles with hints and pointers having to do with strategy of mahjong in the different styles (except American): Hong Kong (HK); European Classic (EC); Mahjong Competition Rules (MCR); Riichi Competition Rules (RCR); Taiwanese (TW). Below part 7 – first discard

You are (sitting) at East and you have fourteen tiles. The question has been put to me: which should be discarded? The one sentence obvious answer to this is of course: ‘That depends’.
Logical subsequent question: ‘On what?’

There are several aspects to take into account: your chances to make mahjong; near sets; scoring chances; flexibility; defense; variant (or style). And perhaps some more.
When you are playing EC then everything goes. But you will take into account that winds and dragons score more heavily than other sets. Therefore you will discard a loose tile, one not
immediately to be used in a pung or chow. In HK you will have to take other
things in consideration. Playing for half flush is popular if not necessary.
Discarding a color gives information to your opponents. Besides that players
tend to copy discards which will mean that in the end everyone is on the same
color and using valuable winds and dragons to complete the half flush hand.
Chances on how you will get your 3 fan are becoming important. So you will have
to check the distribution of flowers immediately. Next thing is the check on
your winds and dragons: are you going for a hand with a pung of them or not. If
so, then choose your color. Is it a hand with lots of doubles then go for all
pungs or 7 pairs. The loose tile is the one to discard, preferably a colored
tile between 2 and 8. When the player next chows, that will be valuable
information (half flush, all chows with flowers or self drawn). Playing TW you
have the same problem and the same solution, albeit that in TW the chances that
a discard will be chowed are a little higher. More tiles to make sets with and
only 3 points required in the hand to make mahjong (other 3 points are
automatically available for making mahjong and having none or one flower).

RCR and MCR hang on patterns. But RCR gives the opportunity to make the demanded yaku by getting a pung of seat wind, prevalent wind or a dragon. Usually one or more players are waiting for that chance, although the score will be low most of the time. (As a note:
the one who can use this wind or dragon may be wise not to do so immediately but
wait for the last one to be discarded; besides that the pair could be used as
closing eyes or even as safe discards further on in the game). In MCR the number
of combinations with winds and dragons is limited and pungs of them certainly
limit the flexibility. Also from defensive point of view – showing your
opponents which way you are going – the early discards will be dragons and
winds, both in RCR and MCR. If another player claims them then you at least you
know you haven’t waited for a next one in vain, you have information about what
your opponents are up to and you haven’t discarded it to find out it was the
winning tile. So whenever in doubt what to throw first: lose the dragons and
winds, especially those that will give less (MCR) or no (RCR)
score.