When I teach Mahjong, instead of tossing them in the deep end like in this video, I gradually introduce the rules so no one gets overwhelmed. The first couple hands, introduce making 4 melds and a pair, and calls. I just name the melds "Run, 3-of-a-kind, and 4-of-a kind". I mention "Chi, Pon, and Kan" a couple times in terms of calling, but then say "or you can just make a grabby hands motion and go "Mine". Once everyone has that down, then go over yaku and reach. After people are comfortable with that is "weird rules" like furiten and re-deals, and actual points counting.
Exactly! I was going, "Don't bother with the names, just tell them it's basically rummy (sets of 3 or 4, runs). When I've played, it's perfectly acceptable to say you'd like a tile rather than Pung/Kong/Chow. Then add the complications." It doesn't help that I think I learnt Chinese Mah-Jong and this is Japanese.
It's like trying to teach someone MTG. All the vernacular that nobody knows. Explaining a turn is 5 steps but actually it's more like 20 steps. Board layout. Priority and the stack. A few dozen of standard abilities and then all the crazy custom abilities.
@@Rizon1985 Right, but just like with Mahjong; I would have started with basics only, and then added layers as the player plays more. Explaining everything all at once leads to confusion and frustration and people playing but not being sure it they're doing it right.
@@GreenMonkeySam We're developing a more approachable version of the game (without changing a single rule) and, as such, we teach this all the time. The pros (there are actual professional players of Japanese mahjong) teach it in stages as you suggest as do we. Best is to explain, in about 20 minutes, the very basics of play (what the tiles are, how the setup works, how a turn works, etc.) and then play an open hand. Once people see that it's pretty easy to go from there. Also, people are intimidated by the yaku list, which is entirely understandable. We make our version easier by removing many of the mysterious terms (which also intimidate people) and point out clearly that MANY of the yaku are extremely related and just bigger versions of smaller yaku. You'll memorize the hands much faster than you think. For example, American mah-jongg (note the different spelling) has 52-58 different "yaku" (that they call hands) and they change EVERY year. No joke. If grandma can handle that, non-senior gamers can easily handle 38 different yaku that are actually fairly intuitive and never change.
To ease the fig queasiness, it's only certain species of wild figs which require the pollination by the fig wasps (which naturally die after breeding/pollinating the fig flower, so it's not as if the fig is actively killing the animal). All types of figs that would be commercially available, or available to grow yourself on a hardy fig tree, are self-pollinating and are literally/explicitly just fruit.
On a small board it would definitely be very cool. Because the players are probably new, and the games would go much faster. I am very bad so when fighting in go it tends to feel more like a slap fight. I could see new players on AFK feeling similar. It is sort of frustrating.
Babcock's rules for Mahjongg is what I recommend. I've made a set of customized rules. This is a take on Hong Kong style, but you definitely get more points based upon the number of honors sets and voiding suits, etc.
Alternative to "literally": "denotatively" Also, I looked up the etymology. I don't think Matt's point stands. Before the 16th century, "egregious" meant outstanding with the connotation of it being in a good way. Now it means outstanding with the connotation of being in a bad way (thus forming a use as the opposite connotation of "outstanding"). However, the denotation still remained the same. It's also relevant that "before the 16th century" would place the change near the end of Middle English.
Anyone looking for an interesting anime involving Mahjong should look up 'Saki', as mentioned its not realistic but its hilarious. Be prepared for crazy characters and people being really really nuts about Mahjong. Learned Mahjong from my Grandpa, and inherited his set as I played with him. Said it was whalebone and bamboo, but actually bamboo and ox bone (had to get it appraised). Still really cool set.
@@Kirisame312 I was prepared to write exactly that comment before I saw yours. Those three anime all have different focus: Akagi is about real Mahjong skills such as reading opponents discards and playing mind-tricks on them. (And also a little bit of cheating.) Legendary Gambler Tetsuya is all about the cheating. It basically describes cheating as the only true way to be skilled at Mahjong and it's okay as long as you are skilled enough that no one will notice. Saki is mostly about supernatural powers. The "best" players are the ones which have the most outrageous superpowers to draw exactly what they need at the right time, so the Mahjong is pretty boring to watch. The show lives on its traditional anime-style with big-boobed school girls with crazy haircolors and accents. A gripe I have with all those anime is how they don't have a satisfying conclusion. Akagi and Saki both end before the final battle is finished. Tetsuya has a complete story arch but is too short overall.
I am curious about the set you guys are using. I love the color and size. (Is it a Japanese set, or are you using a smallish Chinese set? It looks like a Chinese one to me--more colorful tile faces, and distinctive non-Japanese font, but it has the perfect size for Japanese play, and a scrumptious back color.)
I use these same yaku cheatsheets and score sheets! I'm pretty sure they were made by the guy who created "Billy vs Snakeman", hence the reference on them. There's also notes under the Yakuman and Double Yakuman of "This hand of mine is BURNING RED!"
TAT. I'm so sad I missed this live. The Saki Anime got me into mahjong. 麻雀 >D. It really is a gin rummy-alike where you make your melds, and go out once you've completed them. JPN Mahjong just has a bunch more bonuses for fancy formatting: simples, terminals, sets, multiples of runs, straights, half and full flushes, and then you get to Yakuman.
Two points of feedback: If there is advising going on, it would have been better to mute the mics of the adviser and advised. Would it not be better to teach a simpler version of Mahjong first and then add the additional layers to build up to this rule-set?
You'd think so but I think you generally just learn one rule set. I only know how to play riichi and i think because of that it would be easier for me to pick up other rules.
For the most part, most Mahjong rules use the same basis based on old world Hong Kong style rulesets. There isn't THAT much simplification going from a Japanese Riichi ruleset to the Hong Kong variant.
@@windscar18 Hong Kong is the easiest to teach, imho, followed by Chinese and somewhere in there is American. However, American is sooo different from the others than my advice is that gamers should avoid it as it's the most luck-based version of the game and will make it harder to move to other versions.
Is there a link somewhere to the reference sheets everyone was using? That would be super handy...and would encourage me to play with the set I picked up in Okinawa.
not the same one, but here's one from the european riichi association that could work. mahjong-europe.org/portal/images/docs/riichi_sheet_EN.pdf The only catch is that one of the hands that can be open in actual japanese rules is marked as needing to be closed, because I guess european players disagreed on the balance. I think it's all simples, but I'm not sure.
I may have gotten a backwards understanding then. I got a chance to play with a Taiwanese friend a couple times, but he preferred playing with a 3 point minimum to win, which seemed to make it more complicated than Japanese.
The ancient Chinese noticed that chickens only laid while they [the chickens] had an abundance of food during autumn when the bamboo would drop its seeds.
I played computer Mah Jongg for a while, this brought back nearly a lot of memories but boy there's a lot I've forgotten (esp in regards to what counts as a Yaku and what doesn't) Also, and this isn't relevant to anything, Matt's hair looks amazing in this vid
For anyone interested in learning this, we're nearing completion of a solution that removes nearly all the fiddly bits of the game, makes it less costly and themes it. We call it Spellcraft and you can find information about it here: faux.city/index.php/spellcraft/ It's essentially a replacement "tile" set so you can play any version of mahjong with this, though riichi (Japanese) is our favorite and should be any serious gamer's favorite (in my humble opinion).
Fun story. Back when my gaming club played it I used to start explanation with "Have you ever played Gin Rummy?". Unfortunately, the answer was always "No."
@@templarsforever There's a bit of detail behind that. Mahjong, as we know it today, really hasn't been around as long as people suggest. Riichi, for example (and American mah-jongg) have only been around since the 1920s. They were based on an amalgam of several Chinese card games. It really only took off in the early 20th century. Thus, it's a bit of a mystery as to which, really, came first.
Hey guys! I'm Nicolás, from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I play riichi mahjong since 2006 or so, and got into it thanks to the Akagi anime. Since then me and some friends created a Mahjong Club. I'm so glad you got to show riichi mahjong :) You can find/contact us on fb like "club argentino de riichi mahjong" See ya'!
1:32:00 All pon - 2 Three concealed pon - 2 All simples - 1 Surely riichi is worth another 1 han with your ruleset? Would be weird if not. Which means this was actually a haneman, not just a mangan. Ok, well, I did keep watching to see if this is caught, but not THAT long...
If all players are equally skilled (of course unlikely, but...) then generally you'll find that each player wins 20% of the hands and 20% of the hands will end in a draw. The AMAZING thing about Japanese mahjong is that the most skilled players often play defensively. It's much more about NOT feeding a winning hand. I have won many a game without ever winning a single actual hand. For example, I am often the only player in a draw whose hand is "Ready" (and thus scores) and that means I get 3,000 points. An average winning hand often scores under that. Thus, you're rewarded not only for winning, but in how well you both don't win and lose (if you don't feed the winner, you don't lose points). That part of it, once you get it down, is amazing and what really makes this game shine over time.
Someone needs to tell the host guy (didn't catch his name, sorry!) that automatic tables are no where near as expensive as he thinks. 25k as a start? No chance. I've seen them for like 2k.
@@qwertyman1511 sure it's not exactly like poker but I can see the similarities. In poker you discarding cards and the dealer will give you new cars. You trying to get three of a kind or a four of a kind. A Royal Flush is a run of face cards.🀄
@@qwertyman1511 In draw poker you put a number of cards back and take that many cards. Mahjong is like continual draw poker with 13 cards instead of 5, and you only take 1 at a time. It's a stretch but I see it.
We do though. That word is literally. I have literally never been confused by someone's use of the word literally. In situations where it can be ambiguous, speakers tend to use changes in intonation or word order to clear up ambiguity.
Mahjong created in china, the least these guys could do is play the hong kong version but they have to go with the japanese version. Stopped watching as soon as they said that.
