HAND READING (ARTICLE 222)

Hand reading in mah jongg is a means of gathering intel. The purpose is to deduce first which category a player is not focused on, which category they are focused on, and ultimately which hand they are playing. The intel is helpful for hand development, discard planning, and push/fold judgment.Follow are the types of intel you can gather when reading hands:

• Discards
• Exposures
• Tells
  • Verbal (e.g., wait, hold)
  • Physical (e.g., micro-expressions, cringe, flinch)
  • Tile (e.g., in-rack tilts, in-rack placement)

The key to hand reading is observation. You must use critical thinking, situational awareness, and social acuity skills to gather and interpret intel. Gather intel through observation, then assess the intel and consider your options. The final step is to decide which options have the greatest potential and then execute a plan.

Observe > Assess > Consider > Decide > Execute

During the first round of the Charleston, players can make mental notes of tiles being passed to see trends in the second round. During the pick-and-discard phase of the game, players can monitor exposures and survey discards as the game progresses. Most players discard in front of their rack, while some try to discard away from them. Also, when walls are pushed out, discards are displaced. Regardless, randomly discarded and displaced tiles will not prevent savvy opponents from reading hands because discards are not the only source of intel.

When deciding what to discard, determine the number of picks left on the wall. Then, look at discards and exposures to see how they affect your hand development. Since the game has four of each tile, Other than eight jokers and eight flowers, there are four of each tile, so it’s not just about what you need – it’s about what your opponents need too. As you survey discards and monitor exposures, consider how your hand development potential is affected. Regarding consecutive runs, the closer your number tiles are to five, the greater your flexibility.

In the begin-game (second wall), the primary source of intel comes from discards. Discards in this phase of the game can indicate which category a player is not focused on. Usually, players discard in front of their rack, so it’s easy to do.

In the middle-game (third wall), survey newly discarded tiles after the wall is pushed out. Intel expands to include exposures and post-exposure discards can confirm what hands are being played and even indicate which tiles are being kept. The more exposures a player has, the easier it is to figure out what they are playing.

In the end-game (fourth wall), survey newly discarded tiles after the wall is pushed out. Your guesstimates up to this phase in the game will help assess the risk of each discard and help you decide whether you should push to win or fold and block (e.g., push/fold judgment).

Try not to stress out about remembering everyone’s discards. Instead, focus on what you have deduced.

In Japanese/Riichi mahjong and Chinese/Mahjong Competition Rules, a tile claimed for an exposure is placed sideways to indicate which player discarded the tile. If the tile was discarded by the player on the right, the tile on the right is sideways. If the player on the left discarded the tile, the tile on the left is sideways. If the opposite player discarded the tile, the tile in the middle is sideways. Some groups may require this as a house rule to facilitate reading hands.

You can practice reading hands every time you play in person. You can also practice online at Mahjong Time by joining a game in progress as a spectator. At Mahjong Time, 90% of the tiles are discarded in front of the player, and 10% are discarded in front of the opponents to their right or left to simulate in-person games. In my experience with in-person games, most players discard in front of their rack. Some players make an effort to distance themselves from them. Also, when walls are pushed out, discards are displaced. Regardless, randomly placed and displaced discards will not prevent savvy opponents from hand reading because discards are not the only source of intel.

Hand reading is one of the recurring topics on Nitty-Gritty Let’s Play Livestreams on Mondays. Check out the American Mah Jongg Skills and Strategies Matrix for a schedule and links to the latest videos to see this skill in action.