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TOURNAMENT PLAY (Article 186)

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Anyone who enjoys playing games has a competitive streak to some degree. American mah jongg was designed to be played socially, but the group culture determines the level of competitive play because of the human desire to win (Article 149). All American mah-jongg tournaments have the same foundation; they follow National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules. Most tournament directors modify rules and add rules to ensure fairness,  decrease the luck in the game, and encourage strategic decision-making. For your events, consider the rules used by prominent mah jongg tournament directors:

Each standard 4-game round in a tournament is 50 minutes, so when you can play comfortably in a 12-minute game, you should be comfortable playing in a tournament. Typically, there are three in a one-day mini-tournament and three or four rounds in a multi-day tournament, so you expect to sit most of the day. To prepare for competitive play, develop your skills, learn new strategies, and practice. Here are wiki articles that can help:

What You Can Expect

Currently, there is no sanctioning body for American mah-jongg tournaments, so each director has the freedom to choose the rules and format of their events. The best practice for these events is for organizers to provide information in advance so attendees know what to expect. In my opinion, the best tournaments have the following:

  • Registration process and fee: online is ideal
  • Schedule: welcome: instructions, rules review, rounds, breaks, announcements, winner’s circle
  • Rules and Scoring: available before the event
  • Scorecard, intuitive and concise; example
  • Winner’s circle: top 3, top 6, top 12; based on the number of players
  • Prize pool: tchotchkes, cash; round winners, overall winners; based on the number of players
  • Fundraiser: silent auction, raffles, 50/50

Scoring

The leaderboard will show players’ scores in descending order. High scores can be astounding, and the variance can be perplexing. You will see the following on a scoresheet from a player with high scores:

  • Few if any penalties
  • Points for winning any hand  
  • Points for having no jokers in a hand that can use them
  • Points for wall games
  • Bonus points for self-picked wins (luck)

High scores could also mean that many other players have not won as much and incurred penalties:

  • Disqualification
  • Misnamed discard
  • Discarding the winning tile to another player; the more exposures the winner had, the higher the penalty

Comparison is the theif of joy.

Theodore Roosevelt

Top 3 Tips For New Competitors

  • Know the rules. Each tournament director will have their own rules. Ask for them so you can study them in advance.
  • Dress comfortably. Tournaments can last one to three days. Although directors include breaks in the schedule, you will usually be seated. Wear nonbinding clothes and comfortable shoes. Also, come layered because you will feel hot and cold on and off throughout the event.
  • Keep a clear head
    • Pick a challenging goal (i.e., control your tells, beat your personal best, don’t deal into a win).
    • Play your best game.
    • Leave losses at the table.
    • Stay away from the leaderboard.
    • Have fun.

Top 5 Tips For Experienced Competitors

  1. Focus on hand development, continually assess your position, and mitigate risk accordingly.
  2. Use situational awareness and social acuity skills to maneuver against opponents based on player profile tendencies.
  3. Make decisions based on facts (e.g., discards, exposures, tiles in your hand), not hope.
  4. Minimize deductions.
  5. Keep a clear head (above).

If someone plays too slowly in a tournament setting, one or more games may not be completed within the time limit. If that happens, all the players receive 0 points for the incomplete games. Tournament participants are typically not asked about their experience level when registering, and seating is assigned randomly. If you are at a table with a slow player, consider playing exposable hands with no more than one pair to expedite hand development and set yourself up for quick wins.

Ready to Compete?!

Tournament Hosts

Destination Mah Jongg (national)

https://destinationmahjongg.com/tournaments/

Mah Jongg Fever (national)

https://mahjonggfever.com/mah-jongg-tournaments/

Dragons on the Green (FL local)

https://modernmahjong.com/pages/event-and-tournament-directory

MahjCon (FL local)

HTTPS://mahjcon.com/

Mahjongg Mania (NY local)

https://mahjonggmania.net/

Facilitators

Modern Mahjong

https://modernmahjong.com/pages/event-and-tournament-directory

Mah Jongg Tournaments

https://www.facebook.com/groups/221571068297699/events

Mah Jongg Tournaments & Cruises

https://www.facebook.com/mahjonggmadness
TOURNAMENT PLAY (Article 186)
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