How to win with 7 pairs in Japanese mahjong
In depth strategies to maximise the chances of winning 7 pairs
If you recall your games, how many times do you successfully win with 7 pairs? The chances of winning is low, because there are only 3 possibilities of winning in a one-sided wait. Moreover, you cannot acquire any tile from other players to form the 7 pairs. The begging question arises: When should you decide to pursue 7 pairs? How do you maximise your chances of winning with 7 pairs?
My recommendation is to not start the game with the idea of forming 7 pairs, unless you have 4 or more pairs in your starting hand. The default option should be to pursue the conventional 5 block rule (4 pairs of 3 and 1 pair). However, as the game progresses, if you self-draw to about 4-5 pairs, you can decide to transit to 7 pairs.
Sequence of discarding tiles
Once you have decided to pursue the 7 pairs, consider discarding the tiles in the following order:
1. Discard tiles that are in your discard pile
- This eliminates the risk of fruiten when you are waiting for your winning tile. The chances of drawing the discarded tile is also low.
2. Discard tiles that are in the discard pile of any player. This also includes tiles which are…
