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2006年
3月
12日
Column #257
Japanese Modern (riichi/dora). I celebrated my friend's birthday in Little Tokyo last night, so I'm feeling Japanese today (I really think so). Which tile would you discard, and why? In each example, the dora tile is shown (not the dora indicator tile).
1. Terminals are generally safe to discard, and this could become a typical tanyao hand. I'd discard 9P.
2. This hand has four pairs. Chii toitsu is a strong possibility (on top of tanyao). The 778 combo could lead to the ruination of tanyao (and could be or become a furiten problem). I'd throw the 8S.
3. Much closer to a mixed tanyao hand than chii toitsu, I'd break up the 6P pair or, if that's hot, the 2M pair.
4. Discarding 2M lets you declare riichi. Why not? Waiting now for 3P or 7S.
5. No question. I'd throw 1M. Would chow 7S and pung E, given a chance.
6. It's a classic 689 situation. Throwing the 9S suggests tanyao. Be prepared to lose the winds.
7. The hand can still go three ways: tanyao, toi-toi, or fanpai (E). At this point, the 6-8 combo is the weakest and most expendable element. Depending on how far the game has gone, and what the discards show, it might be time to sacrifice the dora.
8. Too many terminals to go for tanyao, but pinfu is not unreasonable. Out with the ao.
9. I wouldn't hold out for a pure straight in bams, but I wouldn't kill that just yet either. Throw 8M.
10. The 1S is a sore thumb. I'd get rid of it. Holding out for a pure straight would probably be foolhardy, but if it's early enough to hang onto that, I'd throw an 8P, leaving the 9P as pair for a possible pinfu.
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© 2006 Tom Sloper. All rights reserved.