====== Japanese Mahjong ======

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_mahjong

First played in February 2022 in Nintendo's [[Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics]] collection, out of an interest in finally learning how the game is played. I have a rough sense of what I'm looking for and how strategy could emerge by keeping an eye on what your opponents are discarding and pursuing particular melds as a result, but wow I can't hold that strategy in my head yet. I'd be completely lost without the digital assistance here. I learned reading after the fact that this Riichi Mahjong is a popular Japanese variant with pretty significant changes vs "Old Hong Kong" rules.

It reminds me of [[cribbage]] in the significant advantage to the rotating dealer, and in the surprising leverage of small choices against a large amount of luck over many rounds. Neither game is elegant, exactly; instead they are unusual shapes refined and balanced by many generations of play.

{{tag>played cards "played in 2023"}}