One for all? Or one against all?
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- Created on Monday, 24 May 2010 15:03
- Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 November 2012 18:00
- Written by Martin Rep
- Hits: 2831
Do teams in mahjong tournaments add someting to the game? Or are they just a living contradiction in terms? Martin Rep gives his opinion, as does Tina Christensen. So why don't you give yours?
NIJMEGEN - The three musketeers would have made lousy mahjong players with their device ‘all for one, one for all’. One of the thrilling things about mahjong is that you play ‘all against one, one against all’. Not 'team against team', like in contract bridge. It’s all about going out the first and then, depending on the rules, one of the others or all the others pay you.
But then, in 1998, China lifted the ban on mahjong. And the new rules which were designed, supervised by the Chinese government, became more than politically correct: no gambling - no smoking - no drinking (it’s a wonder mahjong is still played there in the first place!). And, the most unknown rule: playing by teams.
This is quite remarkable for the most individual of games which mahjong is. It was a new challenge for organizers of tournaments. You had to take care that never two or more players of the same team were seated at the same table.
Not that many people cared about this. Would you refrain from going out on behalf of your team mate at the same table? Well - perhaps you would; I most certainly would not.
Anyway - ever since the introduction and the relative success of the Beijing invented ‘new mahjong’, participants in official tournaments are teamed up. The points and table points of the individual members were added up and, voilà - you might win the team prize.
I have been in the organization of lot of tournaments, but about half of the players who subscribed, never bothered to set up a team with others. Some did, of course: members of the same club, the same family, friends or foes. I threatened them: 'If you do not fill in the team of your preference, then I will put you in a random team.' No one seemed to care much.
Okay - that’s just my opinion about teams. I asked Tina Christensen, the eminent president of Mahjong Denmark, about it, and she said that she doesn't share the feeling that people don't take the team competition seriously. And she may know better than me - after all, the Danish players are amongst the best in Europe.
Tina: “In my experience, many of Europe's traveling players, of all nationalities, like the friendly competition between the teams, the comparisons in the break of the results between the competing teams etc.
“As I see it, the team competition has succeeded in it's dual and contrary purposes of competition and social integration of (new) players. It has been my experience that it is nice when you come to you first tournament, it's nice to be put in a team, because you automatically have someone to talk about something with in the breaks, so I find it very socially inclusive that way.”
And how about you?
So. Now it is up to you. Please give your opinion in our new Mahjong News poll: how about teams in mahjong? Do they give something extra to the game? Do you like teams? Do you think it is just rubbish?
Please surf to our new poll (you will find it on the front page) and let us know what you think!
Martin Rep is the editor of Mahjong News.
A lot of sports also have 'team' events even though the sportsmen cannot help each other during the game (e.g. badminton, tennis, table tennis etc.), but the combined efforts of all the players in their own events (e.g. singles, doubles, mixed doubles etc.) can give them a team prize. So, I think the idea of having teams in mahjong tournaments works along these lines.
For example, a tournament may have preliminary rounds where only the top 4 teams progress to a final and the best three teams get prizes.
Happy New Year my friends and I wish you all the best, successful and happiness for 2K13 !
(Private Joke :Année de la baise)
I agree with my virtual friend Senechal on two points. But, These two points of view conflict (or not) :)
> Loto-riichi as a high-ranking French player (NC) would call it. : I AGREE :D
> The problem I have is that this is being used to "make news". It tarnishes whatever people like me perceive to be attempts to improve the individual and overall...
the real problem is not a "makes news" or something like that, the real problem is now I can't trust M.P around the next Event/tables:)
seriously Martin, I can't believe that...
All that fuss for what ??! Really 1K?
Next time, take some tiles into your pockets and try to make Yakuman...
Play for the overall, hmm why not. But please... Next time will do it clean,not like that.
I think, this story you should have expected narrate it in the winter, around the fireplace. Not on Mahjong News... That's all.
Last but not least Garence Kutukdjian, she my mentor, In fact she's RER Mentor ^^
Cheers
NC
Martin Rep
That's a big difference between live and computer play; computers don't let you make mistakes, or bluff!
So then the real question becomes: on who is the onus to declare chombos? Is a player required to self-incriminate?
Personally, I would say no. The penalty clearly exists because players, being human, are capable of mistakes, and the rules take this into account... so mistakes are, according to the rules, part of the game. That mistake could be the player who erroneously declares mahjong, but likewise your opponents also made a mistake in not catching it. In this case, for you anyway, two wrongs did make a right!
But should you feel guilty? I would again say no. You didn't discover your mistake until after you had already irrevocably declared ron, so you didn't do it on purpose. There's no dishonor in being human. And once declared, that hand is out of your control, and the onus falls upon your opponents to verify your win. In competition, there's no obligation to coach your opponent on how to play, so there's no dishonor on your part for your opponents' weakness in not checking your hand.
The problem I have is that this is being used to "make news". It tarnishes whatever people like me perceive to be attempts to improve the individual and overall level of gameplay, especially since MN is the most prominent news outlet for EMA events. The verdict is that there is no improvement, and you don't need to participate in 3 tournaments to figure it out.
I'll keep my money from future events, unless the majority of players come from the #1 English riichi community website. My advice for the rest of you: claim haneman+ every hand. Eventually, people will count...
More importantly, will people take this episode as a learning experience or wake-up call to learn more about Japanese mahjong, or is this the last stop yanked out of the road to turn EMA-sponsored mahjong into "tile-clacking version A" and "tile clacking version B"?
Loto-riichi as a high-ranking French player (NC) would call it.