Published in The Standard, Wednesday, August 20, 2008
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Hundreds of mahjong aficionados from Hong Kong, China and Macau will be hoping the tiles they gather will help their hand when they pit their skills next month against Europeans, Americans, Japanese and others in a major championship in the Special Administrative Region offering a US$1 million (HK$7.8 million) payout.
Competitors will be wishing their luck, as much as their skill, will land them a pong (three tiles) or a kong (four tiles), among numerous other combinations at the tables.
In addition to the top prize, the World Series of Mahjong will offer between US$5,000 and US$500,000 to 32 top players. The entry fee is US$5,000 and many will see it as a smart bet.
The aim of the four-player game is to create a winning hand usually made up of four sets and an eye, or pair. The scoring depends on the combination of tiles that a player can amass.
Mahjong expert Alan Kwan, who developed the rules for the championship, says they are similar to the Hong Kong style of game play.
He told The Standard that the top scoring patterns are Nine Gates, four kongs and four identical sequences.
Referring to the top hands last year, he recalls that after the first round, the leaders “had scores [of] around 700 and 800.”
In last year’s championship, Hui Chung-lai, a retiree from Hong Kong, beat three others with a total score of 423.11 points.
“I felt like [I was] dreaming when they announced my name as the champion. I have never participated in any international or reg
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ional mahjong contest. Last year was my first time to join such an event. I think I am just lucky!” he told The Standard.
Hui has been playing for more than 50 years, having started at the age of 13 years. He still plays with his friends, who now rely on his mahjong prowess even more than before. “Whenever they have arguments or questions when playing with friends, they will ask me for advice and regard me as the judge nowadays.”
Last year, more than 270 people from 10 different countries competed in the tournament. Hong Kong players dominated the finals, filling up 15 out of 32 places. China came a close second with 13 and a Dane finished in the top six.
Niels Hansen has been playing for 20 years and lives in Taiwan with his wife. He told the Macau Daily Times: “There are so many good players. Everyone has to have a little bit of luck.”
This year, the field will be even more competitive. The organizers are holding satellite tournaments, similar to poker contests, in Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
There will even be a winner from the Sisi Cup, a tournament open to Hungarians and Austrians.
Jim Kwong won the Canadian satellite match in July, a charity match played at the River Rock Casino. He entered the competition to support local firefighters and beat 255 other players, competing for more than six hours to win a place.
“I never thought I’d win the top prize. I’m excited to go to Macau but nervous at the same time because I haven’t played so long!”
Jenn Barr, a 25-year-old from Seattle, now plays as a pro in the Japanese league. You might recognize her from Konami’s Mahjong Fight Club video game. She finished 114th, out of 270, in the World Series last year.
“Last year everyone was new to the rules and I think there were a lot of mistakes made in play. Almost the entire field was from Hong Kong and Taiwan. I think it was very exciting and everyone was having a lot of fun,” she says.
She reckons the Japanese pros are the ones to watch. “Most of us play five to eight hours a day, five to six days per week, so we see a lot more hands than most of the recreational players.”
Hui will be watching two players in particular. “There was a Hong Kong player who did quite well in terms of technique, but failed to enter the round with the eight best players. I thought he was so unlucky. Another one to watch is a woman from Guangzhou [who was in the final eight].”
He has been training to retain his title: “I have practised more frequently with my friends, especially with those who know how to play with the World Series Mahjong rules.”
Barr has also been sharpening her skills. “It takes a lot of practise and patience. No player can win every single hand, so you have to know when to let someone else win and conserve your losses. You also have to know when to go for the big hands and when to go for the quick hands.”
Mahjong is a career and a passion for her. She runs reachmahjong.com, and in partnership with the World Series, is organizing a Japanese style Reach tournament. It is an opportunity for players familiar with the Japanese rules, or who play the Konami Mahjong Fight Club, to get a free spot.
Registrations are open until midnight on September 18. Qualifiers are being held on MahjongTime.com and in a special match in Hong Kong this Sunday, sponsored by Blue Girl beer.
So if you fancy a go, but do not want to pay the US$5,000, they could be your first step on your way to becoming the world champion of mahjong in the contest being held at Wynn Macau resort from September 19-21.
On the net: www.world-series-mahjong.com
