Mahjong Enjoyment Test

Here is a litmus test in the form of just one question to determine if you truly enjoy mahjong:

Can you take a 4th in a game, and still look back at the game fondly?

If yes, then you truly enjoyed the game and mahjong overall.

Every mahjong player has lost a chunk of games.  Even the good players have produced a loss rate (4th place) of 20% or more.  In general, losing is not fun.  It's even worse when there is a string of them.  However, a game can be played for pure enjoyment regardless of result.

For example, here is a kazoe yakuman - just note the dora and uradora indicators.  I dealt the 3pin right into it, thinking that I can set up my hand and hit him for houtei.  Yes, that was my plan.  It did not work.

I remember him saying, "Ron.  48."

My immediate reply as I look at the hand, "Hey, that doesn't look like it's worth 4800."

Then he repeated, "48,000."

"Oh," I said.

Then I laugh.  Even now, I can think back to that game and remember how unusual the hanchan was, as he pulled haitei tsumo, called double riichi, and then haitei tsumo again in three consecutive hands.  I tried to contribute to that trend with a houtei snipe only to get burned by that hand.  Obviously, I did not win that game.  I flat out lost, but so what?  I had fun.

It's a fine memory of a friend, who has returned back to Japan just a few weeks ago.  So, I will always remember this game.

Do you have any games played like that?  You lost but you still walked away happy.  Just think back and remember.