Knowing what score you need – both with self-draw and from other players – to move up in placement gives you the requirements needed to build effective hands in the late game. On the exam, you will be given situations where you have to look at the game state and scores to determine the minimum score you need.
Rather than trying scores one at a time until they work out, you can apply a formula.
Method
These problems give you a target score and player won off of.
0: Write down all scores.
1: add all table sticks to your score.
2A: If Tsumo, add 400 per honba to your score. (You are getting 300 points, and everyone is losing 100 points. this moves you closer to all players by 400 points per honba – the “true distance” of the bonus)
2B: If Ron, add 300 per honba to your score, and subtract 300 from player won from.
3: Now, subtract your score from all scores, leaving you at 0 and everyone else as the difference between you.
4A: for Ron, halve (50%) the score of the player won from.
4B: for Tsumo, 2/3 the score of the dealer, 80% the non-dealers. If you yourself are dealer, 75% of all scores.
(again, this is the “true distance” between the scores: “2/3” the dealer pays 2, each other pays 1, so dealer is down 2, winner is up 4: 2/6=1/3. As you approach their score, you will get to it once you are 1/3 of the way there, which means they need to move 2/3 of the way. So, their true score is 2/3)
Determining 80%, 2/3, and 75% quickly
– 1: Count up to the number by a certain number of thousands (80%: 5000. 75%: 4000. 2/3: 3000). Save the remainder.
– 2: Count up to the number by a certain number of hundreds (80%: 500. 75%: 400. 2/3: 300). Save the remainder.
– 3: Create the result number by counting “back” the thousands and hundreds by a certain number – 80%: 4000/400. 75%: 3000/300. 2/3: 2000/200. (These come from the fractional values of 80%,2/3, and 75%: 5 under 4, 3 under 2, 4 under 3).
– 4: If there is a remainder, add it back and subtract 1. Just 1.
– EXAMPLE 1A: 8300, 2/3.
– – “3000, 6000: 2300 left over” so 2 thousands.
– – “300,600,900,1200,1500,1800,2100: 200 left over” so 7 hundreds. “2.7” total.
– – 2.7 counted back is 2000,4000, 42,44,46,48,50,52,5400. 200 left over, so 5600 minus 1 is 5599. “True” 2/3 is 5533.33, so it works. (You don’t need to spend extra time at the end figuring out anything less than 100: xxx01 and xxx99 are the same score)
– EXAMPLE 1B: 8300, 80%.
– – “5000: 3300 left over” so 1 thousands.
– – “5,10,15,20,25,30: 300 left over” so 6 hundreds. “1.6” total.
– – 1.6 counted back is 4000,44,48,52,56,60,64. 300 left over, so 6700 minus 1 is 6699. “True” 80% is 6640, so again, it works.
– EXAMPLE 2A: 6300, 2/3.
– – 3000, 6000: 2, with 300 left over.
– – 300: 1, and nothing left. “2.1”.
– – 2.1 counts back as 2000,4000,4200. 4200.
– EXAMPLE 2B: 6300, 80%.
– – 5000: 1, with 1300 left over.
– – 500,1000: 2, with 300 left over. “1.2”.
– – 1.2: 4000,4400,4800. 5100-1=5099. True is 5040. Correct.
This gives you the scores you need to meet their score. to get first, pick the smallest score higher than the highest score. second, go for the second highest. third for third. to check scores, go “up” each allowable fu until you hit the score needed, and if its smaller that previous answers switch to the new score.
| Fu: | 30 | 40 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Han: 1 | 1100 / 1000 | 1500 / 1300 | 1600 |
| Han: 2 | 2000 | 2700 / 2600 | 3200 |
| Han: 3 | 4000 / 3900 | 5200 | 6400 |
| Mangan | 8000 | ||
| Haneman | 12000 | ||
| Baiman | 16000 | ||
| Sanbaiman | 24000 | ||
| Yakuman | 32000 |
| Fu: | 30 | 40 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Han: 1 | 1500 | 2100 / 2000 | 2400 |
| Han: 2 | 2900 / 3000 | 3900 | 4800 |
| Han: 3 | 6000 / 5800 | 7800 / 7700 | 9600 |
| Mangan | 12000 | ||
| Haneman | 18000 | ||
| Baiman | 24000 | ||
| Sanbaiman | 36000 | ||
| Yakuman | 48000 |
Practice
Examples
South 4 – Bonus 1 – 1 stick
E:37000
S:34500
W:29500
N:18000
“As West, ron off of East and get 1st“
First, add to the West score the stick and the bonus.
– W: 30800
Subtract the bonus from East.
– E:36700
then subtract W from everything.
– E: 5900
– S: 3700
– N: negative something
East deals in, so halve their score.
– E: 2850
– S: 3700
– N: negative something
To get first, 3700 is the score to beat.
25 (50)fu scores: 1600, 3200, 6400: 6400 clears it.
30fu scores: 1000, 2000, 3900: 3900 clears it, and is less than 6400.
40fu: 1300, 2600, 5200: 5200 clears it, but is more than 3900.
Answer: 3900.
Next, same setup, but different question
South 4 – Bonus 1 – 1 stick
E:37000
S:34500
W:29500
N:18000
“As West, Tsumo and get 1st“
First, add to the West score the stick and the bonus.
– W: 30900
then subtract W from everything.
– E:6100
– S:3600
– N: negative something
2/3 the E, 80% the S:
– E: 4066
– S: 2880
To get first, 4066 is the score to beat.
25 (50)fu scores: 1600, 3200, 6400: 6400 clears it.
30fu scores: 1100 (“300/500” added up), 4000, 8000: 8000 clears it, but is more than 6400.
40fu: 1500, 2700, 5200: 5200 clears it, and is less than 6400. The score for getting 5200 is 1300/2600.
Answer: 1300/2600.