Lesson 6 · Strategy

Play the hand in front of you.

Good strategy begins with flexibility, attention, and knowing when not to force the pattern you hoped to draw.

The fastest way to improve is not memorizing one perfect hand. It is learning to see several workable shapes, notice what the table is revealing, and make each discard on purpose.

01

Keep options open

Early in the hand, connected tiles usually offer more ways forward than isolated ones.

02

Read every discard

The table is telling you which tiles appear unwanted and which suits may be dangerous.

03

Call with a reason

A call should improve speed, shape, or value enough to justify revealing your plan.

04

Protect the endgame

As hands approach completion, a safe discard can matter more than a beautiful possibility.

05

Review the result

Hand History turns a vague feeling into a concrete sequence you can learn from.

A simple review habit

After each hand, answer three questions.

When did my plan become clear?

If it never did, look for the point where flexibility was lost.

Which call changed the hand?

Decide whether exposing the group was worth the information it gave away.

What did the table tell me?

Review discards and claims you noticed too late during live play.

Why might you decline a legal call?
Reviewed July 25, 2026Pinoy Mahjong Rules Handbook · Version 1.0