Jenn’s April League (D1)
Last week was our first League tournament of the new season.
I’m proud to say that out of all the League-players on the ReachMahjong.com staff, I am in the highest league, D1.
Right, not a very high league considering the highest is A1…
But I am beating Garthe, which is my biggest goal in life at times.
So league is 4 games, East/South rounds. There’s no hidden (ura) dora or quad (kan) dora or red (aka) dora. Just one normal old dora. Lately I like to play with lots more dora.
Also we have to roll the dice and draw our own hands from the wall. This is a pain. I like the table to prepare my drawn hand for me.
But somehow, through all of this adversity, I was able to play my game.
My game, it so happens, is great during the play. I can read hands, I can choose good paths for my own hand, but I can’t close the game.
In the first game I was doing great. I was folding when I should, pushing when I should, and I was in 2nd place going into the last hand. In league, which is a 5-session (20 game sprint), I am very happy with 2nd place.
However, with the player to my left riichi and 3 concealed triples along with a pair in my hand, I had very few choices in the way of safe tiles, not to mention a potential monster in my own hand. I ended up dropping my loner 7-craks (with three 6-craks in my hand) and dealing into his 7700 point hand, putting me into a negative 3rd place.
I was somehow able to win after that though and ended with a positive score. My goal is to get about 20 or so each time and I got just below that, so not too shabby.
One of the biggest things I have to tell myself during league is that I don’t need to get first place. Sometimes one player dominates the table. This time it was a young guy who seemed very concerned with his appearance. He was new and his buddies were around to cheer him on. He did well. It was infuriating. But it doesn’t matter in league if another player is doing well, or even better than me. All that matters is that I end positive and I make my way to the top. Consistency is way more important than one dominating day.
Remember that Jenn!!!
Haaaaaaaaaaaai!
