Phoenix Tournament 2009 Hannover
What can I say… Mahjong News got there before me! ๐
I guess I’ll start this article with how the tournament ended. Please visit www.mahjongnews.com for a full breakdown of the results and an exciting youtube video featuring yours truly!
My article has been a bit delayed due to my continuing apartment and internet problems unfortunately… But more fortunately my bad luck in that respect seems to have decided to balance itself with Mahjong luck! I’m not sure I’m complaining!
Regardless of the results though, the tournament was fantastic! Each time I go to a tournament and meet new and old Mahjong friends I enjoy myself just that little bit more. The tournament in Hannover was no exception. The organization was flawless, and the location was fantastic. The red walls are particularly suited to a Chinese game!
I was especially excited to see some new players from the UK there. I wish I had taken their email addresses but I didn’t like an idiot… If you’re reading this, drop me an email at gemma at reachmahjong.com
I should say something about my play I guess… First game was against Sjef. He is my inspiration and nemesis all rolled into one. Everytime I have sat on a table with him, I have been completely blown away by the speed that he makes his hands and how difficult he is to read. For once though I didn’t fall into all his traps and managed to come out second with +8000! That was a great start for me.
Second table also went very well for me. The second table is usually my best and it didn’t let me down. I also had the great pleasure of playing with Nadine who came second. I’ve noticed her style of play before and admired. She’s definitely a player to watch in the rest of the tournaments this year! This was the table where my luck really kicked in. The tiles were simply in my favour.
Third table went exceedingly well again as lady luck was smiling. I managed to make the right choices to bring my hands together fast and maximise their earning potential. By the end of this round I was clear in the lead with +108,000. I was far from a definite win though and there were some very strong contenders hoping to take my crown.
Final table was where lady luck left me… I came last and lost around 20,000 points. There were some excellent players at the table! I tried my best… but I was outplayed! However, the loss did add a bit of drama to the results as my place was no longer clear cut.
Happily for me though the loss wasn’t enough for me to lose my first place. My reaction at the tournament wasn’t very modest but after struggling at Mahjong for so long (my previous performance last year at Hannover and also my quick elimination at the World Series had knocked my confidence) meant that I finally felt I had grown as a player. All those hours playing and discussing strategy with my Mahjong friends were not in vain! I was very honored to take home the trophy. There were many players there better than myself there.
I’ve not decided whether I love the luck involved in this game… I guess it depends on how the fates treat me in the next tournament!
All in all though it was an amazing day. I wish I hadn’t had to rush back to catch a train. Meeting up with people is the best part of the whole experience. I can’t wait for the next tournament! I hope to see you all there again! And perhaps even some new faces!
Thank you to everyone who attended and the hardworking organizers! I hope to play with you again soon!
