Reachmahjong.com

Hi,

I was wonder if people think that bluffing in mahjong is bad etiquette... For example, while in tenpai, pause for a second after a player discards a tile as if to claim it for a chi/pon/kan or pause and look down at your hand before throwing an otherwise obvious discard. Or even things like exclaiming "ahhh goddamn it *sigh*" after throwing in your riichi bet and looking at the pond as if you've just realized that you're on a dead or awkward wait.

Pretty sure that the verbal proclamations would be unacceptable while the silent stuff generally would not be, as these things happen, even unintentionally. It should go unnoticed and not become a spectacle.
http://reachmahjong.com/en/forum/viewto ... 465#p49465

More information can be found with forum searches of 1) etiquette, 2) manners, and 3) bluffing.

I'm sure players with more longevity than I have playing live games will reply furthur, if necessary.

Welcome to the forum.

If you're willing to bluff, do so with the tiles you discard. Using language (even body language like slamming your tiles on the table) is considered very poor manners, and depending on the context could get you into trouble: no problem with friends, could get you a remark or a ban in a jansou depending on how bad you acted and how strict they are... as for competitive mahjong, the tendancy in the West is that everything goes but that's a shame and you can use your knowledge of what you're not supposed to do to show a good example

To be fair, in NA/EU, it varies according to who you play with and what your aim is.

Unless you're 4 people drinking beer and not gambling, assume that radio silence is the norm. Bluffing, playing the fiddle or being generally disruptive will end up with either a referee call in a public context, or the end of your private relation with your opponents.

* Competitive gaming expects people to play with skill.
* Gambling play expects people to not do things that can be assimilated to cheating signals.
* If you don't know the three other people, they have zero interest and zero tolerance for putting up with crap.

There are ways to have fun. But mahjong isn't improv.