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Scoring Sticks

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 8:34 am
by cavemaneca
Posted this on the old forum before I realized that it wasn't used anymore.... anyway.


So, I just got into playing it irl, bought a decent set online, and it didn't come with enough scoring sticks for a full 30,000 per player in a 4 player game. Instead of bothering them to send me a dozen or so sticks extra... I wanted to buy some more sticks.

Of course, I know where I can buy them online, but I was actually looking for scoring sticks other than the standard kinds.

So far, I've found white w/ colored dots, black w/ white dots, and cow bone sticks, along with a few that are just colored different colors w/ white dots.

Anyone here know where to find unique/cool looking scoring sticks? Or maybe just the coolest looking sticks you've ever found?

Re: Scoring Sticks

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 9:21 am
by burke
Actually I think many in Japan play with 25,000 points. The missing 5,000 is an ante bonus returned to the winner of the game. More about that here:

http://www.osamuko.com/japanese-general ... hjong/#s11

Re: Scoring Sticks

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 10:36 am
by mostek
I always liked the big heavy metal scoring sticks that are used with those automatic mahjong tables.
http://www.mansengo.net/free/marujan_tenbo.gif
something like that.

But its true, most games are played as 25000 or 27000 buy in with a 30000 point return. I'm guessing your set probably have enough sticks to play a game just fine, but who knows.

Re: Scoring Sticks

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 5:00 pm
by cavemaneca
"One set contains 88 sticks: 4 x 10,000; 8 x 5,000; 36 x 1,000; 40 x 100."

My set came with the 4-10k and 8-5k, but then I had 32-1k and 33-100
Normally there is enough to play anywhere between 25k-30k per player.
burke wrote:Actually I think many in Japan play with 25,000 points. The missing 5,000 is an ante bonus returned to the winner of the game. More about that here:

http://www.osamuko.com/japanese-general ... hjong/#s11
Those rules actually seem more than a little bit different from what i've seen..
First, usually i've seen that if you play <30k, you just still calculate the score with 30k as the base, i.e. at least one play must be over 30k, and your score(+5,+15,-12, w/e).
Second, while I've seen a bunch of different values for score bonus, the average way I've seen is +9,+3,-3,-9 and the most I've really seen is +20,+10,-10,-20 or +30,-10,-10,-10

As well, if you notice a comment on the bottom of the page, anon points out these rules aren't THE common way of playing, just a way of playing. There's a bunch of things missing from the post anyway, as well as the possibility of translation errors.
mostek wrote:I always liked the big heavy metal scoring sticks that are used with those automatic mahjong tables.
http://www.mansengo.net/free/marujan_tenbo.gif
something like that.

But its true, most games are played as 25000 or 27000 buy in with a 30000 point return. I'm guessing your set probably have enough sticks to play a game just fine, but who knows.
I actually quite like those, and I've tried to find them once before. The only problem is that every website I've tried that sells tables that include those, I can't seem to find where you'd be able to order replacements for the table...

Re: Scoring Sticks

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 6:08 pm
by burke
cavemaneca wrote:Those rules actually seem more than a little bit different from what i've seen..
[...]
As well, if you notice a comment on the bottom of the page, anon points out these rules aren't THE common way of playing, just a way of playing. There's a bunch of things missing from the post anyway, as well as the possibility of translation errors.
I did not claim that everyone plays according to those rules. I merely linked to them because they conveniently explained how the starting points work.

Still, they are the best rules I have stumbled across on the web (please point out a better set if you know of one, I have of course read the EMA rules and Jenn's book). Defining any one true way to play mahjong seems to be impossible since every gaming group and Jansou seem to do it a bit differently. This does not disturb me, but what does is that many people seem to think that their way is the only right/common way (this is directed at the anonymous commenter over at Osamukos blog).

In any case I find those rules immensely playable and easily understood (but I would perhaps drop the Kuikae rule). Yes you have to get scoring tables and Yaku lists elsewhere (there's a good one linked somewhere on these forums), but I do not have a problem with that.

Re: Scoring Sticks

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 6:23 pm
by cavemaneca
I was merely referring to fact that the post describes itself as the "General Laws of Mahjong" and "the most widely used rules in Japan". I just don't think that's necessarily true.

As for easy rules, I found that the Mahjong wiki section on Japanese modern was quite good.


Back on topic, I still wonder if anyone could find where to get some of those metal scoring sticks for automatic tables... they look cool and I like the colors.

Re: Scoring Sticks

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 10:15 pm
by Senechal
If you have poker chips, you can just use a 4-3-3-5 distribution for 25k or 5-3-3-5 for 30k. (red-blue-black-white, as blue is the usual color of coloured riichi sticks.)

Re: Scoring Sticks

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 1:26 am
by cavemaneca
Senechal wrote:If you have poker chips, you can just use a 4-3-3-5 distribution for 25k or 5-3-3-5 for 30k. (red-blue-black-white, as blue is the usual color of coloured riichi sticks.)
I have plenty of poker chips, but I feel it kinda ruins it...
Anyway, how would that work exactly with what you said? aren't the values 10k 5k 1k and 100? 4-3-3-5 would be 58,500 and 5-3-3-5 be 68,500... I guess you're talking about 5k 1k 500 100?(kinda too much imo)

Re: Scoring Sticks

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:45 am
by RichardK8
cavemaneca wrote:I guess you're talking about 5k 1k 500 100?(kinda too much imo)
Yep, 4*5k (red) + 3*1k (blue) + 3*500 (black or green)+ 5*100 (white) , which is the composition of most basic poker chips sets sold everywhere.

Not only it's a cheap alternative to scoring sticks, but I find poker chips easier to handle and count. Maybe not as exotic and traditional, but they are very convenient.

Re: Scoring Sticks

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:56 am
by cavemaneca
I have poker chips a-plenty and could use them if I wanted to, but would rather not.

And the topic is different styles of scoring sticks, please.