Spotting 7 Pairs

Can you read a 7 pairs discard pool or no idea what to look for? I HATE reading for 7 pairs.

Here are some handy tips (taken from Kajimoto’s book - link at the bottom).

Generally the discards look very similar to a regular tanyao/pinfu hand in the first six discards for the game. This makes it very difficult to detect. There are a few indicators where you might think “Huh, that was odd.” The criteria below might make you think it could be a 7 pairs (chitoi).

1) Throwing a two sided wait. For example (6)(7) being in the discard pool. Especially when this is out of their hand and not a drawn-discard.

2) Throwing tiles on the same suji string starting from the inside. For example (6)(9) in that order. Especially when this is out of their hand and not a drawn-discard.

3) Once two honor tiles have hit the table from other players, then this player will discard one.

The reason that these are markers in the discard pool are partly the way players typically build tanyao/pinfu hands and also the tiles that players will usually wait on for 7 pairs. (Please note this will not always work for Western players because so many seem to think 7 pairs happens to them rather that it is something they build)

-Dora

-Honor tile with 1 or 2 on the table

-Outside tile on a suit where there are many on the table or a tile on the outside of a wall (kabe)

-A tile which is suji for a tile in their pool

These sorts of waits are what makes spotting 7 pairs essential because it rids you of your ordinary tools to play safe. AND it is also why you should consider 7 pairs if it starts to take shape. You can hack those players who haven’t got the knack yet.

(Reference material: Takunori Kajimoto, Perfect Defence Manual pp.52-53)