The comparison & result
The test compared beginner-level eager players with advanced-level selective players under MCR scoring. The published result reported roughly four wins for the selective players for each win by the eager players. Because the difficulty levels differ, this is a comparison of playing styles rather than an isolated test of calling.
The minimum explains why shape completion and winning are different goals. Before a call, check a concrete route to eight qualifying points. The comparison is evidence against calling indiscriminately; it does not show that keeping every hand closed is optimal.
At your table
- Plan a qualifying scoring route before committing to a call.
- Flowers do not count toward the eight-point qualifying minimum.
Check your table’s scoring rules before applying the finding. Read the Chinese Official reference.
How it was tested
Published experiment: 100,000 simulated MCR hands, beginner-level eager players versus advanced-level selective players, with alternating seats. Difficulty was not held constant.
The players were software policies, not human participants. This report describes the published experiment; it does not establish the best move for every possible hand or opponent.
Results without a published uncertainty interval should be read as point estimates. Similar results do not prove two choices are equivalent.
Read the Lab’s method and limitationsPublished by Hé Fēn Mahjong. Ask about this finding or suggest a correction.