Push or fold
Two of three
Against a riichi, check three things: are you in tenpai, is your hand worth about 7700 or more, is your wait good? If two are no, fold: discard only safe tiles. You give up a small chance to win to avoid a big loss.
The player across declared riichi. You are in tenpai on a closed wait, for 1300: push or fold?
When to push
If two are yes, push: keep playing your hand. From one tile away, push only with a big hand and two-sided shapes; otherwise fold.
The player across declared riichi. You are in tenpai on a two-sided wait, for 2000: push or fold?
The safety ladder
Folding, take the safest tile you have: genbutsu; then honors others have discarded, suji 1s and 9s, and no-chance tiles; then suji 2s and 8s; then suji 3s and 7s. The most dangerous are 4s, 5s and 6s that are not suji. Two tiles from tenpai, stay near the top of the ladder.
The player across declared riichi. Nothing in your hand is genbutsu: discard the safest tile.
Nothing is safe
Out of safe tiles? Prefer terminals to middle tiles, stay away from the dora and its neighbours, and throw a pair: if the first copy passes, the second is genbutsu next turn.
You are folding, and nothing in your hand is genbutsu or suji. Which is usually safer?
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