What is Gukei Machi? Types of Bad Waits and How to Improve Explained

What is Gukei Machi (Bad Shape Wait)?

Gukei machi (愚形待ち) refers to wait shapes in mahjong that have few waiting tiles and are difficult to win with. Also called “akukei” (bad shape), it contrasts with good shapes (ryokei) like ryanmen wait.

Kanchan wait, penchan wait, tanki wait, and shanpon wait are mainly classified as bad shapes, with a maximum of only 4 waiting tiles, resulting in lower win rates.

Detailed Explanation of Gukei Machi

Types and Characteristics of Bad Shape Waits

Criteria for Bad Shape Classification

Why Considered Bad:

1. Few Waiting Tiles

   • Maximum 4 tiles (tanki is 3)
   • Half of ryanmen wait

2. Low Improvement Potential

   • Fixed waits
   • Limited good shape changes

3. Easy to Read

   • Can be deduced from discards
   • Opponents play defensively

Usage Examples

Real Game Situations

Example 1: Confirming Wait

"Kanchan wait, that's bad shape"
"Pen-3-man bad shape wait"

Example 2: Tactical Decision

"Bad shape so dama tenpai"
"Bad shape but 3 dora so riichi"

Example 3: Hand Evaluation

"Reject bad shape and redraw"
"Let's wait for good shape change"

Details of Each Bad Shape Wait

Kanchan Wait (Closed Wait)

Characteristics:

Shape: 13, 24, 57, etc.
Wait: The middle tile (2, 3, 6, etc.)
Count: 4 tiles

Advantages:

• Harder to read via suji
• Can wait on high tiles

Disadvantages:

• Only 4 waiting tiles
• Limited improvement

Penchan Wait (Edge Wait)

Characteristics:

Shape: 12, 89, etc.
Wait: The edge tile (3, 7, etc.)
Count: 4 tiles

Advantages:

• Early rounds, tiles may come out
• Edge tiles become safe tiles easily

Disadvantages:

• Only 3 or 7 waits
• Hardest to improve

Tanki Wait (Single Wait)

Characteristics:

Shape: Waiting for pair
Wait: That 1 type of tile
Count: 3 tiles (you use 1)

Advantages:

• Can wait on honors
• Hell wait is powerful
• Other sets are flexible

Disadvantages:

• Fewest tiles
• Hard to tsumo

Shanpon Wait (Dual Pair Wait)

Characteristics:

Shape: 2 pairs (22m 55p etc.)
Wait: Either pair
Count: Maximum 4 tiles

Advantages:

• Wait on 2 types
• Win on higher one

Disadvantages:

• Only 2 of each
• Goes to 1 tile if one appears

Related Terms

• Ryokei: Good shape waits
• Ryanmen Machi: Best wait
• Tamen Machi: Multi-way wait
• Ryokei Henka: Bad to good shape change
• Damaten: Often chosen with bad shape

Common Mistakes and Points to Note

Points Beginners Often Mistake

1. Undervaluing Bad Shape

   • Can still win with bad shape
   • Effective depending on situation

2. Over-pursuing Good Shape

   • Too fixated on good shape
   • Tenpai gets delayed

3. Riichi Decision Mistakes

   • Bad shape = always dama is wrong
   • Riichi depends on value

4. Missing Improvements

   • Bad to good shape changes
   • Not checking acceptance tiles

Bad Shape Wait Tactics

Riichi Decision with Bad Shape

When to Riichi:

1. High Value

   • Mangan or above
   • Many dora
   • Ippatsu/ura dora expectation

2. First Attack

   • Earlier than opponents
   • Pressure effect
   • Hard to be chased

3. Remaining Turns

   • Early to mid-game
   • Possibility to tsumo
   • No room for improvement

When to Dama:

1. Low Value Hand

   • Around 1000 points
   • Riichi not worth it

2. Dangerous Situation

   • Opponents likely tenpai
   • Parent riichi etc.
   • Defense priority

3. Late Game

   • Few turns left
   • Prioritize deal-in win
   • Accept any win

How to Improve Bad Shape

Aiming for Good Shape Change:

1. Kanchan → Ryanmen

   24m → Draw 5m → 245m (3-6m wait)

2. Penchan → Ryanmen

   12m → Draw 4m → 124m (cut 1m for ryanmen)

3. Tanki → Other Wait

   East tanki → Rearrange sets for ryanmen etc.

Push/Fold with Bad Shape

When to Push:

• Early tenpai
• High value
• Dealer
• Point situation requires it

When to Fold:

• Opponent is dangerous
• Cheap bad shape
• High deal-in risk
• Fine to fold

Practical Application

When to Accept Bad Shape

1. Prioritize Early Tenpai

   • First attack is important
   • Bad shape still has value

2. Confirmed High Value

   • Yakuman tenpai
   • Confirmed mangan+

3. Special Situations

   • Orasu comeback
   • Dealer continuation

Tips to Avoid Bad Shape

1. Early Game Tile Selection

   • Taatsu quality
   • Shapes likely to become good

2. Mid Game Building

   • Fix before becoming bad shape
   • Flexible planning

3. Using Calls

   • Call to avoid bad shape
   • Certain set completion

Value of Bad Shape Waits

Value Changes by Situation

Bad Shape Has High Value:

• Yakuman with bad shape
• Dealer haneman+
• First attack bad shape riichi
• Bad shape to block ippatsu

Bad Shape Has Low Value:

• 1000 point bad shape
• Chasing with bad shape
• Late game bad shape
• Furiten bad shape

Pro Usage of Bad Shape

Advanced Thinking:

• Don’t fear bad shape
• Situation judgment is key
• Speed priority
• Comprehensive value judgment

Conclusion

Gukei machi (bad shape wait) is a general term for poor waits including kanchan, penchan, tanki, and shanpon, with 4 or fewer waiting tiles. While beginners tend to avoid bad shapes, they can have sufficient value depending on the situation. What’s important is not deciding “it’s bad shape so…” but comprehensively judging based on value, turn count, and opponent status. Also, skills to transform bad shapes into good shapes are important. Learning to properly handle bad shapes without fear is the path to mahjong improvement.