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日本プロ麻雀協会 · Pro since 2017

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Riichi strategy from Japan’s pro tables.

Free English guides and tools from a working Japanese professional, plus coaching, hand reviews, and localization when you need more than articles.

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A silent 34-second film. East 1, turn 9: you drew 4s and have to pick a discard. The pro cuts 8m, reaches tenpai on 8s, and declares riichi. Then the record: 16th NPM class, 7-dan on Tenhou with a rating of R2056, 17+ years at the table, and the Shinjin-ou final table. Coverage in the Japanese press, coaching, consulting, and translation work, and a closing call to work with a Japan pro.

Tenhou 7-dan · R2056

  • 17+years at the tableSince 2009, Argentina to Osaka
  • 16thNPM class日本プロ麻雀協会
  • 57in-depth guidesStrategy, online, mindset
  • 10K+guide readsAnd counting
02In the Japanese pressメディア掲載

Real pro. Real record.

Certified by the 日本プロ麻雀協会 since 2017 · 16th class · covered by Japan’s mahjong media

  • アルゼンチンからやってきたプロ雀士！

    A full interview about mahjong, marketing and languages. The pro who came all the way from Argentina.

    Mahjong WatchAug 10, 2019
  • 麻雀人に話を聞こう! 日本プロ麻雀協会 ニコラスプロ

    Featured in Japan’s mahjong newspaper as a certified NPM professional.

    麻雀新聞Sep 6, 2018
  • 関西チャンピオンロード開幕戦 観戦記

    A semifinal report where a popular pro and the Argentine rookie went head to head.

    高見直人Apr 29, 2017
  • 第16期新人王戦 観戦記

    Reaching the final table of the Shinjin-ou, the association’s rookie championship.

    日本プロ麻雀協会Apr 2017
  • English translation project

    Contributor to the English translation of Tenhou, Japan’s most competitive server.

    TenhouOngoing
  • Riichi talk in three languages

    Hand analysis and pro-circuit news in English, 日本語 and Español.

    X · @nikorasu_proDaily
Nicolas Pro

願いは、世界中の人に麻雀の楽しさを届けられるプロ雀士になることです。

“My wish is to be a pro who brings the joy of mahjong to people all over the world.” Nicolas Pro, from the Japanese site

About Nicolas
03How it works流れ

Simple steps

From stuck to climbing, with a pro reading every key decision in your games.

  1. Tell me where you are Platform, rank and goal.

  2. Send your games Replay links or a live session.

  3. Get your review Every key decision annotated.

04Exceptional benefits

What you get with every review

Every review is personal: concrete leaks, clearer mid-game choices and takeaways you can use next session.

  • Every key decision annotated
  • Takeaways you can reuse
  • Tenhou & Mahjong Soul logs
  • Live or async sessions
  • English, 日本語 or Español
  • Push / fold reasoning explained
  • Follow-up questions welcome
  • Tournament & ruleset prep
  • A certified NPM pro, not a bot
05Work with a Japan pro

Coaching & more

Coaching helps you improve faster, play smarter and climb with purpose. For teams, the same eye for accurate Japanese mahjong.

  • Tenhou · Mahjong Soul · Live · EN/JP/ES

    Players

    1-on-1 coaching & game reviewsFrom $39

    Stuck between ranks, leaking points in the mid-game, or preparing for serious online or offline play. Live or async sessions on decisions, pace, and rank goals.

    Book a review
  • Events · Teaching · Rules

    Clubs & leagues

    Consulting & contentQuote on request

    English-facing events, teaching materials, or rule and localization questions that need a Japan-pro eye. Short, scoped advice.

    Ask about a project
  • JP ⇄ EN · UI · Scripts · Articles

    Publishers, apps & media

    Translation & writingFrom ¥20 / character

    JP⇄EN copy that doesn’t sound like a dictionary: yaku, UI strings, articles, and scripts that hold up with serious players.

    Ask about a project
06Support the site応援

NPMahjong on Patreon

Become a patron

Like the guides and want more? Most coaching services are also available through Patreon, where I post the games I review and new articles before anyone else.

Cancel anytime on Patreon · current tiers on the Patreon page
07Free tools無料ツール

Built for your next session

No sign-up · Always free
Daily何切る trainer

What do you cut?

A new discard problem every day. Pick your tile, then see how many tiles each choice accepts. No account needed.

Play today’s hand
East 1 · turn 9 · you drew 4sTenpai possible

Pick your discard, then read the pro’s answer and reasoning.

NewMahjongSoul · 雀魂

Rank calculator

Monte Carlo simulation of your climb. Enter your placement rates, see how many games to Saint and your real odds of Celestial.

Open the calculator
  • 立直riichi
  • 聴牌tenpai
  • 放銃houjuu
  • 押し引きoshi-hiki
216 terms · 用語集

Riichi glossary

Every word you’ll hear at a Japanese table or on an M.LEAGUE stream. Japanese, romaji, English and what it means in play.

Search the glossary
08NPMahjong blog

Latest Articles

All 57 articles
1 / 19
  • StrategyNew

    Who pushes against the leader? South 4 game theory

    The dealer in 1st riichis in All Last, and each trailing player waits for someone else to push. Here's how the scoreboard picks the volunteer, and where sashikomi turns into kingmaking.

    9 min
  • Guides & FAQsNew

    Mahjong means sparrow and it's younger than the telegraph

    Mahjong's name comes from máquè, the Chinese word for sparrow, and the game took shape in the second half of the 19th century, decades after the first commercial telegraph line. The sources all put it in the 1800s, and none of them back the Confucius story.

    7 min
  • StrategyNew

    Facing two tenpai hands: triage your defense

    The dealer riichis, then a second player chases, and you can't fold to both with every tile. Here's how to sort the two threats like a field medic, and the Houou numbers that decide who gets your safe tiles.

    9 min
Communityコミュニティ

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Riichi from Japan since 2009

Riichi mahjong strategy, and everything I teach alongside it

What is riichi mahjong?
Riichi is the Japanese ruleset of mahjong: four players, 136 tiles, and a hand needs at least one yaku to win. It’s what you play on Tenhou, Mahjong Soul and in every parlor in Japan.
Is Tenhou the standard?
No. Tenhou punishes 4th place so hard that it breeds habits real-life pros call out. Use it for output, not input. Read the warning.
Who writes these guides?
Nicolas Pro: a certified member of the 日本プロ麻雀協会 since 2017, Tenhou 7-dan (R2056), 17+ years at the table, based in Osaka. Every guide is written from inside the Japanese pro scene.
Can I get my own games reviewed?
Yes. Send Tenhou or Mahjong Soul logs, or book a live session. You get your key decisions annotated with the reasoning a Japan pro would use. See services.
What’s a professional mahjong player?
Pros pay yearly to keep their title and most don’t live off the game. An insider’s look at what it means and how you can become one.
Do you translate or consult?
JP⇄EN localization, articles and scoped consulting for clubs, leagues, apps and publishers. Copy that holds up with serious players. Ask about a project.
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