Useful and handsome
I love these counting sticks.
Although I've seen similar sticks used in Riichi more than Chinese classic or Hong Kong mahjong, I find them to be a good looking and sophisticated alternative to using plastic coins when scoring.
There are enough sticks in this set to easily give each player at the table a total of 2000 points by assigning a value of 500 points to the nine dot sticks, a hundred points to the eight dot sticks, ten points to the five dot sticks and two points to the single dot sticks and dealing each player 2 nine dot sticks, 9 eight dot sticks, 8 five dot sticks, and 10 single dot sticks.
I personally prefer the black colored sticks to the more usual white ones, finding their muted appearance more appealing yet just as easy to read.
The paint in the dots is uneven, however, and rubs off very easily. Some of the sticks also still have traces of their mould flash, and, the shape of individual sticks might be uneven, have bumps, and not be perfectly straight. I own two standard Chinese sets of these and one Riichi set and have come across just a few imperfections in all (the paint, as mentioned nevertheless rubs off very easily on all).
I do recommend them though.
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