How to Avoid Dealing In
Here are a few more ways of thinking that can raise your defensive level further.
Keep a Safe Tile
This is an important technique.
For example, suppose it is turn 6 and your hand looks like this. Nobody has declared riichi yet, and nobody has called.
Example 1
Tsumo 
Suppose the tile you draw is , with three copies already visible on the table.
Some players would just tsumogiri that tile immediately.
But that is not actually correct.
In this hand, once you reach tenpai,
you will very likely cut anyway.
If that is the case, then you should deal with right now.
The reason is that may later become a dangerous tile.
If you keep in hand, then even if someone riichis afterward,
you are guaranteed at least one safe turn.
So when you can keep a safe tile in hand without damaging the hand too much, you should do so. Of course, clinging to safe tiles all the time is just cowardice.
Example 2
Tsumo
Again, it is turn 6 and you draw a of which three copies are already visible.
But if you keep that by cutting ,
you deserve to be called overly timid.
This has a completely different meaning from the in the previous example.
It still connects with and 
,
and supports tanyao and pinfu, while also potentially developing into sanshoku or iipeikou.
It is one of the key tiles in the hand, so you should not break it just to hold one extra safe tile.
Example 3
With a pinfu-style one-shanten hand like Example 3, you generally should not give up the shanpon acceptance too early just to hold a safe tile. It is better to keep the shanpon routes as much as possible.
However, if or has become thin,
then instead of clinging forever to a pair like ,
you should also consider replacing it with a genuinely safe tile.
Cut the Safer One
Example 4
Chi 
Tsumo
This is a late-hand situation after entering chi-ten.
Have you ever carelessly tsumogiri'd here and paid for it badly?
You should properly switch it with
and discard the safer one.
Late in the hand, even if nobody has riichi'd, someone is often already in tenpai. Cutting the safer tile is the most basic of basics, but many players still fail to do it.
Example 5
Tsumo
This hand has reached a late pinfu-only tenpai.
On the final draw, you happen to pull .
At that point, do not stubbornly cling to the original pinfu shape that can still ron.
If has become a one-chance tile or otherwise the safer tile,
you should cut and keep tenpai that way.
Of course, if itself is safe,
then naturally you can just cut .
The Anaguma Strategy
Example 6
Tsumo
If you receive an opening hand like this, you are basically not going to win with it. In a spot like this, the so-called Anaguma strategy becomes a strong option.
The idea is to start by cutting the most central, dangerous tiles, working gradually outward. You can still keep a loose eye on routes like Kokushi, menhon, or chiitoitsu, but the real goal is to stockpile safe tiles.
In other words, you build a hand shape that will not immediately force you into dealing in, no matter who declares riichi.
This is also called folding from the starting hand.
It is especially suitable when, for example, you are the dealer in South 4, holding first place, and even if someone tsumos a mangan you still remain in first, while your hand is this bad.
That said, this strategy tends to leave a poor impression on opponents in real play, so if you use it, it is probably safest to reserve it for games where the other players understand it as a strategic choice.
Original Japanese page: http://beginners.biz/mamori/mamori13.html