I realize this is pretty subjective but I’d like your opinions. The character is implying that calling in this situation reduces his chances to win and would have been unthinkable during the Showa period for some reason.
However I don’t see anything wrong with that call, to the contrary it looks like the obvious course of action to me.
Aiming for sanshoku does not seem to reduce his shanten, it secures the dora and even unlocks a double sided wait ; he might also trade this double sided wait for junchan if he gets a pair of terminals later, giving him a shot at mangan. And all of that without being forced to discard by a riichi.
On the other hand not calling here would likely mean riichi only on a single wait which sucks…So I really have no idea what Showa players were thinking
I’m only level 2 Expert in Maj Soul, so take this however you wish, it’s just my thoughts on the play.
Sanshoku is a bit of a long shot because you’re waiting on the 3 of bamboo and 2 of wheels. You’d need to get pretty lucky for both single tile waits. Especially the 3 since your opponents will naturally be less likely to play it.
Depending on what’s been discarded so far, you may have tipped your hand to everyone else where they’d be less likely to discard those tiles. You’ll definitely tip you hand if you chi a 2 of wheels.
That said, it isn’t a bad play depending on how early in the hand it is, who dealer is, what the score is, and if you’re trying to bluff another hand like chinitsu to try to make someone else rush a Tanyao or some other low scoring hand. This is only East 2, so I’d be more likely to play that closer to the middle of the hand when I’m trying to cobble something together if the draws haven’t worked out for a better hand.
I have no idea what the Showa period comment is about. Maybe there was a different mahjong meta at the time.