This month, Mahjong Time is spotlighting Otto Myslivec (username: OttoM)! Otto is a Mahjong Competition Rules master, holding the 11th best MCR player position in 2011, and 8th in 2010. Otto is currently the 10th best MCR player at Mahjong Time! Adding to his list of accomplishments are 1st place wins in the Third Open Austrian Championship and the 2009 Austrian Bamboo Tournament. We got the chance to ask Otto a few questions:

Q: How did you originally discover multiplayer Mahjong?
A: I’ve been playing Mah Jong for 50 years. At first with my grandmother who has an old Mah Jong set. In 1987 the 1. Internationale Mah Jong Club Baden was founded, there we are playing with a combination of some rules like HK, Riichi and others. During the 25 years more than 400 people learned Mah Jong and 60 are still playing every Friday. In 2005 I got in contact with MCR and I played my first tournament according to CO rules in March 2006.

Q: How often do you play online?
A: I’ve been playing at Mahjong Time as a VIP member since April 2006.

Q: How long have you played at Mahjong Time?
A: I started in december 2009, so more than two years.

Q: What do you like the most about Mahjong Time?
A: You’ll find players at every time and most of my friends in Europe are playing there.

Q: Tell us more about yourself! What would other Mahjong Time players be surprised to know about you?
A: I am still playing the special kind of Mah Jong in Baden and I am a chess player since 1976. I am married since 1971, have 2 sons, 1 granddaughter and 2 grandsons. I organize Mah Jong tournaments with my friends . The most important was OEMC2009 in Baden.

Q: Which style of Mahjong do you like best? Why is this your favorite?
A: I only play MCR

Q: What is better: playing live or playing online?
A: It’s better to play live with friends, but I cannot do it every day and every time. Online is a very good alternative if you would like to play only for a short time, 1 or 2 games…

Q: On the subject of online play, what kind of advice would you give to the online player?
A: A lot of players are playing Full or Half Flush, All Types or All Pungs. For me Mah Jong is “All Chows, All Simples in combination with Concealed or Fully Concealed hand“. That is what the inventors of Mah Jong (the Chinese) like to play…