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By Tom Sloper
September 25, 2016 Column #659 |
American Mah Jongg (2016 NMJL card). Defense. An opponent is showing exposures. What do you do?
1. She's making Consec. #2, most powerful hand on the card. The hot tiles are 3B 4B 3D 4D. You can't tell from the exposures whether she's doing dots or bams, so watch her discards and look for giveaway body language when somebody throws a hot tile. 
2. Can only be 369, either #2 or #4. The hot tiles are 6B 6D 3C 6C. Those craks are key tiles. If either 3C or 6C is dead on the table, #4 is dead and she has to be making #2. I explained "dead on the table" in column 607.
3. Five and nine are too far apart for Consec., so she can only be making an Odds hand. Two possibilities: #2 and #6. The hot tiles are 7B 7D and 1D 3D. Those dots are key tiles (just as with the preceding problem).
4. Six and nine aren't too far apart for Consec., but these are same suit, and no Consec. hand matches, so let's look at 369. And guess what, no hand matches there either. Call her dead (no such hand on the 2016 card). Do call her dead; it's advantageous to do so.
5. Just one hand; Consec. #4. The hot tiles are 6B Wh.
6. Just one hand; 2016 #3. The hot tiles are 2D 2C 6D 6C; there are two ways she could make the hand.
7. She is dead. No hand on the 2016 card includes a legally exposable dragon pung. The only exception is the pung of soaps in 2016 #3. Red pungs and green pungs are instant death.
8. Two possibilities: Evens #2 and Consec. #4, with two ways she could make either one. The hot tiles are 2C 4C 2D 4D 7D 7C Wh R.
9. Consec. #4. The hot tiles are 3C and soap.
10. Call her dead. She's making W-D #3, which is a concealed hand.
11. Eleven #1. Hot tiles are F 1C. If 1C is dead, so's she.
12. 2016 #2 or W-D #1. Watch for key tiles. If S is dead, she's doing 2016. If soap is dead, she's doing W-D.
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Like this...
Column 659, problem 1
You're absolutely right, Elise. Consec. #5 is also an option (with key tiles). I'm adding this to the column.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
トム·スローパー
湯姆 斯洛珀
Creator of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 29, 2016
Column
>From: Colette S
>Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2016 7:21 AM
>Subject: Column #659, #3
>Please indulge a novice's confusion. It appears to me that Odds #2 would require a 7B pung and 7C kong. Odds #6 requires a 1D pair, 3D pair and a 7B pung. You state that 7D (not 7C) is hot but I don't see where it fits. Thanks for a great column. Colette S
Colette, please don't knock yourself as a "confused novice." You're right, I goofed when I said 7D instead of 7C. I didn't proofread the column thoroughly enough before posting. The hot tiles are 7B 7C 1D 3D, with 1D 3D as key tiles. A tip o' the hat to you!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
トム·スローパー
湯姆 斯洛珀
Creator of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 27, 2016
Column
>From: Beth P
>Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2016 7:05 PM
>Subject: Strategy column
>Hello Tom, In your new column #659 #8 the consecutive run is # 3 not #4 with key tiles 7C,7D and 7B. Right? Thanks for your great web site! Beth
Very good, Beth! My brain got dyslexically stuck on #4 as outer number kongs with a middle pung and a dragon pung (from a previous card). I'm appending your email to the column.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
トム·スローパー
湯姆 斯洛珀
Creator of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 25, 2016
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