SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

American Mah Jongg (2012 NMJL card). What would you pass?

1. It's a mess, but there are quite a few odds. Pass anything that isn't odd.

2. Sixes and nines but no threes. Think high consec. or maybe even W-D #3. N, Wh, and F can go.

3. Think Consec., hinging on the 6D pair. Pass 1B N and R.

4. Possibly Consec. #4 or Elevens. Pass 9B, N, soap.

5. Threes and sixes; maybe 369 or Consec. Pass stuff that doesn't fit, like 7D E 1D.

6. The fives have more friends than the eights do (and there are no in-betweeners). But you can just play it safe and chuck S Wh R. The dragons can just confuse things; let them confuse someone else.

7. Think low Consec. If you don't want to pass two winds at once, pass just one, along with 7B and R.

8. All those nines could indicate Like Nos. or high Odds. Possible passers include 2C 2D 3B 4B.

9. Those sixes can go Evens, 369, or Consec. The dragons and N don't fit. If you don't want to pass R G and N, you can substitute 1B for one of them.

10. Either try for Consec. hinging on sixes or just keep all the bams. I'd pass S 3C and 6D.

11. Ones and Easts are not a happy start. With this many winds, maybe see if you can collect more. Pass 1D 6B and any other dot. Or pass 1D 6B F.

12. Threes and eights would suggest Elevens, if you had ones in the right suit, but you don't. Thinking Evens and 369, 1B 5B 6B can go. Not pretty, but hey.

13. Keep all dots, think Consec. Pass 1B 8C 8B.

14. Wow, these suck big time. Pass 3C 7B 9B, and pray to the mah-jongg gods for tiles that don't suck.

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Question or comment about this column? I often, um... intentionally... "miss" something; maybe you'll be the first one to spot it! Email and the discussion will be posted on the Mah-Jongg Q&A Bulletin Board.

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Where to order the yearly NMJL card: Read FAQ 7i.

Need rules for American mah-jongg? Tom Sloper's book, The Red Dragon & The West Wind, is the most comprehensive book in existence about the American game. AND see FAQ 19 for fine points of the American rules (and commonly misunderstood rules). AND get the official rulebook from the NMJL (see FAQ 3). Linda Fisher's website is the only website that describes American rules: http://sites.google.com/site/mahjrules/.

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© 2012 Tom Sloper. All rights reserved.