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SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

By Tom Sloper
June 16, 2013
No. #568

American Mah Jongg (2013 NMJL card). What would you pass?

1. Odds #4, Like Nos. #2, or W-D #2. Pass 8B 4B 9C.

2. Must go low Consec., maybe Evens as fallback. Pass 9D S and a seven.

3. An embarrassment of riches: the four pairs can't all be used. Could go Quints #2 if there were any jokers; or Like Nos. #2 or Odds #4. Everything's a long shot. Pass 2D 8B 7C.

4. Pair sixes. With these tiles, think Evens and high Consec. Pass 1D E S.

5. Seven tiles toward W-D #2, five toward Odds #4. Neither needs 7B 9D 1B.

6. Four pairs, and the sevens don't work with them. Evens, Consec.? Pass 5B 7C and any eight.

7. W-D #2 and Odds #1 are even. Can't blind pass. Flowers are easy to get, so maybe go W-D. Pass N 1D 9D (don't ask; too long to explain).

8. Evens or high Consec. Pass 3B 3D 9C.

9. W-D #2 is stronger than Odds #4. Pass N 9D 3C.

10. Would need a G pair to make Consec. #6; need a 2B pair for Consec. #4; bad choices there. Go Evens or Like Nos. Pass any odds.

11. W-D #2 is stronger than anything in Odds. Pass 7B 1B, and break up either Dots pair.

12. Looks like Consec. #1; pass any dots or craks.

13. Pass anything to the right of the joker.

14. Low Consec.; pass 8C 9D N

15. W-D #2 outweighs Odds; pass any suit tiles.

16. Pass anything to the right of the joker.

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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/.