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SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

By Tom Sloper
February 23, 2014
No. 595

American Mah Jongg (2013 NMJL card). Quiz inspired by the 2014 bulletin from the League (continuing from column 591).

11. True or false: When there are 3 players, only 3 walls are built.

12. True or false: When a player has stopped the Charleston, she may not exchange 3 tiles in the courtesy, and should not have stopped the Charleston.

13. How many naturals (non-jokers) must be in hand before a player may take a discard for a kong exposure: 0, 1, 2, or 3?

14. True or false: When a player wins with no jokers (not in Singles & Pairs) and does not say that it's jokerless, she is paid without the jokerless bonus.

15. Yes or no: When a player has two exposures indicating a hand, may another player discard a tile towards her hand?

16. What is the penalty for a bettor who speaks during the game? a) She must pay for everyone. b) She may not play the next hand. c) No penalty. d) Her bet is cancelled.

17. Who pays double when a player calls for exposure, then redeems a joker for mahj? a) The discarder. b) Everybody. c) Nobody. d) It depends.

18. True or false: When picking ahead, the 14th tile belongs to the player as soon as it's picked.

19. Yes or no: Can a player change her mind about redeeming a joker after she has made the exchange?

20. True or false: When misnaming a discard with the named tile in hand, the discarder must take back the discard and discard the named tile.

Answers:
11-false. 12-false. 13-zero. 14-true. 15-yes. 16-d. 17-b. 18-false. Note: this is the first time this writer has ever observed the League to make any ruling about "picking ahead" other than to say simply, "NO PICKING OR LOOKING AHEAD" (rule #1 on the back of the card). 19-no. 20-false.

Click the entries in the header frame, above, to read other columns.

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/.