SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

American Mah Jongg (2014 NMJL card). As I mentioned last week, a thing that jumped out at me from a quick glance at the new card was an inconsistency in structure (a deviation from a tradition of consistent structures). What I mean by "structure" is the pattern of group sizes that make up a hand, without regard to the numbers or designs on the tile faces. Consider Consec. #1. It traditionally alternates between a 2-3-4-3-2 structure and a 2-2-3-3-4 structure:

This year is no exception. Consec. #1 is the alternate structure this year (2-2-3-3-4). But then consider Consec. #2. This hand traditionally alternates between a 3-4-3-4 structure and a 3-3-4-4 structure:

This year, Consec. #2 retains the same structure it had last year. But an even bigger difference is that this structure (departing from tradition) is not consistently echoed across other sections of the card. Normally, when Consec #2 is a 3-4-3-4 structure, that structure is also found in 2468 and 13579 and 369. This year, though, there's a 3-3-4-4 hand in 2468 and 369, so that the 3-4-3-4 structure is used in only Consec. and 13579. There are both 3-4-3-4 and 3-3-4-4 structures on this card, and this has a profound impact on defensive strategy.

When Consec. #2 is 3-4-3-4, and there is also a 3-4-3-4 hand in 2468 and 13579, there is opportunity for misleading two-set exposures, making for a distinct advantage for the exposed player. This year, an opponent can mistake an Odds #2 hand for a Consec. #2 hand, but an Evens #4 hand can never be misread as a Consec. #2 hand, since their structures are dissimilar.

This two-pung exposure can be read two ways:

But this one cannot:

This one, however, can still mislead, despite the structural inconsistency:

This subtle change in the card may have a profound effect on a player's ability to decipher an opponent's exposures. And it may also cause mixups and erroneous exposures for players trying to switch hands. We'll have to play it and see!

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.

If you appreciate the free information on this site, your donation would be gratefully accepted,
and would help keep this site running as a free service. Thank you!
    DONATE!    

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/.

---

© 2014 Tom Sloper. All rights reserved.