SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

By Tom Sloper
June 15, 2014
Column #609

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American Mah Jongg (2014 NMJL card). How would you defend against these exposures?

1. 2014 #4. She needs F and 2014 in bams, all key tiles. "Key" is explained in column 607.

2. Evens #5. Hot tiles are 8C G.

3. Like Nos. or Consec. #5. Hot tiles are 3C 3D 2B 4B G. G is key. If 3C and 3D are both dead, so is she.

4. Quints #2; 2C is hot.

5. Odds #3. She needs 7C and F; 7C is key.

6. Like Nos. or Consec. #4 or 369 #3. So many hot tiles: F 3C 4C 5C 6C 9C; every crak is a key tile.

7. Like Nos. or any Addition hand or Consec. #5. Even more hot tiles than the previous puzzle! For starters, 7C 7B 6D 8D soap, and then add all ones, twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes. Sevens, lows, and soap are all key (for what that's worth).

8. Consec. #6. Hot tiles are 6C 6D 7D (dots are key).

9. Odds #6. She needs 1D and F; F is a minor key.

10. W-D #1. E and S are hot; S is key.

11. Consec. #2 or Odds #2. Hot tiles are 1C 2C 3D 4D.

12. 2014 #2. She needs soap and 4B.

13. Consec. #3. All fives are hot (and key).

14. 2014 #3 or W-D #6. R and G are hot, as well as all twos, ones, and fours. If any dragon, two, one, or four goes dead, she still has other ways she can win.

15. Addition #1; hot tiles are F 1D. 1D is key.

16. W-D #6; the hot tiles are soap and G.

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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/.