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By Tom Sloper
April 12, 2015 Column #634 |
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*A reader on the Q&A Bulletin Board suggested an alternate solution to one of the problems in this column. Always read these columns with a keen eye, and maybe you can get a tip o' the Sloper hat!
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By Tom Sloper
April 12, 2015 Column #634 |
American Mah Jongg (2015 NMJL card). Charleston. It can't always be about the Charleston, but it's the part of the game most folks struggle with. I promise to get to defense with the new card soon. In working these, use the four steps from column 630.
1. Two friendly pairs: 5D 7D, with many high friends. W and 4C will go, but you need a third tile to pass. You must decide between Consec. and Odds, so count odds vs. evens (hint: odds win). See the bottom Odds hand, and pass an even, say 6B.
2. One pair: eights. It has a lot of even friends, so zoom in on Evens, and pick a hand by counting. You have six tiles (not counting jokers) for hand #1 and #6, five for #s 2, 3, and 5. Evens #4 is no good. I shouldn't tell you, but I immediately saw #1 and #6 for this (I counted them all just for you). Dots and bams are out in the cold; choose three to pass.
3. Fives and nines and flowers fairly scream Odds #5 (and Odds #1, of course). Expendable: 8C 7D 7B N. If you want to hang onto 8C for a possible Consec. #1, that's understandable.
4. Eights in two suits, and a pair of twos. Like Nos. or Evens (not enough friends to point to a hand, though). Dump odds and S.
5. Flowers and ones and nines suggest Odds #3, but there's no soap. Odds family, don't you agree? Passing 4D 9D 7C leaves one Like Nos. option open.
6. Flowers, eights, and ones. They are not all mutually friendly. So, which two pairs have the most friends? Flowers and eights point to Like Numbers. Flowers and ones, though, look rather friendless. Pass low numbers (don't pass all threes at once). No matter what you pass, it's too "pretty" a pass, but offense outweighs defense during this phase of the game.
7. Those flowers cannot be ignored. What's friends with them? Pair of threes, and many low numbers. See Consec. #2 (although that wastes a flower), and Odds #5. You can safely pass 7D 2C 3B.*
8. If you go 2015 #1, you already have eight tiles. That's a bit better than the seven tiles you have for W-D #2 and W-D #5, but all are good options. You can pass R G 6D and wait to see what other tiles come your way.
*Column #634
>From: Fran S
>Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 7:37 PM
>Subject: Comment for Weekly Column #634
>Tom,
>Love your website! For WWYP #7, what about like numbers due to all those 3's with the 3 flowers? There's 7 tiles at the get-go for that hand.
>Francine S
Very good, Fran. But you haven't finished your analysis. One of the two hands I'd mentioned uses only 6 of the tiles. Which one, and what 3 tiles would you pass? I'll append this to the column.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
トム·スローパー
湯姆 斯洛珀
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
April 16, 2015
Column #634, part 2
>From: Fran S
>Sent: Friday, April 17, 2015 5:10 AM
>Subject: Response Comment for Weekly Column #634
>Thanks for posting my comment, Tom! To complete my analysis: I would pass the 5D, 7D, and 2B and hold onto the 1s and 2s for consecutive hands with flowers in case more 3s don't come my way.
>Fran S.
Good morning, Fran.
So you would say goodbye to Odds #5 (7 tiles) in favor of Consec. #2 (6 tiles). Okay. To each her own. I would keep Odds #5, and I like your Like Numbers option. That would leave me four tiles I could pass from: 7D 1C 2C 2B.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
トム·スローパー
湯姆 斯洛珀
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
April 17, 2015
Column 634, part 3
>From: "craw311
>Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2015 7:35 AM
>Subject: #634
>Hi,
>Just wondering if Fran's counting of 7 tiles toward like numbers is correct for the 2015 card shich now has only two flowers not 4 as on the 2014 card, so I count only 6 tiles for like numbers????
>Joyce
You are right, Joyce. There are 6 tiles for Like Nos., and 6 tiles for Consec. #2 (and for both of those you are not making use of one of the flowers), and 7 tiles for Odds #5 (making full use of all flowers and most dots).
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
トム·スローパー
湯姆 斯洛珀
Creator of
the weekly Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs -- donations appreciated.
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, California, USA
April 23, 2015
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