SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

By Tom Sloper
August 13, 2017
No. 686

American Mah Jongg (NMJL rules). Continuing: Is it a rule, a strategy, or etiquette? Is it an official rule, a table rule, a tournament rule, or an optional rule?

1. You're dead if others can tell that you cannot complete your hand.
    a. Official rule
    b. Tournament rule
    c. Table rule

2. Never call someone else dead.
    a. Official rule
    b. Tournament rule
    c. Table rule

3. Never call yourself dead.
    a. Rule
    b. Strategy
    c. Etiquette

4. Say "same" when discarding same tile as the previous player.
    a. Rule
    b. Strategy
    c. Etiquette

5. Never pass a pair in the Charleston.
    a. Rule
    b. Strategy
    c. Etiquette

6. Atomic (making a hand from seven random pairs).
    a. Official rule
    b. Tournament rule
    c. Table rule

7. Dealer (East) wins instantly if she has a complete hand before the Charleston.
    a. Official rule
    b. Tournament rule
    c. Table rule

8. Each player takes her own tiles during the deal.
    a. Official rule
    b. Tournament rule
    c. Table rule

9. Don't give information about your hand (i.e. whether or not you have jokers, how close you are to mah-jongg, etc.).
    a. Rule
    b. Strategy
    c. Etiquette

10. Do not pick a tile until after the player at your left has completed her turn.
    a. Official rule
    b. Tournament rule
    c. Table rule

11. Use a dummy fourth hand for the Charleston when playing with just three players.
    a. Official rule
    b. Tournament rule
    c. Table rule

12. Reserve an unwanted pair for joker bait.
    a. Rule
    b. Strategy
    c. Etiquette

Answers below. Don't look until you've written down all your own answers...

Answers:
1: a. 2: c. 3: a. 4: b. 5: b. 6: c. 7: a. 8: a. 9: b. 10: a. 11: c. 12: b.

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