PC users: please click here if you do not see a Nav Frame at left and Header Frame above.
 Mobile users: touch here to display only this frame.

SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

By Tom Sloper (トム·•スローパー)
2017年 10月 22日
Column #690

My apologies that no column has appeared in this space for the past month. But I have been active in the mah-jongg world, and very busy at my day job (teaching at university). I want to tell you about two events at which I was honored recently, even though I proved myself to be human on both occasions!

The 2017 WRC (http://wrc2017vegas.com/) was the second world competition for players of Japanese riichi/dora majan (the first having occurred in Paris, France, three years ago). I was not able to travel to Paris, due to work and financial considerations, but Las Vegas is very near Los Angeles. Although I couldn't attend the whole event and compete, I was able to go on the weekend to observe. I was delighted to find several people I knew from past mah-jongg competitions in China and Europe and the L.A. area. During a play session break, I was honored by an announcement recognizing the influence my website had made on the riichi/dora community.

I intend to say more and share my photos, but I will have to find the time. But for now I do want to say special thanks to David Bresnick and Gemma Collinge Sakamoto, and to shout out to Benjamin Boas and Jenn Barr. I was delighted to finally meet Scott D. Miller and Garthe Nelson, and to reunite with Tina Christensen, Henrik Leth, Morten Andersen, Wenlong Li, Ryan Gan, and Kira Nebilak. And I met Nicole Haasbroek from MahjongNews.

Last Thursday (the 19th) I journeyed to Irvine, California, to deliver a talk on American mah-jongg to a welcoming and appreciative audience of 156 ladies. They seemed to enjoy my talk on the true history of mah-jongg and the development of American mah-jongg, with some strategy tips, followed by a fun Q&A session. The presentation slides are available at http://sloperama.com/downlode/mahjongg/MerageJCC171018b.pptx. Afterwards I had a book signing, and then wandered through the game rooms as the ladies played. I had a big surprise when I looked up from signing to see Peggy Marsh, with whom I played American mah-jongg for several years. It's always the people who make mah-jongg events like these so special.

At the outset of this column, I said I'd "proved myself to be human" at both events. It's time to fess up; I make mistakes sometimes.

At the WRC, I sat and played a few games. On one occasion, I won a cheap pinfu hand. I couldn't say how much it was worth, and I erred in placing the taken discard in the pair rather than on the end of a chow. I was so rusty, I'd forgotten that a prerequisite of pinfu is that the wait must be a two-way (not a single). Embarrassing!

At Merage, as I wandered the tables, I got confused as to whether players are supposed to take turns clockwise or counterclockwise! Can you imagine, "Mr. Mah-jongg" forgets such a basic fact. I've gotten rusty. So I'm human. Still, I shall long cherish the memory of both events.

麻雀

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

Question or comment about this column? 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!    

See Tom Sloper's interview at sinovision.net:
http://video.sinovision.net/?id=24552&cid=122
http://video.sinovision.net/?id=24550&cid=122

Links about Japanese-style mah-jongg: