SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

American Mah Jongg (2022 NMJL card). Charleston. What would you pass?

1. Step 1, identify pairs. Three of them! Twos, sevens, and souths. Step 2, which two pairs go together and have the most friends? Twos and sevens don't go together, that's for sure. And actually, the souths suggest W-D #4, which could use either twos or sevens. But you're going to need more support (more winds, and either twos or sevens in another suit). Consider 2468 #3 (five tiles). The tiles most likely to not be needed: 1B 4B 5B.

2. Pung of easts, pair of souths. And sevens, but the winds are strong. Pass 2C 9C 4B.

3. Pair of eights. The pair of jokers tells me not to go for S&P. What's friends with the eights... not 3D, not 5C. I can imagine uses for the dragons... 5C 6C suggests Consec #5, which doesn't want 9D. Pass 3D 9D 5C.

4. Pair of ones. There's a majority of low numbers, and exactly three high numbers that can be passed. The pass would include opposite-suit sixes, but this isn't the time for being overly defensive.

5. Pair of sixes. Consecutively speaking, there are lots of near numerical neighbors. But you can also consider evens, and threes and nines. For starters, the winds can go, and 1C.

6. Wow, three jokers! Calmly now, don't give away clues through exhalations/inhalations, expression, or body language. No other pairs are present, and that's the main thing that can thwart your evil plan. Go for a hand without pairs, like 2468 #3. If a 2C comes in during the passing, you could go for Quints #2. Keep the craks, choose whichever three tiles (aside from the craks) you would like to pass.

7. Pung of threes. Pass 8D, 7B, W. 369, obviously.

8. Four pairs: sevens, twos, nines, ones. There is more support here for highs than for lows. Think Any Like Numbers and Consec. Break up the ones and twos (no joker bait). So as not to pass a pair, you could pass flower or 6D.

9. Pair of flowers, pair of nines. Keep high numbers. 1D, 2D, and 5B can go.

COMMENTS Email . Hit me with your best shot!

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Column 770

On Sunday, August 7, 2022 at 11:02:08 AM EDT, lindaz wrote:
col. 770
Hi Tom,
In strategy column 770, #8--there are 8 tiles for S&P #2. I would pass any even tiles.
I enjoy your strategy columns!
Thanks, Linda

Hi, Linda!
I did overlook that hand. Let's see:



For S&P #2, we need pairs of all odd numbers in one suit, then pairs of any like odd number in the other two suits. If suit 1 is dots, we have our pair of sevens and a single nine. We need pairs of ones, threes, and fives, plus a nine. Our other pairs then could be nines - we have it in craks, we have a single in bams.
If suit 1 is bams, we have a pair of ones and a single nine, and for the other two suits, same thing as the "suit 1 is dots" situation: we have a pair of nines and a single nine.
For each possibility, we have six tiles. Six tiles, two ways. A lot of luck will be needed. I'm not crazy about this, but I agree that passing evens works.
Play safe out there. And may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Author of the Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and the Mah-Jongg FAQs
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Sunday, August 7, 2022, 11:45 am
Rochester, New York, USA

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