SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

American Mah Jongg (2022 NMJL card).

1. With three jokers you can consider quints. Beyond quints, you can go for a regular hand, but the danger is the pairs. With a pair of ones, it's okay to go for a hand that uses that pair, but there's no hand that uses a pair of ones and no other pairs. So tread carefully. Sixes are the least likely number to go with those ones, so pass 6C N W.

2. Pairs of sixes and reds. A hand that goes with both pairs would be in Evens, Like Nos., Consec, or 369. Got nines but not threes. Got a four but no other evens, and got no other sixes. So, forget Evens and Like Nos. Pass soap, 4C, E. But let's see if there's another way. Focusing on a practically friendless pair of sixes is one way to go. But that got us vaguely to a couple of families. It would be better if we could zero in on a hand. Right off the bat, we see 579 and then another 9 and another 9, seeming to want us to go for high odd numbers. But only one 579 hand can use dragons, and it's a one-suit hand. Well, it was worth a try. Pass soap, 4C, E.

3. Pairs of ones, sevens and reds. The pair that goes with each of the other two is reds. The ones and sevens are too far apart. And there are a lot of low numbers, so breaking up the sevens seems reasonable. Then when it comes down to it, is that pair of reds all that great? The pair of ones is very good friends with all those other low numbers. Pass 7D R S.

4. Don't stop. The fours are strong with this one; trust in the fours. Pass 1B 2B 7D.

5. If I had reds, I could go for Consec #4, get rid of craks. But I don't, so Any Like #1 is a better target. 5B can go (save 5D and 3C for joker bait).

6. If you want to go for the bottom Consec hand, the flowers can go. Better to go early. If you want to go for Any Like #1, any non-sixes can go. There are other possibilities too, but the more options, the longer your brain keeps churning, slowing you down and making you miss early chances. 10 tiles for Consec #8, 8 tiles for Any Like #1. Consec #8 is much closer. Once that's decided, decisions become easy. Especially since it's a concealed hand; when you see a desirable tile go out before you're ready, you just add it to the count since you don't have to consider calling.

7. Go for Odds #5 in low dots. Pung the 3D, and discard 7D; it's your safest discard other than jokers. You can sweep the floor for 6C while the others play the turn, decide if it's safe to throw next time. It's a good idea to know before your next turn what you're going to discard.

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Where to order the yearly NMJL card: Read FAQ 7i. But you're missing a bet if you don't order your NMJL card directly from the National Mah Jongg League!

Need rules for American mah-jongg? Tom Sloper's book, The Red Dragon & The West Wind, is the most comprehensive book about the American game, a good supplement to the League's official rulebook. AND see FAQ 19 for fine points of the American rules (and commonly misunderstood rules). AND every player should have a copy of Mah Jongg Made Easy, the official rulebook of the National Mah Jongg League (see FAQ 3 for info on mah-jongg books).

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