SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

American Mah Jongg (2023 NMJL rules). Continuing last week's observations and commentary on the new 2023 edition of Mah Jongg Made Easy,the official rules of the National Mah Jongg League. "MJME2023," for short.

12. Nice clarification in all caps in 1st paragraph on page 12: clear statement that the colors on the card do not dictate suit. Now that's not only on the card itself.
13. A nice addition is the commonly used names for the various passes, bottom page 12. For example: "1st pass (First Right)," so a new player will be more comfortable saying the common names of the passes.
14. On page 14, bullet 8: A new fine point rule, not covered in the 2020 edition: If any player has incorrect tile count at end of the Charleston before East has discarded, all players should throw in their tiles. I will add this to FAQ 19-DB, and the RD&WW errata.
15. I noticed in reading this edition that the term "dealer" is never used. I will try to change my ways, and use the term "East" instead, for the good reason that it can mislead players into thinking East is supposed to actually distribute the tiles.
16. On page 14, bullet 9: If somebody other than East picks and discards the first tile, players are to throw it all in. This is a change. Previously, this error ("incorrectly assuming position of East") did not (it was rule 8 on page 19 of MJME2020); the game was to continue, and the East order repaired. I'll add this change to FAQ 19 and the RD&WW errata.
17. New: It is now officially permissible to say "hold" or "wait." Page 15, top. But don't stop reading there! See page 33 (the glossary), where a codicil is added to this rule. A player's call to "hold" or "wait" is overriden if next in line wishes to call the discard. What I wish is that there was a rule about how long a player can keep everyone waiting. But I suppose tables can just impose their own time limit by mutual consent. Erm, I mean by majority vote (host can break a tie).
18. Page 17, top (rule 4, which used to be rule 7). A tile is "down" when it touches OR is fully named again, fixing an error in my copy of the 2020 edition. (My copy of MJME2020, p.19, said "Once a tile is fully named and discarded...." That was the rule in 1984, but it was changed in 2013.)
19. This one made me take notice because on January 3, someone on the bulletin board asked me about another win/call conflict, before I got my copy of the new rulebook. The new MJME2023 rule is p.17, rule 8(c): A player shall not be permitted to call a tile for an exposure or mahj ... if another player has declared mahj. Jim M. wrote me that after a discard, two things happened simultaneously. Next in turn, Player A, picks from the wall and sees his mah-jongg tile, and another player, Player B, speaks a claim for the discard. Next in turn has not spoken a mahj declaration before the caller spoke a claim. What I told Jim was, "...then Player A should have kept his mouth shut. Player B declared a claim for the current live discard, which means Player A can't take his turn. He has to put the tile back on the wall. Secrecy as to what he saw (NOT claiming mahj) could result in him getting that tile anyway if the next picker discards it." It's a different situation from rule 8(c). For Jim M.'s situation (in the absence of a printed rule saying as much), I told Jim that a player isn't permitted to take a wall tile if another player has called for the live discard.

(To be continued.)

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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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