WEEKLY MAH JONGG

American Mah Jongg (2010 NMJL card). Continuing defense by the numbers. Two exposures, one of them a pung of ones. What is she doing, and what are the hot tiles you should beware of throwing?

1. Consec. #2 or 13579 #2. Without any other clues, the hot tiles are 2C 4D 3C 5D.

2, 3. No such hand; call her dead.

4. 13579 #2 or Quints #4. The hot tiles are 5B G 3C 5C 3D 5D.

5, 6, 7, 8, 9. No such hand; call her dead.

10. Consec. #2. 2D and 3B are hot.

11, 12. No such hand; call her dead.

13, 14. 13579 #7 is a concealed hand; call her dead.

15. No such hand; call her dead.

16. 13579 #2. The hot tiles are 3D and 3C.

17. Quints #4. The hot tiles are 3B and G.

18. No such hand. Call her dead!

19. Let's make this simple: there are no hands on this card that use ones and sixes, outside of S&P.

20, 21, 22. None of these are valid, either. She's dead.

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Question or comment about this column? Email and the discussion will be posted on the Mah-Jongg Q&A Bulletin Board.

Where to order the yearly NMJL card: Read FAQ 7i.

Need rules for American mah-jongg? Tom Sloper's book, The Red Dragon & The West Wind, is the most comprehensive book in existence about the American game. AND see FAQ 19 for fine points of the American rules (and commonly misunderstood rules). AND get the official rulebook from the NMJL (see FAQ 3). Linda Fisher's website is the only website that describes American rules: http://sites.google.com/site/mahjrules/.

© 2010 Tom Sloper. All rights reserved.