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WEEKLY MAH JONGG

By Tom Sloper
October 3, 2010
Column #469

American Mah Jongg (2010 NMJL card). Continuing defense by the numbers. An opponent has two exposures up, a kong of twos and... something else. What do you do?

1. Could be 2010 #1, Like Nos. #1, or Consec. #4. Hot tiles are 0, 1B, 2C, 2D, 3B, G.

2. She must have misread the card; there's no such hand. Call her dead.

3. Could be Like Nos. #2 or Consec. #3. Hot tiles are 2B, 2C, R, 3B, 4D. See if 2C or R are dead on the discard floor. If they are, she's doing Consec.

4. Could be 2010 #1 or 2468 #3. But if she's doing 2010 #1, she's dead (she can't make the "10" since her zeros kong is jokerless). Watch her face and body language for signs of frustration. If she's placid, then it's 2468 #3 or she's got a good poker face. Hot tiles are 8C F. If the zeros kong had a joker, 1B would also be hot.

5. We're talking 2468 #3 here. Hot: 8C F.

6. She should be called dead. No hand on the card permits an exposed wind pung. To put it another way, the only wind pung hands on the card are concealed.

7. The card has no hand with kongs of winds and numbers, period. Dead.

8. Quints #2 requires the numbered set to be a quint. Dead.

9. Hopefully she's not one of those overly sensitive newbies who gets mad when called dead. Because that's what you should do.

10. She's confused. And dead.

11. Call her dead, but don't call her confused (or late for supper).

12. Now we're talking. We're talking dead. No hand like this on this year's card.

13. Quints #3. Flowers are hot.

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Question or comment about this column? I often miss something; maybe you'll be the first one to spot it! Please be gentle. 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/.