SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

American Mah Jongg (2012 NMJL card). An opponent is showing two exposures; what's your defense?

1. Consec. #1. The hot tiles are 1D 2D 3D. Check 1D and 2D for life signs (if either one is dead, she's dead).

2. Like Numbers. 4D and F are hot. 4D is key (see what I said about 1D, 2D in problem 1 above).

3. Consec. #5. 3B, 6B, and F are hot. F is key.

4. Consec. #3 or #4. Hot: twos and threes in craks and bams, soap, and F. Soap is a key indicator.

5. 2468 #1; 8B is key (check it for life signs).

6. Sevens #2, of course; 1D is key, and F is hot, too.

7. Sevens #2, of course; 1D is key, and F is hot, too.

8. Consec. #5. 5B is hot, and so is F. F is key.

9. Quints #4. 3B is hot.

10. Quints #2. The hot tiles are 2B 3B 4B 5B and 6B. If 2B, 3B, 5B, or 6B is dead, you can narrow your thinking. If 3B and 5B are both dead, so's her hand. If the key tile 4B is dead, so's her hand.

11. Quints #4. 5B is hot.

12. Quints #3. F is hot.

13. Quints #3. All dragons are hot.

14. Consec. #3. The hot tiles are sevens and eights in the other two suits.

15. Consec. #2. The hot tiles are 4D 4C 6B.

16. Odds #1 or #2. 1C and 3C are key indicators.

17. Odds #1. If either 1C or 3C is dead, so's her hand.

A tip o' the hat to sharp-eyed reader Mary E.!

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© 2012 Tom Sloper. All rights reserved.