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SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

By Tom Sloper
September 16, 2012
No. #537

American Mah Jongg (2012 NMJL card). Defense.

1. Consec. #1 - hot tiles are 5C 6C 9C. If 5 or 6 is dead (cannot be paired), her hand is dead.

2. Consec. #2 - hot tiles are 6D, 6C, 8B. If a 6 is dead, her hand is dead.

3. Consec. #2 or #3 - hot tiles are 6B 9C 6D, 7D. Sixes are key; if a 6 is dead, her only option is #3.

4. Odds #2 - the hot tiles are 5C and 9B.

5. Odds #1 - the hot tiles are 1D 3D 5D. If 1 or 3 is dead, her hand is dead.

6. Concealed hand (Consec. #6); call her dead.

7. Quints #3 - dragons are hot; look for clues.

8. Quints #3 - flowers are hot.

9. Evens #2 - hot tiles are 8 B 2C 4C. If 2 or 4 is dead, her hand is dead.

10. Evens #5 - hot tiles are twos and fours in the other two suits.

11. This is one of those classic problems. She might be making Odds #2 or Consec. #3, and it's hard to tell which. Hot tiles are 5C 7B 6C 8B.

12. Consec. #3 or #4 - hot tiles are 5B 5C 6B 6C, F, soap. Soap is the key tile here. If he can't pair it, he can only do the other hand.

13. Elevens, Like Nos., or Consec. #4. Hot tiles are 6B 8B G, and 7s, 4s, and 1s in all suits. Very tough to defend; G, 7s, and 1s can provide clues.

14. Odds #2 - hot tiles are 5B 5D 7B 7D.

15. Quints #1 - 5D is hot.

16. Quints #3 - flowers are hot.

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Question or comment about this column? I often, um... intentionally... "miss" something; maybe you'll be the first one to spot it! Email and the discussion will be posted on the Mah-Jongg Q&A Bulletin Board.

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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/.