wrote at rec.games.mahjong:
>>> What I am looking for is
>>> a computer game that would let me be one of 4 players, and have the
>>> computer fill in for the remaining 4. I want to play standard Mahjong
>>> (Chinese, not American). Can anyone recommend a program, and possibly
>>> give me some tips on how to begin?
>>
>> Yes. Someone can.
>> Begin with the newsgroup's FAQs. FAQ 5 lists computer programs, and breaks
>> them down by type (vs. people or vs. AI), and OS.
>> As is clearly stated in the FAQs, you can find FAQ 5 at
>> http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq/mjfaq05.htm
>> Tom Sloper - Game Production & Design Consultancy
>> - Sloperama Productions. Services for game developers and publishers;
>> "Making Games Fun, And Getting Them Done."
>> http://www.sloperama.com/business.html
>> - Helpful information and answers for game industry hopefuls.
>> http://www.sloperama.com/advice.html.
>> - Information and bulletin boards about the game of mah-jongg.
>> http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq.html
>> Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind" - the definitive book on
>> mah-jongg East & West
Thank You
>From: Theresa H
>Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 8:19 AM
>Subject: Thank You
>Dear Mr. Sloper,
>Thank you for freely sharing your vast wealth of information on the game of Mah Jongg through your website. I have utilized it time and again as I continue to, apparently, just scratch the surface of this fascinating game.
>Maintaining and updating a website is a persistent job and, from what I can tell, just one aspect of your many talents.
>Thank you for being a resource for all who have an interest in the game, its history and the lovely objects created for its play.
>Regards,
>Terri H
You're very kind, Terri. Happy Year of the Ox to you, and of course...
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 25, 2009
Who pays double? (FAQ #19AN)
>From: Jessica D
>Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 1:11 PM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is:
>If you take a joker from someone and make mah jong does everyone owe you double the amount?
>Melissa
Read FAQ 19AN.
http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq/mjfaq19.htm
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 23, 2009
Oops, I made a mistake - what now? (Part 2)
[Oops, I posted the wrong answer before, to Weezie's 2nd question earlier this morning (scroll down to see). I misstated her question, so gave her the wrong answer. Here's the question she actually asked (reworded, paraphrased, for clarity), and the right answer.]
I've misnamed a tile I didn't mean to throw (I threw something I didn't mean to throw, and I said the name of a different tile). It's on the discard floor and I've taken my hand off it -- can I take it back?
Read Frequently Asked Question #19AY. To gain deeper understanding of the answer, also read FAQs 19A & 19B.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 23, 2009
And how much is mine worth?
>From: ernie
>Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 7:02:34 AM
>Subject: Vintage Mah Jong Appraisal (Q&A Bulletin Board)
>Your evaluation of this set would be very much appreciated.
>This set consists of genuine hand painted Catalin tiles. (Royal Depth
>Control, A & L Mfg. Co., Inc., N.Y.)
>It was purchased about 1960 and is in very good condition.
>The leather-like case has a key, 2 wooden trays and 5 Bakelite racks.
>There are 165 Butterscotch Colored Tiles (1 1/4" x 7/8” x 7/16”)
>36 Bams (1-9)
>36 Craks(1-9)
>36 Dots (1-9)
>12 Dragons
>16 Winds
>20 Flowers (1-4)
>3 Extra Flowers (1)
>1 Extra Flower (4)
>4 Jokers
>1 Blank
Ernie,
The fact that your tile has only 4 manufactured jokers reduces its value for a player who wants to use the set to play modern American mah-jongg (which requires 8 jokers now). But since the set contains lots of extra flowers, it'd be easy to find 4 flowers to sticker. You can sticker it yourself before selling it, or let the buyer assume that responsibility. More on that in a second.
About the value - it's all about condition. Since you didn't give me all the information I asked for in FAQ 7h, and since you didn't capitalize "very good" (you didn't say "Very Good"), I have to assume you didn't see what "Very Good" condition actually means. So I don't know the condition of your set. The set is missing dice and chips, so it isn't complete. And it's missing a key (those cases always came with two, I believe).
This is one of the more popular types of sets, even when it is from before the jokers/flowers stabilized at 8/8. So the set (with the noted flaws) could be worth a couple hundred dollars, maybe, give or take a couple Andrew Jacksons (depending on economy fluctuations, how good a sales pitch you write, what other sets are selling on eBay at the time, etc.).
If you were to sticker the jokers yourself, especially if you scanned your manufactured jokers to make a complete set of consistent-looking jokers, and then sell the set on eBay, you might run afoul of "Ms. X," the lady who thinks she's the only person in the United States (maybe even the world) who's allowed to do that. Read FAQ 7T (above left) and column 386 (purple banner above). Join the eBay Mah Jongg group, too - join the group of "hoodlums" who have been doing battle with Ms. X.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 23, 2009
What's It Worth?
>From: Laurie and Grace W
>Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 5:11:18 AM
>Subject: What's it Worth Valuation
>Hi Tom,
>Wonderful website, would appreciate if you will answer my queries on this set that I acquired.
>I have a 1923 #122 Mah-Jongg Midget Set according to Mah Jong Museum's website.
>Contents - 144 tiles, includes 4 blanks and 8 flowers 1/8" thick cardboard
> 4 tiny bone dice, the 1 is an indented circle and the 4 is red and they are really tiny
> 2 racks, 16" long, unpainted wood
> Babcock red book of rules, 9th printing June 1923
>Condition - tiles are like new, clean, the Redbook is excellent except it has a red pencil scribble on page 5
>you can still see the writing thru it, the racks are a light wood that has darkened with age.
>Tile dimensions - 7/8" x 1-1/4" x 1/8" thick
>Tiles how many - Basic 136 tile set is complete plus 8 flowers
>Container - decorated cardboard box with lift off cover, a little worse for wear with corner tears, smudges, paint loss from stickers.
>Included is two cardboard wheels marked with numbers 1 to 12, one has a hole in centre. Not sure what to call this or if it is part of the original set.
>My first questions would be am I missing anything? the MahJong Museum #122 states a Spinner with Peg that I don't appear to have and states dice but no quantity, and 4 racks. The box only mentions with racks and Babcock rule book.
>Second question would be how much is it worth?
>Third question would be are they hard to come by? I have not been looking long but this set hasn't showed up on eBay.
>Pictures are attached, hope they are in the right file type and size.
>Thanks, Grace
Hi Grace, you asked:
am I missing anything?
I am not an expert on the exact contents of every type of set ever manufactured. Jim May and CHarli are the ones who are the experts on that sort of thing.
MahJong Museum #122 states a Spinner with Peg that I don't appear to have
So I guess you're missing pegs, because your photo shows that you have two spinner discs in your set. And your description confirms this.
and states dice but no quantity
You have four of them. I doubt that set came with five or more dice from the manufacturer.
4 racks.
You said you only have 2? Then you're missing 2.
how much is it worth?
I don't remember how much I paid for mine, but it was probably less than $60. With your set missing 2 racks, missing spinner pegs, and having a flawed booklet, probably less than $50.
are they hard to come by? I have not been looking long but this set hasn't showed up on eBay.
Since I have one of these too, I'd say it isn't "rare," but that doesn't mean it would be easy to go out and find one. Watching on eBay for a couple months without seeing one is not an indicator of rarity. I'm not quite sure how to gauge difficulty of acquisition for you.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 23, 2009
Oops, I made a mistake - what now?
>From: "weeziejen
>Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 6:23:58 AM
>Subject: Discarding a tile
>Is my hand dead if I discard a tile before I draw one? (I'm not east, I just forgot to draw).
>Weeziejd
>From: "weeziejen
>Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 6:27:16 AM
>Subject: misnaming a tile
>if I discard a tile (even a joker) miscall it, take my hands off it, then realize I made a mistake, can I take that tile (joker) back by saying "oops, I made a mistake?" (I don't think so, this is a question that came up at our game yesterday).
>Weeziejen
Hi Weezie, you asked two frequently asked questions
Is my hand dead if I discard a tile before I draw one?
This is answered on the back of the card. Please always check the back of your card before emailing me a question.
[Paraphrased] Can I change my mind about a discard and take it back?
You need to bookmark FAQ 19. When you encounter a question about the rules of American mah jongg, always look on the back of the card first. Then, always look in the FAQs before emailing me a question. Not just FAQ 19, but also FAQs 8, 9, 13a, 14, and 16. In this instance, you have asked Frequently Asked Question #19B.
[Note: Oops, I made a mistake too. I mis-paraphrased Weezie's 2nd question, so gave her an incomplete answer - correction was posted later the same day. Scroll up to see Part 2 of this thread.]
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 23, 2009
I can't find the info about how "future" rules are supposed to work
>From: Mahala
>Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 8:41:20 PM
>Subject: Re. Future on wall
>Some of my friends play with a future on the wall.After the Charlston each takes a tile and puts it on the wall.I don't see any rules about this and how to exchange.tiles when a player calls a tile to expose a pung kong etc.
> thank you
Aloha Mahala,
That's because your friends haven't written their rules down for you.
Read Frequently Asked Questions #s 19R & 14. Please scroll up and find the links to the FAQs, above left. Click FAQ 19. Bookmark the page for your future reference. Scroll down and find the answer to this question. If the wording of the answer is unclear, please let me know what information is missing, so that I can improve the wording of the answer for future askers of this question. Mahalo!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 21, 2009
How do we deal with a suspected cheater, part 3
>From: Joan
>Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 11:27:05 AM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is:
>Tom,
>Thanks so much for the additional follow up to my question on cheating- I will alert the other players to watch her wall! I also read the link re: catching the guy who was cheating at the tournament- interesting- the only similar thing I remember hearing about is to hide the joker tiles under your rack then retrieve when you push out the rack... seems too obvious to me, but I guess if the other players get very chatty at the table, or if they are very serious and never look up, it could be done...
>Your site is wonderful- your columns, questions and answers, everything is super! You have helped me so often. When I needed info, I just go right to Tom, and start browsing. I always find the help needed. Thanks so much,
>Joan
>PS: Will let you know if we catch that witch in the act!
Cool, Joan.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 21, 2009
How do we deal with a suspected cheater, part 2
>From: Joan
>Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 11:44 PM
>Subject: Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>Hi Tom,
>Wow! That was quick! You really do respond within a few hours!
>As per your suggestion, I read the FAQ 19AP, and the answer is yes, we do roll the dice every time.
>Joan
Hi Joan,
Sometimes I respond even quicker. (^_^)
OK, so if you roll dice when dealing, then you have to do a few things. I wouldn't say anything to her, but try these:
When shuffling the tiles, make sure to include all the tiles near her in the shuffle. Sweep your hands through the tiles at her side of the table, move all the tiles away from her. Do that early in the shuffle, and again just prior to her beginning wall-building (especially before she starts building either of the ends of her wall).
Count the stacks in her wall. There should be 19 stacks in front of her (assuming your table doesn't use a "tail"). Don't let her see you counting them - count them with your eyes only. Count the stacks when the initial wall is built, and later on when the wall is full and lined up behind her rack.
One trick is to know how long the wall should be when lined up along a rack. Most racks are not long enough for 19 stacks. Gauge the length of her wall by checking both ends of her wall. The left end of her wall (her left, not necessarily yours) should butt up against the rack end-plate (which most racks have), and make sure that the right end of her full wall stops at the same place a full wall ends on everyone else's rack.
Step 1 above might reduce the number of jokers she gets all by itself. If she says something or gives you funny looks, just say "I want to make sure we shuffle the tiles really well this time!" It's a reasonable desire that she can't argue against. I wouldn't say "you get so many jokers you must be cheating, you witch," but if she says "I get the feeling you think I might be cheating," then that opens the door for you to say "you're so lucky with jokers, I want some of that luck too!" And of course you say that with a friendly conspiratorial smile. (You only suspect she might be cheating -- you don't have proof.)
Step 2 can be a bit tricky. You have to count with your eyes, and not just once. And if you ever thought you counted too few stacks, you have to be positive before reaching any conclusions. But if you're sure you've identified a pattern of her having too few stacks in her wall, you can talk to the other players between games, and ask them to count her stacks too. Do this without alerting her that counting is going on and that she is suspected of cheating. (You only suspect she might be cheating -- you don't have corroborated proof.)
If you ever found a pattern of too few stacks in her wall, or anything else that indicates a high probability (or positive proof) of cheating, I wouldn't bother making a formal accusation. She'd only deny it. Just boot her out of the group and never play with her again. Read my July 1, 2007 column (column 325). Click the purple banner above or go to http://www.sloperama.com/mahjongg/column325.htm - the story of how a cheater was caught at the Open European Mahjong Championship in Copenhagen should be enlightening.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 21, 2009
How much is it worth, part 2
>From: Rich and Evelyn
>Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 9:20 AM
>Subject: Thanks for your incredibly quick reply post RE: Like many others ... looking to value a mahjongg set
>Thanks for your light speed reply post, Tom.
>Evelyn
You're welcome.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 21, 2009
How do we deal with a suspected cheater?
>From: Joan
>Cc: Helen
>Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 8:36 PM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is:
>Dear Tom
>We suspect a woman in our (American version) club of cheating. No one can figure it out. She (consistently) achieves hands with 3-4-5 jokers, lots of quint hands. We already know that she likes to discard without announcing the discard, or says it very softly, so we are on to that little trick... but how can she possibly stack jokers into her hand? No one is that lucky!! And by the way, we are not playing for money at this club, because the club meets at a senior center funded by the county we live in. Thanks so much for your help...
>Thanks so much,
>Joan
Hi Joan,
So tell me: Do you roll the dice to begin each deal? Read FAQ 19AP. (The FAQs are above left.)
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Obama Inauguration Day, 2009
How much is it worth?
>From: Rich and Evelyn
>Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 11:28 AM
>Subject: Like many others ... looking to value a mahjongg set
>Hello, I’ve been looking online for sources in order to see if an old mahjongg set we have is worth enough that we should add it to our insurance rider (I suspect not). Your web site and Jim May’s museum web site came up as the most knowledgeable. We would be appreciative if you would steer me to someone who can do a rough appraisal. We’d be glad to pay a fee.
>I went through answers to the questionnaire you have on your web page (attached), and then stumbled on the right page at Jim May’s Mah Jong Museum web site. The box and tiles are very similar to his #282 traditional Chinese set (pdf of that web page in our web space). Also took a few photos and posted them in our web space at: http://www.weissguys.net/Mahjongg We can take more useful photos easily.
>We’ve had lots of enjoyment both with our physical sets (we play with a plastic set, maybe too careful of this antique set …) and your Shanghaii games. Thanks for designing the game!
>Cordially,
>Evelyn
>Attached: Weiss_MahjonggDescription_20090120.doc (32.3KB)
Send me the description within the body of the email (not as an attached document).
Send me the photos as attachments to the email (not as a link).
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Obama Inauguration Day, 2009
>From: Rich and Evelyn
>Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 5:53 PM
>Subject: Thanks, here is a re-run RE: Like many others ... looking to value a mahjongg set
>Thanks, Tom. Will do that right now.
>Evelyn
>SET AGE-DETERMINATION CHECKLIST:
>1. Write a factual detailed list of all the contents of your set. Describe all the contents, listing all dice, chips, racks, etc. If you do not know what to call the pieces, see our FAQ 7d.
>Unvarnished wooden box 9.5 inches wide x 4.75 inches high x 6.5 inches deep with a vertical slide in front (see photo for painted kanji) and top brass handle. Front slide is bleached from sitting in the sun in our desert home, so you can see the grain easily. Fairly hard wood with a fine but pronounced grain. Very simple construction is pinned corners and simple edge dovetails, zero nails other than two brads holding on the top handle. My guess on the wood is walnut or golden oak.
>The box and tiles are very similar to #282 on the mahjongmuseum.com web page, including the same character on the front slide.
>Slide opens up to reveal a large bottom drawer containing all but four tiles (we’ve always kept four of the invisible dragons in a stick drawer so the big drawer wouldn’t stick) stacked four deep. Four small upper drawers hold the sticks, dice, winds and mingg. Interior drawer pulls are silver-colored polished metal. No label or any indication of manufacturer. Large drawer appears to have been re-glued at some point (visible glue at interior corners).
>148 tiles (see photos) – appear to be bone and bamboo, overall 1.2 inches x .86 inches by .5 inches, bone portion is .125 inches plus dovetail depth
>8 sticks 3.5 inches long (5 red dots each end)
>36 sticks 3.0 inches long (red dot each end)
>36 sticks 2.75 inches long (8 black dots each end)
>40 sticks 2.5 inches long (2 black dots each end)
>4 winds and mingg
>4 tiny dice
>2. If the set contains any paper materials, like an instruction booklet or scoring card, write the title, author's name (if any), and date (if any) of those materials.
>No paper materials.
>3. What are the tiles made of? (See our FAQ 7c.)
>Tiles appear to be bone dovetailed into bamboo. Most show the grain and uneven darkening your web page associates with bone. Sticks, dice, mingg and winds appear to be bone, same thought.
>4. Describe what you know about when the set was made or purchased, if you know. Describe the history of the set to the best of your knowledge. See our FAQ 11 before you make any unsupportable claims (such as "this set is over a hundred years old!" or "this set is from the Qing Dynasty!"); the knowledgeable collectors can see through claims that are ignorant of the actual history of the game.
>We purchased the set from an antique shop in 1979 (Northern New Jersey) and have no history for it.
>5. What are the dimensions of the tiles? Use either inches or metric (one or the other, not both - doesn't matter which; just be precise). Height, width, depth. If the tiles are bone & bamboo, give thickness of the bone portion. (Same goes for ivory & bamboo tiles.)
>See dimensions above, please.
>6. How many tiles are there in the set? Your best bet is to lay out the tiles on a table in 4 rows of identical tiles (as is done in our FAQ 7a), then you can just multiply and arrive at the number. And take a picture while you're at it. Tell potential buyers or appraisers an exact breakdown (you can't just say "all the tiles" or "it's complete" or "148 tiles" or "156 tiles" - you have to break it down. How many flowers, how many jokers, and are the basic 136 - suits, winds, dragons - all present?).
>148 tiles (please see photos). There are 1 to 9 of bamboo, circles, winds and dragons plus four more invisible dragons.
>7. What kind of container does the set come in? If it's wood, is it one of those flat boxes with a sliding top, or is it one of those squarish boxes with drawers, and if so how many drawers? Does the container have any clear signs of age?
>Please see detail in first question above – yes, the wooden box appears to have darkened over the years (before we got it, we play with a plastic set and just admire this one).
>8. Which kind of craks are in this set -- the older kind or the later kind? Take a picture to provide to the appraiser.
>Please see tile photos – I’d judge by the 5 to be the older style since ours seem to be very similar to your example.
>9. Provide a picture of the One Bams. These tiles can sometimes tell a lot about which part of China the set came from.
>Please see tile photos.
>10. Provide a picture of the dragons too. These tiles can sometimes tell a lot about which era of mah-jongg history the set came from.
>Please see tile photos.
>11. And provide a picture of the flowers/seasons.
>Please see tile photos.
>12. How many jokers (if any) does the set have?
>There are no jokers.
>"When you email me, I own it." When you email me for a free mah-jongg set age appraisal, you thereby give me your implied consent to publish your descriptions and photos on this website, and to use the photos in the FAQs if they depict some unusual feature. If that is not acceptable to you, then the evaluation will not be free. Email to inquire about pricing. I give free information only in this public forum.
>Thanks, we understand the limitations and appreciate what you do.
Hi Evelyn,
You didn't tell me the condition of all the parts of the set (as requested in FAQ 7h), so I have to go by the photos alone.
The set appears to be in Fine or Very Good condition (not sure which); it's apparently complete in all respects except it's missing the paper manual. Assuming the set originally came with one, of course. (Most of them did back then.)
The tile designs are fairly ordinary. The tiles appear to be high quality (I didn't see a lot of Haversian system or stains or discoloration).
It shows all the hallmarks of being a regular 1920s or 1930s set. Nothing much special about it that I can tell. I don't think it's particularly necessary to insure it. I'd be surprised if someone would pay $200 for it. If I was you, I wouldn't accept less than $100 for it. But the offers or bids you'd get would probably be mostly for less, especially in this economy.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Obama Inauguration Day, 2009
Book says you can't pass or discard flowers??
>From: Patricia
>Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 11:01:02 AM
>Subject: flowers..discard
>I looked on your q and a and did not see this q.
>I just got a call from some friends play MJ and someone came up with a line
>from a MJ instruction book saying that you can't pass or discard flowers.
>I had not heard of this and we don't play this way..frankly it does not make
>sense to me. Could you give me some insight?
>thanks..you are the best!
>Peeb
Hello Peeb,
Since you mentioned "passing," I assume you play American/NMJL mah-jongg. If I'm wrong, then you need to tell me what kind of mah-jongg you play.
My guess is that your friend is quoting something from either:
An out-of-date book, or
A book about some other form of mah-jongg (not the form that you play).
There are only three books that accurately describe the existing rules of American/NMJL mah-jongg (they're listed in FAQ 3, above left). If it's some other book (ANY other book except one of those three books), then your friend shouldn't be using it as any sort of playing guide for today's American/NMJL mah-jongg.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Obama Inauguration Day, 2009
Do tile positions invalidate a win? (part 2)
>From: Gretchen
>Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 7:15:51 AM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is:
>A player declared MahJongg, but the tiles exposed did not match any hand on the card. Player was asked what hand she was playing. She realized that she had placed a joker in the wrong group and then moved it to where it should have been. Would this be considered “MahJongg in error,” which the NMJL rules say means she is declared dead? Or would this correction be allowed and her MahJongg accepted?
Hi Gretchen,
Someone else asked this exact same question yesterday. I assume you play with Pam? Please scroll down and see the answer I gave her yesterday. If you want an official ruling, of course, you'll have to send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the National Mah Jongg League (their address is on the card).
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 19, 2009
Weekly Strategy Col. #393
>From: keating02
>Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 6:04 PM
>Subject: Weekly Strategy Col. #393
>I am a fairly new player and I need some clarification on Example #8.
>You indicate that for 369 #5 there are 8 naturals.
>I have tried hard but can only find 7. I do not count the 3 Bam because the Pungs have to be of the same suit.
>So I am assuming you are counting the 3-6-9 craks (that's 5 naturals) and the 3 dots (2 naturals).
>If that is correct then I would discard the 3 Bam.
>Thank you for your time and thoughts.
>Keating
Quite right, Keating.
I have tried hard but can only find 7.
Yep. The number of naturals in that example for that hand is indeed 7. Good eye! I've fixed that, thanks to you.
I would discard the 3 Bam.
Or 9D. So you're killing the Singles & Pairs hand, then. Sounds like a fine plan to me.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 18, 2009
Tell me anything about my set, part 3
>From: Harriet
>Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 4:43:42 PM
>Subject: From Harriet Kader-Speth
>Here are 3 pictures of my ooold set and one picture of the one that my grandfather got at a pawn shop in the 40's. You can see how dark some of the tiles got since I looked at them a few years ago. I keep them in the old box and that is in a plastic bag so it is odd that just one of the 4 trays turned darker. In the newer set there are 152 tiles but my mother put polish on some flowers to make them jokers. Also there are 6 extra tiles that are shown. The money, round with square holes, is kept in a kidskin bag. Again I would appreciate any information you might have about the sets. All my life I thought the tiles were ivory, which made them so special. I think my mom, who has passed, also thought she had ivory tiles. She played Mah Jongg at least once a month for about 40 years starting with her friends as young women and then playing in their slips with fans on during menopause which was pretty funny to see. Thank you for this wonderful web site.
>Your message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments:
>100_0300
>100_0301
>100_0302
>tiles
>Note: To protect against computer viruses, e-mail programs may prevent sending or receiving certain types of file attachments. Check your e-mail security settings to determine how attachments are handled.
Hi Harriet,
As I recall, your original question was "how old is it." My memory is sometimes unreliable, however, and I'm too lazy to scroll down and see what the actual question was. Also, you sent me photos of two sets, so I guess I have to tell how old they both are.
The plastic tiles in both these sets could have been made anytime in the 1930s, 1940s, or 1950s. The fact that one set shows two flower tiles which have been painted red indicates that that set was used to play American mahjong sometime around 1960-62 when the NMJL required 2 jokers. As I wrote in the "How Old Is It" FAQ, Column #311 (purple banner above) has a table showing how many flowers and jokers the NMJL required, and in what years. I can't tell from the photo how many flowers there actually are in that 2-joker set (or how many tiles are painted red in that set -- there might be more than 2). You said that set has 152 tiles, but I don't know how many of them are jokers and how many are flowers, since you didn't present that information in this email.
In 1960-62, the NMJL required 14 flowers and 2 jokers. But that's the only time period when exactly 2 jokers were required.
The best I can tell from these photos, the set with the painted jokers is probably 49 years old or more.
The other set, with the two differently colored tiles, appears to be cobbled together with tiles from two different sets - I find it hard to believe that the darker ones used to be the exact same color as the lighter ones. But, if you say so!
Maybe some of the tiles were more exposed to the elements than the others, for an extended period of time.
This set doesn't appear to be Bakelite or catalin - these tiles are less translucent and less glossy than the tiles in the other set. Maybe casein. Have you read FAQ 7c?
You also wrote:
>Again I would appreciate any information you might have about the sets.
Again, read FAQ 7p. I don't do "any information" requests. You have to ask specific questions.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 18, 2009
Do tile positions invalidate a win?
From: "Pamela
Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 1:22 PM
Subject: Mah Jongg question
> My mah-jongg question or comment is:
> A player calls mah jongg 3,6,9. and puts up her tiles as follows 33
> 66(bams) 333 666 cracks 9999 (dots). A player asks what hand she is
> doing and she then moves her joker into the proper position 33 666 33
> 666 9999. Another player questions her and calls her dead and the
> hand invalid. Is she dead if she has then shown a valid mah jongg, or
> does putting up your tiles and sliding your joker one set make the win
> invalid. Help!
> Thanks,
> Pam
Hi Pam,
Your question is somewhat similar to FAQ 19AX, but not quite. Of course the win is valid, regardless of how she displayed it initially after declaring the win. Any reasonable person (you, for instance) can see that the win is valid. Reasonableness is a valid way of judging this sort of issue.
But you may have a problem player -- someone who's overly competitive and uses the group's imperfect understanding of the rules to her benefit. Read my column #387. Click the purple banner atop this page to go to the columns. And I recommend you read FAQ 9 as well. The FAQs are above left. And lastly, I strongly urge you to buy a copy of the rulebook for your table, so you know what to do next time a rules question comes up.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 18, 2009
Tell me anything about my set, part 2
>From: Harriet
>Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2009 9:24 PM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>Thank you Tom for responding to my questions so fast. I looked at the information you have (can't believe how much you have on this website) and I guess what I thought was ivory is now caramel colored so it must be Bakelite. This is my inventory 144 tiles, no jokers, 8 flowers,16 winds, 12 dragons, 108 cracks-bams-dots. My bettor has Chinese letters and it also looks like it is backlit. The oooold leather box would not accommodate racks since it is only 13x9 1/4 and has four shallow opened boxes 5x8 1/2 two on top of two with a narrow box down the side 1 1/2 x 8 1/2. The inside of the box was once red and has a double material pocket on the inside of the lid. There is a leather strap 7 x 2 that is sewn on the bottom with a metal thing on the end that fits into two holes on a metal lock 2x 1 3/4. The metal says China Woshunsing Factory which I can't find on the web anywhere. Is this so much more information than you would ever want to know? For this I apologize but I would like to know if you have any idea if this set would have been made by the Woshunsing Factory or would it just be the box it comes in. Also, any idea of the age and does Bakelite get dark because 1/4th of the tiles have darkened ? I have another set my grandfather bought for my mom from a pawn shop in the 40's but that looks more like some of the sets on your website and that would probably be easier to figure out and I won't bother about it. Again thank you for just being there - Harriet
>My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Hi Harriet, you asked:
Is this so much more information than you would ever want to know?
Well... The main problem is that I can't see the set. You didn't send any pictures.
I would like to know if you have any idea if this set would have been made by the Woshunsing Factory or would it just be the box it comes in.
Can't make a guess based solely on your written description. Really need to see pictures. And by the way, I don't know anything about manufacturers, especially Chinese manufacturers from decades past. Jim May and CHarli are the experts on that kind of thing (see links in FAQ 4a).
any idea of the age
Not without pictures and all the info requested in the FAQ, sorry!
does Bakelite get dark
Yes. Yes, it does.
because 1/4th of the tiles have darkened ?
I don't think I'd ascribe a causal link there... (^_^)
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 17, 2009
Mahjong history video on Youtube
>From: "Willems, David"
>Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2009 5:30:25 PM
>Subject: Youtube history of mahjong
>An interesting take on the history of mahjong:
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H6Pa_yIE84&feature=related
Hi David!
Thanks for thinking of us with that. That same video was announced on the mahjong newsgroup last October. The entire video (not broken into 3 parts) is viewable at:
http://v.cctv.com/html/xintansuo/2008/09/xintansuo_300_20080923_1.shtml
But cctv.com can be slow to load - probably because it's on the other side of the world. The YouTube videos do load faster, and being in 3 parts makes them more bite-size. I didn't watch them all the way through, but maybe the long infomercials that cctv.com inserted into the program have been edited out. In case anyone wants to see all 3 parts, here are links to all 3:
Part 1/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H6Pa_yIE84&feature=related
Part 2/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evfRucgJ2fA&feature=related
Part 3/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25tIiiopgp4&feature=related
On the mahjong newsgroup, we discussed the points raised in the video. We're very curious to see this diary of Mr. Harvey. I even wrote to Mr. Noguchi, whom the video mentions as the owner of this diary. But he denied owning it or knowing anything about it. I've been meaning to try to contact the mahjong museum in Ningbo.
The mahjong scholars on the newsgroup were very skeptical about a lot of the other stuff said in the video - most of which is speculation based on Chinese symbolism or symbology, and isn't tremendously informed about the extant written record of the origin of mahjong (what there is of it). Since Mr. Noguchi denied a key part of the video, I have to wonder about the reliability of the rest of it. It does contain several things I agree with, but the "talking heads" I'm not sure of.
Still, though, I appreciate the new link. I really ought to watch the whole thing again. I kind of shot my mouth off a bit there, since I'm actually just working off a 3-month-old memory and a few selected glimpses, skipping through it again today.
May the tiles be with you, David.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 17, 2009
Tell me anything about my set
>From: Harriet
>Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2009 3:57 PM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is: I have a very old mah jong set that I got from my mother many, many years ago. The box which is leather and velvet has fallen apart but the metal closer says China Woshunsing Factory and there is a label with Chinese writing on it. The tiles have turned almost orange but they have beautiful carvings of birds, and scenes with Asian people. The tiles are 1 1/8 x 7/8 x 1/2. Any idea how I can find our how old the set is? I would appreciate anything you can tell me. Harriet
Hi Harriet, you wrote:
Any idea how I can find our how old the set is?
Read FAQ 7g. The "Frequently Asked Questions" ("FAQs") links are above left.
I would appreciate anything you can tell me.
Read FAQ 7p.
Standing by when you have follow-up questions (after you've read those FAQs)...
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 17, 2009
How George Bush lost a mahjong battle for world domination, part 2
>From: King & Faris
>Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 11:29:35 PM
>Subject: "And the Lord said, 'Let there be Mahjong tiles'" - Salon
>http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2009/01/16/the_legend_of_koizumi_2/index.html?source=rss&aim=/tech/htww
>Benkun shares with us a scene from last week's episode, in which Koizumi battles Pope Benedict:
> His Holiness quotes Genesis, with the help of a boy's choir, as he leads Koizumi to the Mahjong table, "And the Lord said, let there be Mahjong tiles!" ...
Great! The "Benkun" of this continuing story is, of course, our friend Benjamin Boas.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 17, 2009
Frequently Asked Question #19.BD
>From: Krooznuts3
>Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 3:43 PM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is: On a concealed hand , can you pick up a tile for Mah Jongg only?
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!
Hello Mr. or Ms. Nuts,
If I read your question correctly, you're
asking Frequently Asked Question #19.BD:
If I'm playing a concealed hand... Is it okay to win on a discard?
You can find the answer to this question, and many other often-asked questions, in the "Frequently Asked Questions" ("FAQs"). You have asked Frequently Asked Question #19.BD. Please scroll up and find the links to the FAQs, above left. Click FAQ 19. Bookmark the page for your future reference. Scroll down and find the answer to this question. If the wording of the answer is unclear, please let me know what information is missing, so that I can improve the wording of the answer for future askers of this question.
If I misunderstood your question, please first see if it's answered in the FAQs, and if it isn't, rephrase it for me.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 16, 2009
Why no color tiles in the columns?
>From: Alan B
>Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 5:54 AM
>Subject: Strategy Column #20
>Tom - I received The Red Dragon & The West Wind for Christmas. I have read it twice and have now worked my way backwards through your Strategy Columns. Great Stuff! I especially liked the color format of the tiles in Column #20. Any reason why you stopped using the color format for the tiles? I find the tiles/hands in color much easier to read. Reguardless, great info on your site.
>Thanks - Alan
Hi Alan,
I'm delighted that you've enjoyed the book and the columns. There is a reason why the tiles are not in color in the columns. It's pretty simple. Maybe even simple-minded. I've always harbored the hope that the column would be picked up for print, and if it was to be picked up for print it's likely that black-and-white would be a requirement. So I've endeavored to keep the column to a strict size limit, and to not use color in such a way that the column wouldn't make sense without the color information.
The size limit probably isn't evident in the web presentation of the column, but I first write the column within a Word template I set up, so that the column always fits within a certain box size (comparable to a certain weekly bridge column). Then when I port the column over to the website, I might enlarge the image a bit, and use paragraph spacing that wouldn't be used in print.
I realize that newspapers are struggling for survival in the Internet age, making my print dream unlikely -- but this print fantasy dies hard. When I give it up entirely, I'll likely go to color tiles. Note, though, that I use a font for the tiles, and a font can contain only one color per character, so even if I went to color for the tiles, I probably wouldn't ever have any tiles that contain multiple colors in a tile. The font is a much easier way to go than cobbling hands together from color images, and I wouldn't want to switch to a more labor-intensive methodology. But now I've gone on much longer than I needed to, to answer your question. I hope you continue to enjoy the columns.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 16, 2009
How George Bush lost a mahjong battle for world domination
>From: "J. R.
>Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 6:08 PM
>Subject: How George Bush lost a mahjong battle for world domination
> http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/?last_story=/tech/htww/2009/01/15/the_legend_of_koizumi/
Cool link, J.R.! Thanks!
I found that using your link I had to click through the "sitepass" page, then click another link to get to the story. Maybe this URL will work better for interested readers:
http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2009/01/15/the_legend_of_koizumi/index.html
(Note: I didn't make those URLs clickable. You have to copy and paste into your browser's URL box.)
May the tiles be with us all, especially after next Tuesday when... oh never mind. (I'm just so excited about the prospect of having a president I actually voted for.)
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
The Ides of January, 2009
How to set a value on "limit"?
>From: Alexander
>Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 9:29 AM
>Subject: Limit hands without a limit
>Hello.
>I ran into a problem recently in a mahjong game. We use the chinese classical rules but we don't use a limit. The problem appears when a player gets one of those rare limit hands. For example, how many points would "9 Gates" or "13 Orphans" be worth? These two hands are the extreme examples because they don't follow the standard winning hand layout at all and thus wouldn't be worth any points, according to the basic scoring (but there are other examples too).
>
>If you don't use a limit, it doesn't make sense that 9 Gates (I read somewhere that it's considered to be the most perfect hand possible) would be worth maybe 1 000 points or whatever the limit usually is, when a more common hand could be worth maybe ten times as much. The other day I saw the pattern "3 Great Scholars" (pung/kong of all three dragons, any pung/kong and a pair) which yielded something like 35 000 just for the basic pattern + standard doubles, but no extra doubles for the 3 Great Scholars pattern just because we didn't use a limit.
>
>So what I'm wondering is, do the limit hands have some precise value that you can calculate (in doubles or points), if you don't use a limit?
>Thanks in advance. And thanks for keeping this wonderful homepage up, I've learned a lot from it.
>Alexander
Hi Alexander,
It's up to the table to decide whether or not to use a limit, and to decide any and all matters related to the existence or non-existence of a limit. You've correctly identified many of the issues that need to be considered. May I suggest a thought that might be of help: "Limit" doesn't have to mean "maximum possible amount." What it needs to do is recognize the value and difficulty of these particular hands.
If someone got 35,000 for Big Three Dragons, that's because of all the other possible ways that particular hand can earn points, and the fact that you haven't limited it with an arbitrary "roof." If you think it's reasonable for Nine Gates or Thirteen Orphans to earn 10,000 given the kinds of scores your players occasionally can obtain, then that is reasonable.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 13, 2009
Looking for automatic mahjong table, part 2
From: "Ryan Snay"
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 10:56 PM
Subject: Re: Looking for automatic mahjong table
> Hey Tom just wondering how much your willing to sell you table top and
> also if so how much am I looking to spend on the two sets of tiles for
> the table? And I reside in Kekaha, Kauai thanking you in advance.
> Ryan
> Sent from my iPhone
Ryan, you asked:
wondering how much your willing to sell you table top
I had not given it any thought, Ryan. How much are you willing to pay for it?
how much am I looking to spend on the two sets of tiles for
> the table?
I don't know exactly. I think it was a couple hundred for the tiles I bought for my other dealing machine.
And I reside in Kekaha, Kauai
I have no idea how much it would cost to ship a heavy thing like this to Hawaii. First, a wooden crate would have to be built for it. Then a shipper would have to be located... It would probably have to go by sea, not by air...
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 12, 2009
Looking for automatic mahjong table
From: "Ryan Snay"
Email: thechad619溌aol.com
To: webmaster at sloperama
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 8:50 PM
Subject: Looking for automatic mahjong table
>I just posting this to see if anyone has an automatic mahjong table
> for sale. If so email me at thechad619中aol.com. Thanks.
> Sent from my iPhone
Hi Ryan,
Your "Accessories Wanted" announcement has been posted on the Accessories Wanted bulletin board, but I also waylaid it to the Q&A bulletin board.
It so happens I have an extra mahjong dealing machine. It's a Kakinuma. It doesn't have a base, and it doesn't have the tiles. And the power cord needs a plug and extension. You didn't happen to mention whether or not you live in the L.A. area...?
The base is fairly unimportant, you could simply put the machine on any suitably sturdy table. Or if you're handy you could make a base for it. The tiles would have to be ordered from Japan. I recently acquired the machine and hadn't yet gotten around to ordering them.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 12, 2009
"Rooching"
>From: "DriskellJL
>Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 7:25:43 PM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is:
>My 88 year old mother taught me the game. She used to refer to the Charleston as the "Rooching" (not sure of the spelling). At any rate it referred to the passing of tiles right, across, left then left across right before actual play begins. Has anyone heard this term and to what exactly does it refer.
Hi Mr. or Ms. Driskell,
Sorry, I never heard of the term "rooching," so I can't tell you its etymology. A lot of people learn the game by word of mouth and make up cute terms that sometimes get passed along. Maybe another reader will have heard of the term, and/or may know where the term came from.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 12, 2009
Questions about my set I might be selling
>From: JHR
>Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 4:04 PM
>Subject: set possibly for sale
>I was in the US Navy from 1957 to 1964.
>On my first cruise to Hong Kong, I bought a Maj Jong set that
>is hand carved. Each piece is slightly different for CRAK symbol and such.
>I suspect it is ivory but cannot be sure.
>What is the value of a set if it truly is ivory?
>What would have been the selling price of a ivory set in 1958 compared to a
>plastic set. What would the selling price of an ivory set in 1958 in Hong Kong.
>Jim R
>Holly SPrings, NC
Hi Jim, you asked:
I suspect it is ivory but cannot be sure.
Then read FAQs 7c & 7c2. The FAQs are above left.
What is the value of a set if it truly is ivory?
It depends on other aspects of the set - its beauty, its uniqueness, its completeness, its condition... But genuine ivory sets are so rare, and so many eBay sellers sell bone sets as "ivory," that I haven't been able to get any good information on the "typical" or "average" value of an actual ivory set.
What would have been the selling price of a ivory set in 1958 compared to a
>plastic set. What would the selling price of an ivory set in 1958 in Hong Kong.
I have no idea. If you want me to guess at the value of your set, read FAQ 7h and give me the information I need.
As you were!
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 12, 2009
ReachMahjong.com Press Release: Forums
>From: Gemma
>Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 2:18 AM
>Subject: ReachMahjong.com Press Release: Forums
>ReachMahjong.com – Press Release – January 12th 2009
>RE: Forums
>Dear Friends and Players,
>Happy new year everyone! First of all, a thank you to all our readers, old and new. ReachMahjong.com has come a long way. We have a more active presence globally and are dedicated to bringing our readers the best content and strategy articles available. In ReachMahjong.com’s drive to benefit the Mahjong community, we are proud to announce the unveiling of the new forums: The ReachBoard
>The Mahjong community has missed the forums that Yakitori Online once offered. As a former partner of Yakitori Online, ReachMahjong.com has stepped up to try and meet this demand for more user-created content.
>The new ReachMahjong.com forums will be live from January 17th 2009 and we invite everyone to come and join in the Mahjong discussion.
>The global recession may be hitting our pockets hard this year but talk is cheap! Come and join us!
>From the ReachMahjong.com team
That's good news, Gemma. I've marked it on my calendar, and I'm looking forward to it!
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 12, 2009
A Hanafuda/Gostop link for your site
>From: Ray
>Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 10:03:23 AM
>Subject: Hanafuda link
>Hey hey,
>(goedemorgen)
>Here a mail from Ray from holland. How's life?
>I have a great link 4 u 2 put on your site! It's a online GoStop server.
>it's http://game.ijji.com/gostop/index.nhn
>You can play it whith real but also whith playmoney! (what i prefur)
>The site is in just readeble carracters,... So signing up is easy
>(Sorry if mine english is rotten,...)
>Well that's it. May the tiles be whith you,..
>Ray, aka The Capsaicinfetishist and Autor of http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godori
>-----------------------------
>There are 10 kinds of people.
>Those who understand binary,
>and those who don't.
"Hooya morha" to you too, Ray.
Coincidentally, I had another email from Holland this morning. A question for my Game Design Advice bulletin board. As I told that poster, the first thing I saw on my computer this morning was photos of people in Holland skating near windmills. It made me think of my only visit to Holland a few years ago, during a horrible heat wave. So I saw very little ice then, and I never saw a windmill at all. But I learned that "goedemorgen" is pronounced "hooya morha." Anyway. I'll post your link in the Hanafuda Links page right now.
May the cards be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
1/11, 2009
Looking for a site where you can input your hand and determine its score
>From: Simon B
>Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 10:25 AM
>Subject: Hand point calculator?
>Hello Tom,
>I was just looking through your wonderful site inparticular at all the links to other places. This is great and it's really helpful to someone who is just learning the game. I wonder though do you know of a site where you could input what tiles you have in your hand, and it would act as a calculator and that could tell you how many points that hand is worth. It would be helpful, the biggest problem i'm having right now is finding all the point combinations in one hand. I am learning chinese official rules.Thanks for any help you can give me,
>Simon
Hi Simon,
I assume you're planning to use a mobile phone or iPhone or Blackberry to do this - although I guess if the game was taking place at your home you could put a laptop on a side table near the mahjong table... And I'm glad you mentioned which kind of mahjong you play.
There are some downloadable mahjong calculators listed in FAQ 5 (the software FAQ, above left) but I suppose there might be some browser-based calculators out there as well. If so, I might have listed those in FAQ 4b (the websites FAQ) instead. Everything I know of is listed in the FAQs. If it's not listed in there, then I don't know about it.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 2, 2009
Tournament announcement
>From: ManhattanMahJ中aol.com
>Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 1:56 PM
>Subject: Find Players
>Tom: Can you please post the following for us, as you did last fall.....
>A spring tournament (NMJL rules) will be held on Sunday, March 22 in the Greenwich Village Area of Manhattan. Tournament fee is $75.00, which includes breakfast, brunch, afternoon snacks, cash prizes and gifts for all
>Check our website: www.manhattanmahjongg.com or write to us at: manhattanmahj@aol [dot com] for further details.
>Thanks!
Hi Man,
Yes, I'm posting your announcement, but I no longer think that the Find Players board is the appropriate place for it. So I'm posting it here instead. I think it's a good idea to announce your upcoming tournament here, and I think other tournament organizers should do the same. I've also made a listing for you with other recurring tournaments, in FAQ 4a.
May the tournament attendees be with you, Man!
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 10, 2009
How do I order the NMJL card online?
>From: "Ruthiemema
>Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 5:18:26 AM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is:I got my bulletin. It says I can order the 2009 card on line with my credit card. I went on the site....www.nationalmahjonggleague.org .there was no place to order it on line with a credit card. Do you know how to do it?
Hi Ruthie, you wrote:
there was no place to order it on line with a credit card.
That's not true. When you went to http://www.nationalmahjonggleague.org/orderform/info.html, did you read the first bullet where it says "Follow the instructions below to order by mail or 'Order Online' with an Online Membership"?
Do you know how to do it?
I didn't until I decided to have a look on the League's website to try to figure out the answer to your question. Thanks to you, I've now figured out that "Online Membership" simply means ordering stuff online and yes, using a credit card. I'd thought it meant a membership for playing online (which I've done in the past), but that's not what it means.
May the 2009 card be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 10, 2009
Riichi variations, part 7
>From: Willems, David
>Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 5:34 AM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>Hi Tom,
>In regards to the various popular styles of Reach mahjong in Japan, Jenn wrote a great article/summary recently on the Reach Mahjong site:
>http://tinyurl.com/a8y2ha
>Happy New Year!
>David
Happy New Year to you too, David.
I knew Jenn would be the one to explain that stuff for us! But I slap my forehead for not checking her website, ReachMahjong.com, to see if she hadn't already done so. In fact, I should slap my forehead a second time for not reading her column more faithfully.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 9/09 (I tried to come up with a way to turn that into a Beatles homage and play off "The One After 909," but it wasn't working.)
Column #392
>From: Alan B
>Sent: Thursday, January 8, 2009 10:11:48 AM
>Subject: Mah Jongg Strategy Column #392, Row 9
>Tom - I understand the acronym "Friends" in the narrative and the need for a North Wind. For the life of me, I can make the last line (the only hand worth 75 points) work out to the hand in the example. Please explain.
>Thanks - Alan
>
>From: Alan B
>Sent: Thursday, January 8, 2009 10:13:42 AM
>Subject: Ignore Last Email
>Tom - DA! I was reading the wrong card. I was looking at the 2008 National Mah Jongg Card.
>Sorry.
OK, Alan. Consider it ignored! (^_^) Easy enough to miss that that particular puzzle was about the AMJA card instead.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 8, 2009
Riichi variations, part 6
>From: Vahid H
>Sent: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 10:34:39 AM
>Subject: Re: Question about possible Reach Mahjong variation
>Hi Tom,
>Thanks for notifying me.
>I read the message and found it very thoughtful and accurate.
>Here is a response for the board and for Tina specifically:
>Having played and studied the game a lot more since writing that message, I have to agree wholeheartedly on just about everything- including the dead wall issue. The only thing I'm not entirely convinced about is Menzen Tsumo. You can still win defensively using a no-yaku hand if you use reach. I think the random score fluctuation on larger menzen hands outweighs the defensive benefit- in fact I think it rewards the agressive players more. When you look at player stats you find an awful lot of menzen wins that really skew the game. Why is Menzen Tsumo in the A-Rules game when they took out Ippatsu for almost exactly the same reason? This is the only thing I really think should go, particularly in A-Rules. Perhaps I am still missing something?
>
>For Tom: The JPML (Japan Pro Mahjong League) A-Rules are normal Reach rules minus hidden doras and any additional doras beyond the first indicator. I recently also discovered online the Saikouisen Classic Rules (JPML's rival league) which are even more defensive: same as A-Rules except the dealer continues only by actually winning and there are no payments for having a ready hand in a draw game. I have to say I like these rules even more for serious play.
>
>Have you tried the Saikouisen Classic Rules, Tina?
>
>As a side note, recently my group has been playing A-Rules except without Menzen Tsumo. This has been working well. The only other experimentation we have done is playing with an Open Dead Wall. Instead of stacking the wall, each side is 2 x 17 laid flat and the dead wall tiles are turned face up at the beginning of the game. This is a kind of compromise instead of getting rid of the dead wall. What do you think of this? It helps with planning a hand and makes it easier to defend against someone who has a ready hand early in the game. Do you think this way of playing still hurts the defensive aspect? Either way, I find I am getting used to the normal dead wall- unlike Menzen Tsumo which still annoys me somewhat.
Thanks, Vahid.
I long for the day when somebody writes information in English, in one concise package, about all the various variations commonly used, and the various organizations in Japan.
Tom Sloper
Los Angeles, California, USA
January 7, 2009
Riichi variations, part 5
From: "Tina Christensen"
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 1:53 AM
Subject: Q&A board: Re: Riichi variations, part 4. Dec. 19
> Hi Tom,
> Some feedback for Vahid H. who had some riichi ideas posted on your board:
> Riichi variations, part 4, Dec. 19.
>>From: Vahid H
>>First: Menzen Tsumo. I know Zung Jung agrees with me here. Although I
> still prefer Reach rules. Why double the size of the hand for self draw
> when it so undermines the defensive aspect of the game? You are already
> lucky when you draw a winner in this sense, so why DOUBLE the score too?
> If anything it should be the other way around: Menzen Ron, so to speak.
> Lose it, I say. Concievably it could be at least slightly strategic if
> the Dead Wall were done away with.
> You say that Menzen Tsumo doubles the score, but an important point about
> it is that is you can selfdraw a hand that would not otherwise have a
> yaku. In that case the value is not doubled; it goes from zero to a valid
> hand. I think the hand is very important for the defensive player; and
> riichi is very much a defensive game.
>>Second: Dead Wall. I can see that this must once have had a superstitious
> significance, but this should probably be dropped for competition. There
> is no need for a Kong Box either. Just draw from the live wall. The effect
> is ultimately the same. However, what about having a Dead Wall (or King's
> Hand, etc.) that from the very beginning of the game is instead entirely
> revealed rather than concealed? That would at least add some strategy in
> both offense and defense plus add variety in each round. I've tried it out
> and it seems to work well. Or just forget the dead wall.
> Again I have to stress the very defensive nature of riichi. If all tiles
> are used, the game would be less defensive. With all tiles in the game the
> aggressive player would have a larger chance of going out, while the
> defensive player has a harder time of playing safe tiles until the end. In
> my opinion the dead wall is very important for the riichi game.
>>Third: Abortive Draw When Dealt 9 Terminals or Honours. This rule I like.
> That said, surely it doesn't go far enough? I actually find that a redeal
> on 7 "broken" tiles is the most useful way to even out extreme
> discrepancies in starting tiles. By this I mean that when more than half
> of your tiles have no partner (either matching or in sequence) then you
> can ask to redeal the round. Surely anyone would like this rule and it
> simply evens out the odds slightly.
> The Abortive Draw on a deal of 9 term/honours is a nice rule. But saying
> that 7 broken tiles should be able to get a re-deal seems outrageous to
> me. 7 tiles is just half the hand, so you could have a pretty flexible
> hand still. If you start with a hand where 7 tiles have a match or a
> neighboor, aren't you always 3-shanten (3 from tenpai)? If everyone begins
> the game with a hand close to tenpai, I fear you will reduce it to a game
> of luck in picking tiles, since the game would be very fast and you won't
> get time to judge the strength/expensiveness of opponents' hands. Players
> will very soon be tenpai, and most games would probably be won before or
> around the sixth discard. I think the game would become very aggressive,
> there would not be much room for defense, and I can't see the fun, I can't
> see much skill. And you would definitely need an automatic table to play
> with that rule. It would precipitate a lot of redeals which would be quite
> annoying, not least in competitions.
>>What do you think? I'm wondering if anyone involved in competitions might
> like to adopt one or more of these rules. I think it might help to spread
> the game of Reach internationally as one for competition rather than pure
> gambling. I get the feeling that even in Japan there is a desire for this
> change in image, so surely the rules should ultimately reflect this?
> Riichi is already spreading in Europe as a competition game, not as a
> gambling game. You focus on the A rules, and that's not really what the
> gamblers use anyway, is it? Aren't the A rules exactly that step away from
> gambling that you are asking for? Introducing new stuff and changing
> riichi away from how the Japanese play would hinder the spread, not
> further it. I don't see how your rule changes would make anyone choose
> riichi who would otherwise avoid it. Riichi is a defensive game, and a
> game where you have to carefully consider odds. If you want a game where
> weighing the odds matters less and where it is easier to focus on building
> your hand, go for another variant, say Zung Jung or maybe Hong Kong (which
> often use a 3 fan minimum). I know you will hate selfdraw scoring in MCR,
> since you already think Menzen Tsumo is too much, but otherwise I
> recommend MCR. You might also consider Classical Chinese.
>>Finally, we have tried using what you might call a Reverse Yakitori! The
> Yakitori tiles start face down. When you throw someone's winner (get
> 'Ronned') you are said to be cooked and the tile is turned over. Anyone
> who gets to the end of the game without throwing a single winner shares a
> bonus. With an Uma of +30 +10 -10 -30, we like to use a 30k bonus for this
> (15k each if 2 people get it) i.e. a bonus the same size as the first
> place bonus. We think this is a better reward for skill and good defensive
> play than the original Yakitori which is more for humiliation.
> Ha! that's a fun idea. Definitely better that yakitori, a rule I really
> don't like. It could be fun in not-to-serious competitions, like a
> Christmas competition or something, or for a side-prize/extra prize.
>>If you or anyone you play with decides to try out any of the four rule
> variations above, please do let me know any impressions. I would also love
> to know if there is anyone involved in organizing competitions who might
> be interested in implementing these or similar rules. I really think it
> could help the spread of Reach!
>>V
> Happy New Year!
> Tina Christensen
> tina at mahjong.dk
> http://uk.mahjong.dk/
Nice, Tina! (^_^)
I'm pinging Vahid to make sure he comes and reads this. What are the A rules? I'm always eager to learn more about riichi than what I can glean from playing with Ricky and his Little Tokyo friends.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 7, 2009
Set appraisal request
>From: Renee
>To: tomster [at] sloperama.com
>Sent: Sunday, January 4, 2009 4:35:39 PM
>Subject: Set appraisal request
>Mr. Sloper,
>I apologize right now if I ought to be sending this to webmaster@sloperama.com instead for posting directly on the Q&A board. I wasn't sure if it was an automatic situation, and so I didn't want to post just the request there and have everyone read my nonsensical 'would you be willing to give me a rough idea of the value of my set?' I found your website when trying to figure out what kind of mah-jongg set I have in my possession.
>
>The set has come to me in a rather emotional set of circumstances, but I am sure you do not have time for a sob story. Suffice to say, I must sell this set to raise money, but I have no wish to be dishonest or try and push something of no value onto someone else.
>
>I have been through the checklist on your website and compiled an extensive (and completely sales-pitch free) description of the set, its tiles, its sticks, its defects, and its highlights (at least as best I can understand them). I have the images hosted in my flickr account and available to email as well, all properly sized. I have also read your caveats about how a free appraisal requires a willingness to have my request for an appraisal posted to the Q&A section of the bulletin board, and that by making this request and sending you the images, I am granting you all rights to use, reproduce, and alter the photos that I am sending.
>
>If you would be willing to grant me an appraisal, that would be wonderful. (And if you could, and I'm sorry but I found the bulletin board a trifle confusing, tell me who to email, that would also be wonderful.) If you are no longer offering this free service, but for a fee would be interested in giving me your opinion (verbal, no certificate of value or guarantee, obviously, as you will never see the set in real life) of the value of the set, could you please let me know the amount of the fee?
>Thank you very much,
>Renee [Last name deleted]
>[Telephone # deleted. Don't email me your phone numbers, folks!]
>PS. Regardless, I found your site extremely helpful. Thank you for the valuable resource!
>PPS. Just in case it makes a difference, or rather, to prove I'm not asking you to appraise my Parker Brothers Edition, the set appears to my untrained eye to be a Japanese set from the 1920s. My flickr stream is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10399321@N00/
Hi Renee,
Please just email me the minimum number of photos that I need to see, and paste your description into the body of the email. I don't follow links to go get your photos (it adds too much work). I don't like document attachments (they also add too much work).
Make sure your email asks a very clear question. I don't do well with "tell me anything" requests, as I wrote in FAQ 7p.
And it doesn't matter which of my email addresses you use to email me.
You're going to have to get unconfused about how to read the bulletin board. It's really quite easy. Wait for the page to load completely, then scroll down and read.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 4, 2009
Our annoying new player
>From: Arlene
>Sent: Sunday, January 4, 2009 12:30:10 PM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is:
>We have been playing a friendly game for 15 years( I have been playing Mah Jongg on and off since 1963). About 5 years ago a new player joined. She is "always play by the rules" no matter what the table rules are. OK I get that but what is most annoying is she has now started to always go for the hardest hands (you advise this) and will get ride of all her jokers even if she has Mah Jongg with jokers so she can be "jokerless" and get more money. She will also keep calling tiles on the last wall to get her jokers picked so she can be win with a jokerless hand. Our group has always been get the required tiles and call Mah Jongg.
>My question is I thought the idea of American MJ with the NMJL was for the first person to complete their hand and to call Maj Jongg? What is you opinion on not to give other players the advantage of your quest to be jokerless every hand and expose jokers for other players to exchange?
>I am really frustrated that "she" feels that is the "correct" way to play.
>Please let me know your opinion.
>Arlene
Hi Arlene,
I'm not sure I know what the problem is. She's annoying because:
She prefers the official rules over your group's traditional table rules. (I can see how that would be annoying, but if she's 1 against 4, then her vote loses, right?)
She goes for high-scoring hands. (I don't see how that's a problem, since it means she's giving the rest of you more time to make easier wins. By the way, I advise that be used strategically, not as an "only way to go" kinda thing.)
She throws jokers away. (I don't see how that's a problem, for the same reason as #2. Her trying for jokerless gives the rest of you more opportunity to win before she does.)
She calls tiles on the last wall. (If your table traditionally used a hot wall or cold wall rule, I can see how it might annoy you to have somebody trounce in and throw your rule out the window.)
She makes exposures with jokers, but then she does some other thing in hopes that other players will redeem the jokers and make her jokerless? Or she refuses to go mah-jongg unless her jokers are all redeemed? (I didn't quite understand your last complaint. So I don't see how it's a problem for you.)
Your questions are:
I thought the idea of American MJ with the NMJL was for the first person to complete their hand and to call Maj Jongg?
Well, that's the goal of the game, and if the four of you original members of the group all play that way, then I imagine you'd be winning a lot more than she does. So I don't see what the problem is. Every player is free to use whatever strategy she wants to.
What is you opinion on not to give other players the advantage of your quest to be jokerless every hand and expose jokers for other players to exchange?
Sorry, I don't understand this question. I think a player has a perfect right to use whatever strategy she wants to, so long as she doesn't act like "Yelda" in Column #387, and enforce her opinions as if they were rules beholding on everyone else the instant she declares them.
Rules are enforceable. Etiquette and strategy are not.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
January 4, 2009
What do my mystery flowers mean, part 4
>From: Ticktoc25
>Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 11:44 AM
>Subject: Flower Mystery Tiles
>Hi Tom,
>Thought you might like to know that I have now solved part of the mystery of my tiles, due to the help of my son who has studied Chinese and Japanese culture and languages. My Season tiles are as follows:
>Spring seems to be portraying the Monkey King who's symbols are golden chain mail (in this case green), a phoenix feather cap and is known for cloud walking, thus the cloud under his feet. The companion tile is Guan Yin (Kwan Yin) who is depicted with a water jar in the right hand, a willow branch in the left, and wearing a Buddha crown. In the book "Journey to the West" Guan Yin enlisted the Monkey King as a bodyguard for the monk Tripitaka. This completes my search for the meaning of the Season tiles.
>As for the flower tiles, I found a web site with old Chinese coins on it. The coin pictured on my #3 flower is the obverse of a coin. The two red symbols on either side of the coin are written in Manchurian (Boo Su or literally Su then Boo) and translate to "Soochow Mint", which is located in the Kiangsu Provence. The coin may be telling us where the set was made or where the carver from, but this is a guess. The acrobats are perhaps performing in a traditional style known as Wushu.
>
>As a genealogist and iconologist I find this all very fascinating. I will keep you posted as to any more discoveries if you are interested in me posting again.
>Thanks again for the clues to get me started on my search!
>Ellejai :)
There you go, Ellejai. Good work!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 29, 2008
What do my mystery flowers mean, part 3
>From: Ticktoc25
>Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 2:23 PM
>Subject: Mystery tiles
>Hi Tom,
>Thanks for your help with flower tile #3. Again, yes, I have read your FAQ's and all of the posts on mystery tiles, and as you can see many did not apply to my set. Yes, 7e helped with the Rich man and the gold pot but I'm still looking for the story behind the pictures. I thought you might know the meaning of the symbols on the gold pot since that tile is fairly common from the research I've done, and you being so learned, I thought you might have come across the meaning of them before. It doesn't hurt to ask, does it?
>
>The two other tiles shown that were like mine Liu Hai and the 3 legged frog didn't really include much of an explanation of what that was about. In a common symbol book I found the meaning of the 3 legged toad which is fortune and wealth and I did discover a web site with the story of Liu Hai, so now I know the meaning of those tiles and how they fit together. Thanks.
>
>After looking for a MJ set for 35 years, I came across this one at a flea market 4 months ago. (Yes, I have lived in remote areas of the country). I was expecting it to have tiles with flowers depicted on them, but instead they had these pictures. I'm interested in finding out as much as I can about MJ and my set. I've researched using all the MJ Internet sites I've been able to find and have come up with very little. Your site has been the best in that regard. Good work! I will keep searching for the meaning of my other tiles.
>Thank you again for your help!
>Ellejai
Hi Ellejai, you wrote:
Yes, 7e helped with the Rich man and the gold pot but I'm still looking for the story behind the pictures. I thought you might know the meaning of the symbols on the gold pot since that tile is fairly common from the research I've done, and you being so learned, I thought you might have come across the meaning of them before.
Sorry. I've put all my knowledge about those tiles right there in the FAQ. I'm not withholding extra secrets from the FAQ.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 28, 2008
This week's column (column #392), part 2
>From: Andrew F
>Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 10:19 AM
>Subject: Re: this week's column
>Drugs are a good excuse; better than most. Hand #4 still has an honor pung, so I think you just got the scores switched -- 19 for hand 4, 20 for hand 8.
>Hoping the operation cures what ails you,
Hi Andrew,
Well, the drug excuse was valid for yesterday, but it doesn't work for today. :-p Column's fixed. Thanks again. Oh, and yes, my hearing is getting better.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 28, 2008
This week's column (column #392).
>From: Andrew F
>Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 9:31 AM
>Subject: this week's column
>I don't know whether I just don't have that many references, but as far as I can tell you need nine unique terminals and honors to claim a draw in the Japanese game (so whoever this person is better hopes he draws a new one on his turn).
>Also, I think you added a point for unique wait in the all types + knitted straight hand? (That's the only way I get to 20, anyway.) But I don't seem to see that that's allowed. I might be misreading that scoring element, though.
>Similarly, you've counted out 20 points for hand 8 (16+2+1+1), but you only claim 19.
>--
>Andrew F
>http://tabstopva.blogspot.com
Hi Andrew!
Hand #3. The nine unique terms/honors applies to the dealer on the original deal. A non-dealer can only request a redeal if he has exactly eight (no more, no less) unique terms/honors... (looking it up...) plus a duplicate of one of them or draws a ninth unique honor/term. DOH! Guess I gotta rewrite that part of the column.
Hand #4. Knitted Straight is 12, All Types is 6. Doh! again. My handy excuse: the pain medication the doctor gave me for the outpatient surgery I had the day before.
Hand #8. You're absolutely right. Simple addition error. Darn those drugs. (^_~)
Thanks for the heads-up, Andrew. I've fixed the column and added a tip of the hat to you.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 28, 2008
What do my mystery flowers mean, part 2
>From: Ticktoc25
>Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 2:03PM
>Subject: Tile Identification Help
>Tom,
>Sorry I gave too much information. I thought it might help in the identification process of the tiles in question. I have read all your FAQ's previously and the answers I needed were not included, so that is why I wrote to you. I forgot that this would be a public posting hence the length of the email.
>Enclosed is a photo of the tiles in question. I believe you said you prefer .jpg. Hope you can help me figure out what the tiles are all about or at least where the set may have been made.
>Thanks,
>Ellejai
Attached: my Honor tiles.jpg (138KB)
Hello Ellejai,
Are you sure you read FAQ 7e? Because some of your flower tiles are already identified therein. Does your browser display photos? I had a guy one time who said he couldn't find his answer in FAQ 7e - turned out he was reading the page on a cellphone and never saw any of the photos. You wouldn't have done the same thing, would you?
I'm curious why you refer to your flowers as "honor tiles." Nobody in FAQ 6 calls flowers honors.
I'm glad you've already identified the four seasons as the writing on the upper 4 tiles. I don't suppose you read those other "mystery flower" posts I've answered previously... If you had, you'd know that I can't always interpret the meaning of the illustrations (much less the Chinese writing) on flower tiles.
Your autumn, winter, 1, and 2 flowers are depicted and described in FAQ 7e.
Your #3 tile is a coin with a square hole in it. And yes, it looks like it depicts 2 acrobats, one is lying on his back flipping the other up in the air (like we used to see on the Ed Sullivan show when I was a kid).
I have no idea what your Spring, Summer, and #4 tiles are supposed to represent. The green text beneath the exchange I had with "cynthia gallagher" (chiquitaroad) near the bottom of FAQ 7e should offer you some avenues for investigating the remainder of your mystery flowers. And I still recommend you find and read all the other mystery flower Q&A I've had on the archived pages of this board (click the link at bottom). Good luck, and...
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 27, 2008
Can I call a tile when joker is discarded and named "same"? (Frequently Asked Question 19G.3)
>! This message is high priority
>From: norman r
>To: TOM MAHJONG SLOPER
>Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 12:55 PM
>Subject: CLARIFICATION of RULE
>I discarded a 2 crack & the player to my right took his turn & discarded a joker calling it SAME.The player to my left called the 2 crack I had discarded .She did not want to take the joker but since it was called SAME she felt she could call the 2 crack..I said NO! Who is right.?
>I look forward to your reply & thank you for your kind attention.
>Sincerely ,
>FRANCES R
>c/o Norman R
Hi Frances,
You can find the answer to this question, and many other often-asked questions, in the "Frequently Asked Questions" ("FAQs"). You have asked Frequently Asked Question #19G.3. Please scroll up and find the links to the FAQs, above left. Click FAQ 19. Bookmark the page for your future reference. Scroll down and find the answer to this question. If the wording of the answer is unclear, please let me know what information is missing, so that I can improve the wording of the answer for future askers of this question.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 27, 2008
What do my mystery flowers mean? (Frequently Asked Question 7e)
>From: Ticktoc25
>Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 11:24 AM
>Subject: Tile Identification Help
>Dear Tom,
>I recently purchased my a bone and bamboo Mah-Jongg set that seems to have unusual flowers and seasons. I have found nothing like it on any Mah-Jongg site on the Internet. I tried emailing Jim May at the Mahjong Museum site but neither of his email addresses are working. I was wondering if you might be able to help me identify them? If so, I can send you a file attachment of the tiles or embed them in an email.
>
>A written description of the tiles is as follows:
>Summer: a figure that looks like it is running, hands in praying position and "ribbons" trailing out behind.
>
>Spring: has a figure wearing green robes, holding what looks like a bamboo shoot, standing on "flames" or a lotus blossom and has a yellow "halo".
>
>Autumn: has a man with red pants and a blue robe, walking or dancing, hands upraised.
>
>Winter: 3 legged toad with a string of coins above.
>
>Flower tiles are as follows:
>1. Rich man sitting on an ornate chair wearing a "crown".
>
>2. Container of gold with three symbols inscribed on the vase.
>
>3. What looks to be acrobats, one is holding onto a frame and has his feet in the air, the other is on the ground looking up, they are both in a yellow circle.
>
>4. The last one is the most difficult to describe... it looks like 5 men sitting around a table in a cone shaped basket. The man at the head of the table is important and seems to have a crown or a some kind of hat on. There is something on the table, it looks like a kite? with three streamers that have symbols on the ends of the strings.
>
>If you happen to know what the symbols on the container of gold and the "kite" mean I'd be interested in that knowledge too.
>
>This set has the Bam 1 peacock with his tail down and head up.
>
>The one Dot is quite ornate with a green circle on the outside and 5 blue finely carved ornate petals. The center is red with either a delicate symbol or a design and in the very center is a green dot.
>
>The counting sticks of this set have 1-2-5 and 10 dots located in the center of the bone.
>
>I have no dice and two of the matching ming are missing, South wind and West. They are of white bone with a green circle green characters and the English letter in red. They have a ming jar with a lid. I don't know the character's meaning on the lid but it is green.
>
>Along with the traditional 5 drawer, sliding front, two handled painted or stained black case with the label reading "One Genuine set Mah-Jongg, Trademark Reg. US. Pat. Off., Made in China, Patented April 3 1923" there are two instruction books.
>
>One is "Standard Rules for the Chinese Domino game of Mah Jong" by Yue Sing Zung & Co. Shanghai, no date and
>
>"Mah-Jongg sometimes called Sparrow, Rules of the Game and how to Play It" by The Chad Valley Co., LTC, Eng, 8th Ed. March 1924, and lastly a
>
>Chad Valley Doubling table for the games of Mah-Jongg and AM-Duat.
>
>Each of the drawers has the Chinese "9" symbol on the back, the tiles fit loosely in the drawers. The Wan tiles are the simplified character. Dots have the 5 petaled flower in the centers. I count 7 colors in use on various tiles.
>
>The Bone is very thick and fine. The tiles are smooth and shiny and measure almost 1" long (2.5 cm) x about 5/8" (1.8 cm) wide x about 1/2"deep (1.4 cm). The bone measured from the flat part of the bamboo (not the tongue and groove part) is about 8mm thick, and the bamboo is about 6mm thick to the rounded back edge. The notch is about 1mm deep and 7mm long.
>
>Also, not significant but nice, is the smell of old sweet incense every time the tile box is opened.
>
>Thanks for reading all this and for any help you might be able to give me in discovering more about my Mah-Jongg set.
>Ellejai D████████
Hello Ellejai,
Your question is about your mystery flowers. Have you read the Mystery Tiles FAQ (FAQ 7e) yet? You can link to the FAQs above left.
I really can't help with mystery flowers without photos. First, read FAQ 7e, then if you still want me to help you with your mystery flowers, read the other mystery flower posts I've gotten before -- scroll down this board to one on Sept. 11 (it's easy to find - it has photos of someone's mystery flowers), and you should also read other peoples' mystery flower posts. You can go to older posts by clicking the link at the very bottom. Just scroll through the older posts and stop when you find photos of flower tiles.
It's important that you do this reading, Ellejai. I need you to understand what kind of information I'm likely to give you, so your expectations aren't set too high!
Also, your letter closed with a lot of extraneous information about your set. Was there a reason for giving me all that information? I prefer questions to be concise and succinct, without extraneous information.
Standing by to help, if I can, once you've read that FAQ and those other "mystery flower" posts I've answered previously, and with photos you send me.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 27, 2008
How old is my set, part 2
>From: Alex P
>Sent: Friday, December 26, 2008 9:51 AM
>Subject: RE: Mah Jongg Age-Determination
>The rest of the pics:
>1 Bamboos
>Dragons
>Flowers/Seasons
>Do you want the Directions pic?
>From: Alex P
>Sent: Friday, December 26, 2008 9:41 AM
>Subject: RE: Mah Jongg Age-Determination
>More pics.
>Nagato Booklet
>Tile Racks
>Craks
>From: Alex P
>Sent: Friday, December 26, 2008 9:33 AM
>Subject: RE: Mah Jongg Age-Determination
>Wow, fast response.
>The pics will have to come in a couple emails because I don't have a picture editor to make them take up less space with. Sorry.
>Here are the first three...
Hi Alex, you wrote:
You stated on your Sloperama website that questions about the approximate age of a set could be emailed to you.
Let me talk through this answer. It's a Bakelite or catalin set, in a typical "trumpet" style case. Unless somebody comes along with information about Babcock having ever made Bakelite/catalin sets, I'd say this is definitely not a Babcock set. Could be a Nagato Shokai set, I suppose that's possible. I don't know what years Nagato Shokai made mah-jongg sets, but most likely postwar. One of the other experts (Jim May or CHarli) might have better information on Nagato Shokai (see FAQ 4a for links to their sites).
The fact that this set has just 8 flowers, and no jokers or blanks, could mean one of several things:
It was made before 1943 (see column #311), or
It was made after 1943 but somebody scavenged the extra tiles (if there were any) to use with another set, or
It was made in Asia (Japan or China) for export to the US but for use with the Chinese Classical rules.
So the age of the set is hard to determine. The third booklet, "Count Table," was surely made by Nagato Shokai. Guessing from the title, the set that the booklet was meant to accompany (possibly this one) was intended for playing Chinese Classical.
I saw no identifying manufacturer markings inside the lid of the case in the photo of the 3 booklets. The set could have been made anytime between the 1930s and the 1960s. If it was made by Nagato Shokai, I'd have to guess 1950s.
I was wondering if you could also email [the answer] to me.
No, that's not how my free service works.
Do you want the Directions pic?
Not sure what that's a picture of, but no, I don't need it.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 26, 2008
How old is my set?
>From: Alex P
>Sent: Friday, December 26, 2008 12:43:48 AM
>Subject: Mah Jongg Age-Determination
>You stated on your Sloperama website that questions about the approximate age of a set could be emailed to you. I understand that the answer will be posted on your site in the bulletin section, but I was wondering if you could also email it to me.
>Also, instead of attaching the photos to my email, I would rather include links to their hosting location on Photobucket.com
>Anyway, here goes on the Age-Determination checklist...
>
>1) Factual Detailed List:
>Snakeskin (not sure if it's genuine or fake) covered wooden frame case (rather heavily worn) with handle and locking clasps.
>Link: http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc29/alexandertaran/Case.jpg
>
>3 booklets. 2 Rulesets: 1 Babcock with a publishing date of 1923 and 1 Nagato Shokai rulebooklet with no age, but obviously much younger; and 1booklet
>titled "Counting Table and Counting the Points"
>Links: (3 booklets) http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc29/alexandertaran/?action=view¤t=Booklets.jpg
>(Nagato Shokai) http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc29/alexandertaran/?action=view¤t=NagatoBooklet.jpg
>(Babcock) http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc29/alexandertaran/?action=view¤t=BabcockBooklet.jpg
>
>5 Tile Racks with what, according to your site, is a bad height. All 5 racks are bakelite and brown or red (I have 2 shades of racks, not sure which, if any, are replacement racks), they are very similar to the one pictured in your Racks section.
>Link: http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc29/alexandertaran/?action=view¤t=TileRackwithCounters.jpg
>
>An unknown number of round counters with round holes in the center, Red, Green and White. Most are Red, then White and the fewest are Green. Pictured on the rack in the above link.
>
>144 Bakelite tiles. 4 each of: 1-9 in suits Coins, Bamboo, and Characters; 4 Directions and Red, Green and White Dragons; and Also the 8 tiles for the seasons and the flowers. My wife is learning Chinese and recognizes the Seasons hanzi or characters.
>
>2) Written materials are listed above.
>
>3) Tiles and Racks are all Bakelite.
>
>4) I purchased the set from a sort of flea market in Anchorage, Alaska. The seller was convinced the set was from the '20s. Probably because of the Babcock booklet.
>
>5) The Dimensions of the tiles: Obviously metric, because they don't have an exact standard measurement of 32s of an inch or better; between 1 and 6/32 of an inch or 1 and 7/32 of an inch in length; between 27/32 of an inch and 28/32 of an inch in width; and actually right on 15/32 of an inch in thickness.
>
>6)Number of tiles and what pieces they are: See above.
>
>7) Container: See Above.
>
>8) Craks/Characters: Link: http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc29/alexandertaran/?action=view¤t=Characters.jpg
>
>9) Pic of the One Bams: Ummm, I'm not entirely certain what you meant by "One Bams" but my wife thinks you mean the 1 Bamboos: They are birds (sparrows? swallows?) coloured in red, blue and green. Link: http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc29/alexandertaran/?action=view¤t=1Bamboos.jpg
>
>10) Picture of the Dragons: Link: http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc29/alexandertaran/?action=view¤t=Dragons.jpg
>
>11) Picture of the Flowers/Seasons: The one with red characters are the Seasons (on top) and the ones with the green characters are the flowers (on bottom) (my wife recognized the Hanzi for the Seasons, but not the Flowers) Link: http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc29/alexandertaran/?action=view¤t=SeasonsandFlowers.jpg
>
>12) Number of Jokers: None. I don't know if the set originally had them, it just doesn't have them now. Nor does it have any Blanks.
>
>And here's a link for the pic of my Directions: http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc29/alexandertaran/?action=view¤t=Directions.jpg
>
>I hope this is enough information to determine the age of the set. Thank you for your assistance.
Email me the pictures, please.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 26, 2008
Cold wall (FAQ 19Y)
From: "Fran S
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2008 11:35 AM
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
> My mah-jongg question or comment is:
> Could you explain the difference between a "cold " wall, and a "hot
> wall". Are these just tables rules? I would love to fully comprehend this.
> Thank you in advance for your help!
> Fran S
Hi Fran,
I already have explained it. You can find the answer to this question in the "Frequently Asked Questions" ("FAQs"). You have asked Frequently Asked Question #19Y. Please scroll up and find the links to the FAQs, above left. Click FAQ 19. Bookmark the page for your future reference. Scroll down and find the answer to this question. If the wording of the answer is unclear, just let me know what information is missing, and please let me know how I can improve the wording of the answer for future askers of this same question.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 22, 2008
I've found this japanese mahjong game, part 2
>From: Willems, David
>Sent: Monday, December 22, 2008 10:42 AM
>Subject: English version of the Flash mahjong game
>Hello Tom,
>Here is an english version of the same flash mahjong game:
>http://www.nobleflash.com/index.php/game/4495/Japanese-Mahjong/
>Happy holidays,
>David
Cool, thanks David.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Winter Solstice, 2008
I've found this japanese mahjong game, see attached flash file.
>From: Marcio Fujiy
>Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2008 7:15 PM
>Subject: Gamedesign flash game
>Hi Tom!
>I've found this japanese mahjong game in flash made by Gamedesign. It seems to be complete:
>http://www.gamedesign.jp/flash/mahjong/mahjong.html
>Please see attached flash file.
>Regards
>Marcio Fujiy
>Attachment: mahjong.swf (451 KB)
Hi Marcio,
I went through a number of wildly different states of mind upon receiving your email.
I saw the email and its subject line: "Gamedesign flash game" and figured "it's an email from somebody who wants to be a game designer and he's going to ask something about Flash, but since I'm not a programmer I probably won't be able to help him. Maybe I'll be able to point him to an appropriate website."
Then when I opened the email, I saw the body of the message, with a request to open an attachment. This made me very suspicious. It must be a trick to get me to open the attachment and let my computer be taken over by a virus. Why else would somebody be sending me an attachment and asking me to click it? Very clever ploy, finding out that I'm into mahjong...
But then I noticed there was a URL. Not a clickable URL (those are often false, and try to send you to a site where they'll take over your browser), but one I could just copy and paste into my browser (which is always safer, especially since I have an antivirus program that alerts me if I try to go to a website with tricks up its sleeve). So I went to the website and... found a nice-looking game there.
So, after the misleading subject line and the suspicious attachment, I've come to the conclusion that you just wanted to give me a link to add to FAQ 5. Is that right? Well, thanks, I added it. (By the way, I never did double-click the .swf file.)
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Winter Solstice, 2008
Change of heart (FAQ 19AM)
>From: Maxine
>Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 11:53 AM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is:
>Is there a rule or is it a table rule that if you call for a tile and change your mind it is allowed ( player has not touched the tile) just decided to pass on the call . I play with a group that doesn't allow you to call without taking the tile... they said I should just say "wait"... is there a definitive rule on this?? Thanks... Player for 40 years.
Hi Maxine, you asked:
Is there a rule ... that if you call for a tile and change your mind it is allowed ... to pass on the call .
The official rulebook does not have any rule against changing your mind after just saying "call." Read FAQ 19AM (the FAQ links are above left) for more about the "change of heart" rules.
or is it a table rule
Read FAQ 14 and learn all about how table rules should work.
Player for 40 years.
Well, I imagine there's still time to buy a rulebook (every table should have one). Or to bookmark FAQ 19 (assuming you play American style mah-jongg). If the wording of any answer in FAQ 19 is unclear, just let me know what information is missing, and please let me know how I can improve the wording of the answer for future askers of this same question.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 20, 2008
Riichi variations, part 4
>From: Vahid H
>To: Tom Sloper
>Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 9:08 AM
>Subject: Re: Question about possible Reach Mahjong variation
>Hi Tom,
>You may rember me as the mad scientist who still hasn't quite given up on thinking about variations on Reach Mahjong. Since you have been humoring me, I have returned once more.
>
>I have at last come to terms almost entirely with the JPML A-Rules, which are the most widely used competition rules in Japan (only the original dora is used, with no hidden or further doras)
>There is also no Ippatsu in A-Rules. But Alas, I still have one or two points of contention!
>
>First: Menzen Tsumo. I know Zung Jung agrees with me here. Although I still prefer Reach rules. Why double the size of the hand for self draw when it so undermines the defensive aspect of the game? You are already lucky when you draw a winner in this sense, so why DOUBLE the score too? If anything it should be the other way around: Menzen Ron, so to speak. Lose it, I say. Concievably it could be at least slightly strategic if the Dead Wall were done away with.
>
>Second: Dead Wall. I can see that this must once have had a superstitious significance, but this should probably be dropped for competition. There is no need for a Kong Box either. Just draw from the live wall. The effect is ultimately the same. However, what about having a Dead Wall (or King's Hand, etc.) that from the very beginning of the game is instead entirely revealed rather than concealed? That would at least add some strategy in both offense and defense plus add variety in each round. I've tried it out and it seems to work well. Or just forget the dead wall.
>
>Third: Abortive Draw When Dealt 9 Terminals or Honours. This rule I like. That said, surely it doesn't go far enough? I actually find that a redeal on 7 "broken" tiles is the most useful way to even out extreme discrepancies in starting tiles. By this I mean that when more than half of your tiles have no partner (either matching or in sequence) then you can ask to redeal the round. Surely anyone would like this rule and it simply evens out the odds slightly.
>
>What do you think? I'm wondering if anyone involved in competitions might like to adopt one or more of these rules. I think it might help to spread the game of Reach internationally as one for competition rather than pure gambling. I get the feeling that even in Japan there is a desire for this change in image, so surely the rules should ultimately reflect this?
>
>Finally, we have tried using what you might call a Reverse Yakitori! The Yakitori tiles start face down. When you throw someone's winner (get 'Ronned') you are said to be cooked and the tile is turned over. Anyone who gets to the end of the game without throwing a single winner shares a bonus. With an Uma of +30 +10 -10 -30, we like to use a 30k bonus for this (15k each if 2 people get it) i.e. a bonus the same size as the first place bonus. We think this is a better reward for skill and good defensive play than the original Yakitori which is more for humiliation.
>
>If you or anyone you play with decides to try out any of the four rule variations above, please do let me know any impressions. I would also love to know if there is anyone involved in organizing competitions who might be interested in implementing these or similar rules. I really think it could help the spread of Reach!
>V
Hi Vahid, your questions for me in the above seem to be:
I'm wondering if anyone involved in competitions might like to adopt one or more of these rules.
I'm sure there must be some competitive players who would be perfectly happy to play no matter what the rules. But competition organizers have to consider what makes for the best competition, and what suits the majority of players.
I think it might help to spread the game of Reach internationally as one for competition rather than pure gambling.
I think what I said long ago on the mahjong newsgroup: that it's a steep uphill fight to get people to change from the way they're used to playing. In other words, people who love mahjong for gambling will keep on gambling. Japanese mahjong has its followers here in the US, but they are far outnumbered by players of American and Chinese variants. Outside of Japan, the place where those rules are held in wide regard is Europe. The international scene is already witnessing a battle between WSOM/ZJ rules and MCR, why inject a third variant into the fray, and where are you expecting to get the financial backing to fight that fight?
I get the feeling that even in Japan there is a desire for this change in image, so surely the rules should ultimately reflect this?
The overall question depends on whether your feeling is justified. Mahjong is so popular in Japan, I don't see any kind of upswell movement to eradicate the gambling aspect of it. Here in the US, the popularity of poker is based on the big money win - the gambling. Could you invent a variant of poker that's purely for competition without the money, and that would catch on and quash all the big money poker tournaments on cable TV? I don't think so.
I would also love to know if there is anyone involved in organizing competitions who might be interested in implementing these or similar rules.
You'd have to contact them. I don't think they're reading this forum.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 19, 2008
Where can I buy a table just like that one?
>From: Mark B
>Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 9:01 AM
>Subject: mahjong table question
>Tom,
>I am hoping you can help me out. I have been looking for a mahjong table like the one seen in the second picture of your mahjong table faq section of your web site and pasted below. I have been doing so for years now without luck.
>
>Would you happen to know where I could get one of these. I am a big mahjong fan (japanese version) and would like very much to have a table designed for the game. Any help you can provide is very appreciated.
>
>Here is the table from your site. I would probably have to get it from a supplier that would ship it unless it was around the Indiana area. I did contact a store in Chinatown SF that had tables, but wouldn't ship them. I had also bought a table that didn't have the drawers, but it was too big. It was the size of a regular card table which made it difficult to reach across the table to the far wall.
>Thanks,
>Mark
Hi Mark,
I promise you, I don't withhold secret extra information that isn't in the FAQs. Everything I can tell you about tables, and where to buy mahjong stuff, is in the FAQs. I don't have any other information that I'm keeping out of the FAQs. Looks like you already read FAQ 7f, and maybe you've even seen FAQ 7k too. That's all I got. Sorry.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 19, 2008
Just discovered this site
>From: Arlene Shapiro
>Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2008 11:02 AM
>Subject: Mah Jongg site
>Hi Tom,
>I just returned from the 23rd Annual Mah Jongg Tournament at Sea sponsored by the NMJL and Specialty Cruises. During the course of the trip, I had the good fortune to meet a gal from Santa Cruz, CA who spoke volumes about you and your website; hence, I’ve ordered two copies of your book from Amazon.com; one for me and a gift for my cruise buddy.
>I’ve been teaching American style NMJL rules for the past 5 years and would very much appreciate being added to your “Lessons and Teachers”.
>State: FL
>City/Area: North Palm Beach County
>Type: American
>Name: Arlene Shapiro
>Email: artedshapiro中yahoo.com
>Thanks so much for putting it “all” out there for all the MJ mavens in the world to access.
>May you always have love to share, health to spare and friends that care.
>Arlene Shapiro
Hi Arlene,
That's so cool that you made a new friend on the cruise, that you're buying TWO copies of my book \(^_^)/ and that you've found my site. You're now added to the teachers list (FAQ 4a). Hope to hear from you again sometime.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 18, 2008
Is this bad etiquette, cont'd.
>From: jetjmt
>Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 7:19 AM
>Subject: Re: Etiquette Question
>Thank you, Tom. It's nice to know that I'm not the crazy one. She claims that's appropriate "table talk."
>OY!
>~Cindy.
Oy indeed.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 17, 2008
Is this bad etiquette?
>From: jetjmt
>Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 7:32 PM
>Subject: Etiquette Question
>Hi Tom!
>I've been reading your web site and it is GREAT! Very helpful, thank you.
>Situation: A player says, "I know what hand you're playing...can't you see what hand she's playing?"
>I was SHE and it irritated me because I felt like it drew attention to my tiles where maybe some of the players wouldn't have otherwise studied them as much.
>What do you think?
>Thank You,
>Cindy.
Hi Cindy,
Yes, of course. That's clearly very bad etiquette. But in my opinion, the situation is worse than you think. I think she's most likely an inconsiderate person, and a bad sport. It's probably a character flaw, not merely a matter of her not understanding etiquette.
I decided a long time ago that I only wanted to play with nice people. I wouldn't want to play with someone who exhibits bad sportsmanship and an inconsiderate nature. I'd state my objection to her saying such a thing, the first time she did it. She'd be off my nice player list permanently, if she didn't understand why I objected and did something inconsiderate again.
By the way, my weekly column sometimes discusses this sort of issue. It's not always about strategy. Sometimes it's about etiquette, foibles, and odd situations that sometimes occur. Check it out - click the purple banner atop this page.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 16, 2008
Looking for feedback on my mah-jongg solitaire rules, part 7
>From: John Kemp (KempSoli@sbcglobal.net)
>Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 3:13 PM
>Subject: Revised Chinese and American Solitaire Mah Jongg Rules
>Mr. Sloper:
>The attached are revised rules. If still willing, I'd appreciate your putting them on your bulletin board. I demonstrated the Chinese version to an experienced player, who thought it was OK.
>Thanks.
>JOHN KEMP
>Attachment: SolMJWrd.doc (77.4KB)
This is what happened in a game, part 3
>From: Ruby
>Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 7:06 AM
>Subject: Re: Mah-jongg Q+A
>O.K., sorry. This is what happened. The player to my left threw a 7 Bam. I called it, to complete a set I had in my hand. Then I collected her Joker which made another complete set in my hand to make Mahjongg. I did this all at once. Since I said "mahjongg" when I called for the 7 bam and then collected the joker, which I said made me mahjongg,
> one of the players said I could not do that. Am I not allowed to call for a tile and collect a joker all in one turn?? I don't know what her objection was all about.
>R.
Hi R.,
You describe exactly the events I wrote in my first response, then. And your question is exactly the question FAQ 19M answers. Actually, FAQ 19M answers several related joker redemption questions. Here is FAQ 19M again, omitting those related questions:
Q: When can I redeem a joker? ... Can I redeem a joker after I take a discard for exposure? ...
A: ... you must first bring a 14th tile into the hand. There are two ways to bring a 14th tile into the hand - by picking from the wall OR by taking a discard for exposure. THEN, after picking (or after taking and exposing a COMPLETE exposure), you may redeem jokers from atop anyone's rack...
I fail to see how this doesn't answer your question, R. Please tell me what information is missing, and please let me know how I can improve the wording of the answer for future askers of this same question. I strive to make the FAQs useful for all seekers of mah-jongg answers, and your help with making it better would be appreciated.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 15, 2008
This is what happened in a game, part 2
>From: Ruby
>Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 11:59:26 AM
>Subject: Re: Mah-jongg Q+A
>That does not completely answer my question. I did not need the joker to complete the exposure I was taking the 7 bam for. The joker that I was redeeming though did make my majongg for another exposure.
>R.
Hi R.,
Then I don't understand the details of what happened, and exactly what your question is. Please describe the incident in full detail, with a clear question that I can answer.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 14, 2008
This is what happened in a game:
>From: Ruby
>Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 11:03:03 AM
>Subject: Mah-jongg Q+A
>This is what happened in a game:
>The player to my left threw a 7 bam. I called for it saying mah-jong...as I had a tile in my rack to take a joker from her exposed tiles on the same turn which I did, making me mahjongg. Did I not have the right to call for the 7 bam and take her joker all in one turn and did that not give me mahjongg?
>R.
R.,
You didn't describe the event precisely, but it sounds to me like this is what you did:
1. When she threw 7B, you said "mah-jong."
2. You took the 7B and used it to create a complete set, exposed atop your rack.
3. Then you redeemed a joker, as is your right, since you had 14 tiles in your hand at that time.
4. You then exposed all the rest of your tiles.
5. Then somebody questioned the legality of your play.
Assuming that I have correctly stated the event, your question is answered by Frequently Asked Question #19M. Please scroll up and find the links to the FAQs, above left. Click FAQ 19. Bookmark the page for your future reference. Scroll down and find the answer to this question. If the wording of the answer is unclear, just let me know what information is missing, and please let me know how I can improve the wording of the answer for future askers of this same question.
As long as you didn't do what Mary J. Wright described in her post of Thursday, November 27, 2008 (scroll down to see that post, and my answer), that is.
Any time you have a question about American mah-jongg, you should always look in the "Frequently Asked Questions" ("FAQs") first. I'm always here to answer questions that aren't already answered in the FAQs.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 14, 2008
Looking for feedback on my mah-jongg solitaire rules, part 6*
>From: Sylvain Malbec
>To: John Kemp
>Cc: Tom Sloper
>Sent: Friday, December 12, 2008 4:02 AM
>Subject: Re: Revised Chinese & American Solitaire rules
>Hello,
>
>[On] 2008/12/9 John Kemp (KempSoli@sbcglobal.net) [wrote]:
>"Ladies & Gentlemen:"
>Hum... As far as I know, Tom is a guy, like me.
>Not many things to say about this new version of your one-player rule.
>The scoring procedure is clearer now.
>
>"5. Hypothetical Opponent then draws the next tile and discards it. Player may claim the discard if it completes a chow or a pung."
>I don't doubt you are aware that opponents are in a number of 3 and that you can claim a discard for a chow only if the tile is discarded by your left side's opponent.
>But does the reader aware of this?
>It wouldn't hurt to precise this for the sake of players.
>
>"9. If a Season is drawn, it is set in front of the hand and another tile drawn to make 13."
>Replacing a season make 14 in fact.
>"No scoring combinations in Subtotal 2"
>You really should rewrite this sentence.
>
>"5. EXTENDED DRAW FACTOR"
>I'm not sure if your square root factor is very effective.
>I mean your "4. ADJUSTMENT FACTOR FOR % OF TILES NOT PLAYED OR DRAWN" is already doing quite the same thing. Does it make a so huge difference to justify more calculation?
* Note: This is a continuation of a discussion that was started on the Mah-Jongg Q&A Bulletin Board. But it's now carried as well on the Game Design Advice Bulletin Board, which is also part of this website, because this is more of a game design discussion than anything else. - Tom Sloper
Where can I buy it? (was: What type of set should I buy?)
>From: Bruce
>Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 12:50:39 AM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is: where in Los Angeles can I buy a
>152 tile American style Mah-Jongg set? I live in West L A and work in
>Burbank so near or between those areas would be best. Thanks, Bruce
Hi Bruce,
Yesterday I told you: Read FAQ 7a & 7k, no matter where you live. You have apparently read FAQ 7a, but apparently you have not yet read FAQ 7k (or you wouldn't have asked this now). You can try Chinatown and Monterey Park. FAQ 7k lists a couple of shops in Chinatown that MIGHT carry American sets. I haven't explored the shops in Monterey Park. But your best bet is the Internet. Find vendors in FAQ 4a.
May the tiles be with her.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 11, 2008
What type of set should I buy?
From: Bruce
Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 6:17 PM
Subject: Miami Beach 1960 Jewish Mahjongg
I know nothing about Mahjongg but my wife wants to start playing and I'd like to buy her a set for Hanukkah. I live in Los Angeles and read your site about all the places I could go but, I don't know what type of set to buy. Were talking Miami Beach 1960 Jewish Mahjongg.
Can you advise? Thanks, Bruce
Hi Bruce,
I call that "American" mah-jongg. You need to buy her an "American" mah-jongg set. Read FAQ 7a & 7k, no matter where you live.
May the tiles be with her.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 10, 2008
I am coming up blank for blank tiles, part 2
>From: terri cullen
>Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 6:02 AM
>Subject: RE: American mah jongg
>I went to the Q & A and read your reply about the mah jongg tiles I am looking for. In reply to your reply: No the pamphlet is not a red one – it’s paper (very brittle and brown at this stage) and the cover says “rules for playing mah hong”. I read your interesting facts about “other” manufacturers, but there are no distinguishing marks in the rule book or on the box (sliding lid, wood) to give a hint; I do assume it’s from the 1920’s hey day. The pamphlet states that the tiles received in the set are ivory and bamboo. I also read all you had to say about bone and ivory. And your hint not to look for blanks! I did all this before I sent my initial question to you; I should have qualified it with all the above statements!
>
>Thanks for being so responsive to this. Also, I am navigating your strategy page better, thanks for the instructions. I will be purchasing your book. In the mean time if you can lead me further on my quest for matching tiles it would be appreciated (I’ve done extensive internet searches already and tried the sites you have links to).
>Terri
Hi Terri, you wrote:
The pamphlet states that the tiles received in the set are ivory and bamboo. I also read all you had to say about bone and ivory.
Then the chances are that you have enough information to tell you that your tiles are, in fact, not ivory but bone. OR (now that I think of it) maybe even celluloid. A thickness of just 1/16" indicates that the latter is very likely. Scroll down to Nov. 3, or use your browser's Find feature to find posts (with photos) about tiles made of "French ivory."
And on the previous archived page of this board (click the "CLICK HERE" at the very bottom of this page), you'll find one dated September 13.
And your hint not to look for blanks!
It's not a hint. I said it right out. You're going to spend a LOT of time, with very low chances of success, if you hold out for blanks.
I should have qualified it with all the above statements!
That might have saved me some typing, yes. (^_^)
I am navigating your strategy page better, thanks for the instructions.
Cool. Hope you find it a helpful resource.
I will be purchasing your book.
EX-cellent! (^_^)
If you can lead me further on my quest for matching tiles it would be appreciated
I promise you, I have not held back any secrets from the FAQs. Everything I got is right there.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 10, 2008
I am coming up blank for blank tiles
>From: terri cullen
>Email: tac_fauxpas.1溌verizon.net
>Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 6:43 PM
>Subject: Tiles Wanted
>Material: ivory and bamboo (have original rule pamphlet with set and it describes the tiles this way)
>Color(s): soft white top, medium toned bamboo bottom
>Dimensions: 1/16” thick ivory over bamboo, totaling a thickness of 7/16”. Each tile measures ¾’’ by 1”.
>Tile(s) wanted: 4 to 8 blank tiles
>URL (internet address) of online photos: none
>Thank you!
Hello Terri,
Your Tiles Wanted announcement has been posted in the Tiles Wanted board, but it's also posted on the Q&A bulletin board because it contains an unasked question or two:
ivory and bamboo (have original rule pamphlet with set and it describes the tiles this way)
I'm guessing your rule pamphlet is Babcock's little red book. I'm further guessing that your rule pamphlet doesn't say in so many words, "this pamphlet is sold only with tiles made of genuine ivory." If you want to know if your tiles are ivory or not, read FAQ 7c and follow the link to the "Is It Ivory" FAQ (FAQ 7c2). Either way, you can assuredly buy bone and bamboo tiles and save yourself a lot of money. Ivory tiles would be much more expensive.
Tile(s) wanted: 4 to 8 blank tiles
You're making it impossibly hard on yourself if you insist on blanks only. Read FAQ 7Q.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 9, 2008
I am coming up blank for strategy instructions
>From: terri cullen
>Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 6:47 PM
>Subject: American mah jongg
>I have gotten into your site many times as I have been learning to play the American version of mah jongg with the National League cards. Having looked for decent books on the American version and reviewing your site many times I am coming up blank for strategy instructions. As you did for Chinese mah jongg on your site would you be willing to do a quick strategy lesson (or several) for American? The one lesson I saw referred to a very old card and without that card it’s hard to follow what you were saying. Thank you!
>Terri C.
Hi Terri,
My book has an extensive chapter on strategy for American mah-jongg. And I write a weekly column, too. I think you found my column page but didn't actually look at any recent columns (I think you just looked at the introduction page). Click the purple banner above (at the very top of this page) to find the weekly column, and read the instructions so you can get recent and ongoing strategy.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 9, 2008
Looking for feedback on my mah-jongg solitaire rules, part 5
>From: John Kemp (KempSoli@sbcglobal.net)
>To: Sylvain Malbec
>Cc: Tom Sloper
>Sent: Monday, December 8, 2008 3:23:55 PM
>Subject: Revised Chinese & American Solitaire rules
>Ladies & Gentlemen:
>I may have sent you an e-mail about my revisions without the attachment. If so, please forgive.
>I have incorporated some of your suggestions, which I think have improved these games substantially. You will notice that in the Chinese I have changed the adjustment for late Mah Jongg from a % of tiles left in the wall times an arbitrary factor to the square root of the % left in the wall. I think that this would more effectively encourage trying for Mah Jongg instead of piling up a high score with impunity.
>I've left the American game penalty/reward as a straight %, as there is not nearly as much doubling in the American game.
>Am curious about what you think about all this.
>Best regards.
>JOHN KEMP
>Attachment: SolMJW.doc (67KB)
Mr. Kemp,
Providing feedback on folks' game designs goes well beyond the service I can offer for no charge. Hopefully some reader will give you the feedback you're looking for.
Tom Sloper
Game Design Consultant
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 8, 2008
Another scammer, part 2
>From: Rev. Mikel Green (mikel.green53@gmail.com)
>Sent: Monday, December 8, 2008 6:14:53 AM
>Subject: Re: ORDER
>Can you please Advice me the cost on this 12x12 tiles so that I can
>proceed with the order and do you accept credit card as the term of
>payment? please advice
Hi Rev. Green,
As I said in my previous correspondence, the price varies depending on the amount desired. There's a price break for larger quantities. How many tiles do you need? And the price varies depending on which tiles you want, as well. Are you interested in the Japanese, Chinese, or American tiles?
We do accept credit card (Visa, MC, AmEx, but not Discover).
May the tiles be with you.
Tim Sliper
Dear readers:
I hope you realize that I don't really sell 12x12 tiles here -- this is a mah-jongg information site! I'm just stringing this scammer along. And trust me, he IS a scam artist. To learn about the sort of scams that often target online mah-jongg sellers, click HERE.
What's the best way to do a 3-player Charleston?
>From: "Chak12
>Sent: Monday, December 8, 2008 2:47:38 AM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is:
>What do recommend is the best way to play with three people? I have played several variations, but find that the "honor" system of "returning" jokers to the wall, once you pick there, may not be the best way to play. Any suggestions?
>Thanks, Helaine
Hi Helaine,
My crystal ball tells me that you're talking about the Charleston. I assume your group's table rules permit you to keep a joker you pick during play.
I can't tell you the "best" way to do a 3-player Charleston. I can only tell you what it says in the official rulebook (but you really ought to have a copy of that -- everybody should), and the way my group does it.
The official way of doing a Charleston with 3 players is answered in FAQ 13a (the FAQs are above left).
And the way my group does it is also described there. Your group came up with an unenforceable "honor" rule of not permitting jokers to be acquired during the process. In my opinion, an unenforceable rule is probably a bad one, so should be dropped. My group took a different approach - if you got a joker, you were lucky. Read FAQ 14.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 8, 2008
Another scammer
From: "Rev. Mikel Green" (mikel.green53@gmail.com)
To: webcontroller©abacussurfaces.com
Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 9:10 AM
Subject: ORDER
> Hello,
> I'm rev. mikel green and I will like to know whether you do sell
> tiles with the size 12x12.And if you have some, then reply me back
> with the prices per ones you do have.so that I can let you know the
> quantity am interest in purchasing.Thanks and hope to read from you
> soon.
> My regards
> REV.mikel green
Dear Rev. Green,
Yes, we have some lovely 12x12 tiles, in American, Japanese, and Chinese designs. The prices are all clearly stated on the website. They vary depending on the number of tiles you wish to purchase. What quantities are you looking for, and where would you like them shipped?
May the tiles be with you.
Tim Sliper
December 7, 2008
Want to find a HKOS game near Chinatown L.A.
>From: Jeni Z (dragonfly213)
>Sent: Saturday, December 6, 2008 12:46:21 PM
>Subject: Invitation to connect on LinkedIn
>LinkedIn
>Jeni Z requested to add you as a connection on LinkedIn:
>Big fan of MJ and your www. I play 3-5 fans on Yahoo, and want to find a game or group to watch play tiles near Chinatown / downtown Los Angeles. Know of any? I have a bakelite set that needs some action :)
>- Jeni
>View invitation from Jeni Z
Hi Jeni,
All you have to do is be in the old part of Chinatown on a Sunday morning. Walk around, you'll hear the tiles. But there's a problem. The folks who are playing don't really want strangers interfering with their game. They're there to play, not to teach outsiders and not to have interlopers join in and screw up the game by playing wrongly. Breaking into that circle requires a creative and sensitive approach.
I don't know if they play Hong Kong style or not, but they might. Regardless, I doubt very much that they play with a 3-fan (much less a 5-fan) restriction on winning. The folks who play on Yahoo are hardcore. The folks who gather in Chinatown are probably in it for the companionship, the pleasure of handling the tiles and being among friends. If you can get them to let you just observe silently for a while, you might get a chance to sit in.
As for your old set, try the tips in FAQ 15 (above left).
Let us know how it goes! May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 6, 2008
Technical support
>From: Emma
>Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2008 8:41 AM
>Subject: Shanghai second dynasty
>Tom
>Many moons ago we purchased Shanghai, and played it many many times. We have since had to change our computer and now we are unable to load the v1.1 patch due to localization issues.
>The localization utility no longer appears to be available.
>Hope you can help.
>Regards
>Emma
You didn't try hard enough to find it. Go to activision.com/support, click Activision (not Activision Value), and type "shanghai second dynasty" into the search box there. The localization utility is right there. Very easy to find. Took me less than 40 seconds to locate it.
If you need more help with that game, do not come to me. Read FAQ 24 (above left). Only a game's publisher can provide full technical support for a computer game... Not an ex-employee who hasn't gotten a cent from that publisher in the past 8 years, if you get my drift.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 6, 2008
Thanks
>From: allan s
>Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 11:56 AM
>Subject: Thank you for Mahjong information
>Hello Tom,
>I came across your website while searching for information about Mahjong tables. Just wanted to thank you for having all of the information available out there. I even read your page about the electronic machine you bought from EBAY and then restored. I really enjoyed your technique of documenting the entire experience, with pictures and callouts.
>Anyway, thank you.
>Allan
(^_^)
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 5, 2008
Column #389
>From: Willems, David
>Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 6:54 AM
>Subject: Column #389
>Sorry to hear the news about the janso. I'd imagine there are/were some in NYC where I'm from. I remember contact Jenn from Reachmahjong and she said indeed there were but that they are considered illegal due to the gambling aspect and so you really need to be able to speak Japanese in order to find them and play there. Are jansos in LA considered legal? I'd love to play on an automatic table at some point, and if there were mahjong centers open in NYC (similar to chess and go centers here), I'd certainly do my share of supporting it. I think opening something like that up to non-Japanese speakers and have the money come from renting the tables would be a way to keep some clubs open. Here's hoping they can find a new space soon.
>- David
Hi David, you wrote:
I think opening something like that up to non-Japanese speakers and have the money come from renting the tables would be a way to keep some clubs open.
Yes, that would be fine. There's no law in L.A. against having a club where people gather to play games. Gambling requires a special license and probably also depends on the location.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 3, 2008
Frequently Asked Question 19AY
>From: Diane2347
>Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 7:08 AM
>Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
>My mah-jongg question or comment is:
>If a player discards a tile and calls the wrong tile but she has the tile she called in her hand does she have to take the tile out of her hand to discard the tile. i.e. she throws a 4 bam but calls it a 7 crack. She has a 7 crack in her hand, is she obligated to take it out of her hand and put it down.
>Thank you.
>Diane
Hi Diane,
This question has been asked many times before, most recently by Ellen and Dean on Thursday, November 13 (scroll down to read it). You can find the answer to this and many other often-asked questions in the "Frequently Asked Questions" ("FAQs"). You have asked Frequently Asked Question #19AY. Please scroll up and find the links to the FAQs, above left. Click FAQ 19. Bookmark the page for your future reference. Scroll down and find the answer to this question. If the wording of the answer is unclear, just let me know what information is missing, and please let me know how I can improve the wording of the answer for future askers of this same question.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 3, 2008
Riichi variations, part 3
>From: Vahid H
>Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 6:00 PM
>Subject: Re: Question about possible Reach Mahjong variation
>Hi again Tom,
>You have kindly responded to a couple of recent messages I sent concerning variations on Reach Mahjong.
>I have specifically been interested in maximizing the skill factor and minimizing the luck factor, to which you replied that perhaps Reach would not be the best place to start. Which version of Mahjong would you suggest? I had always thought that Reach was a rather skillful ruleset, considering that sheer complexity in some rules does not equal a more skillful game per se.
>
>So far I have been tinkering around and find that I generally prefer Reach with these changes:
>NO BONUS TILES (no doras of any kind)
>NO BONUS RESTRICTIONS (all hands can be open except for reach)
>NO BONUSES PURELY FOR LUCK (such as ippatsu and maybe menzen tsumo)
>NO DEAD TILES (no dead wall of any kind)
>I find that losing the dead wall is perhaps the most important factor.
>2 BONUS MINIMUM (two hand bonuses with no doras) can also be good perhaps, because it incentivizes difficult hands a little more. it disallows hands with reach only, and discourages players with two dragons stealing a third one right away and just going for broke. 5+ dealer repeat would raise the bar to 3 BONUS.
>As with most rules, you can still get paid on a draw round for being tenpai with no hand bonuses.
>
>Lastly, this is a bit of a side note, but:
>The thing I don't like about doras is that they give you the same credit as hands that are much harder to get. Perhaps they could give a linear bonus instead, like +300 payout, but why not just do away with them instead?
>
>If you really want doras, just toned down, you could limit them to one and make it so that the dora indicator is the bonus tile itself such that there are less available. I also think using three red fives instead of doras is possibly more balanced.
>
>I have also tinkered with other ideas to replace the dead wall/doras, such as what I call the 'bank'. Put four random tiles face up at the beginning of the game. These can be stolen at any time, as long as they immediately complete a winning hand. Only players who Reach may do this. This allows possibilities for planning ahead. Scores for it are calculated as a self-drawn win. Since there is no Dead Wall, extra tiles after a quad may be drawn from the bank or from the Live Wall.
>
>Another possibility for the bank is that each player is dealt 14 tiles at the start of the game, choosing one (after looking at their hands) to discard face down, sideways in front of their discard piles. These are then turned over, one bank tile associated with each player. The game then begins. These can, again, be stolen at any time if a player can go out. In this case, the player whose bank tile is stolen must pay the winner in full (as with Ron). If you steal your own bank tile, it is scored as with Tsumo. Once more, this introduces some interesting planning strategies. You can bank a tile which suits your hand as a future winner, but something like a red dragon could easily be used against you by an opponent! seat wind is a good choice.
>
>Anyway... sorry for the long message! Any thoughts on this madness? What other changes or versions might you suggest?
Hi Vahid,
My thoughts on this "madness," you ask? (^_^) I swore off making up mah-jongg variations a long time ago. I figure the world doesn't need more confusing choices.
The reason I like Japanese riichi/dora majan is because it has so much luck in it. That adds to the suspense and fun, in my opinion. So I really don't see why you'd start with that variant when your goal is to strip out the luck and make a solely skill-based variant. I think MCR or Zung Jung, which were both designed specifically for competitions, would be a better starting point. Zung Jung is the variant designed by Alan Kwan, and is used in the World Series of Mahjong events in Macau. And yes, remove all purely luck-based scoring elements from the game. I already said, in my previous response, that I think you risk reducing the fun thereby. Those are my thoughts on this "madness" of which you speak.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on mah-jongg East & West.
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
December 2, 2008
MORE Q&A!!
CLICK HERE to read older Q&A postings!
SITE LINKS 
Tell everybody what hand you made and how much to pay you: "It's Winds-Dragons, the 2nd hand from the bottom. I got the joker myself, so it's fifty all."
