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SLOPER ON MAH-JONGG

By Tom Sloper (湯姆 斯洛珀)
2月 24日, The Year Of The Snake

Column #557

What would you discard?

1. Forgive my little joke: I didn't mention which variant you're playing! (It kinda matters.) If you're playing NMJL, you should discard Soap and go for Consec. #1. If you're playing MCR or riichi/dora majan, say "hu" or "tsumo;" the hand is complete. Would have been nice to go for Reversible Tiles (just because it's cool), but this is fine as is.

2. If you're playing NMJL, think Odds, discard any even number. If you're playing Riichi/Dora, discard 1D and go for tanyao (all simples).

3. You can only be playing American, or Wright-Pat (with a jokers table rule). If you're playing Wright-Pat, meld that flower and draw a replacement tile. If you're playing NMJL, 369 looks good in dots, and 13579 looks good in high numbers, so 1B can go.

4. If you're playing Riichi/Dora, discard S or 1C and go for chii toitsu combined with All Terminals & Honors. That hand wouldn't be supported in MCR, so if you're playing MCR, get rid of the ones. If you're playing NMJL, this is a tough call; there are seven tiles to lose if you go for W-D #4, and if you go for W-D #2. But if you're playing AMJA, this is a great start for "W1NGS," so discard R.

5. If you're playing MCR or Riichi/Dora, discard 3B and you're waiting for 8B for All Green (ryuuisou). If you're playing HKOS, All Green ("Jade Dragon") might not be recognized, but this is still Clean (one suit, with honors). If you're playing British/Western, discard 8B since chows are not allowed.

6. Discard R, since in most Asian variants, honors invalidate pin woo / pinhu.

7. If you're playing NMJL, think Winds-Dragons #2 and discard any number higher than 1. If you're playing Western/British rules (or its offshoot Wright-Patterson), think Civil War (1861-1865), and discard 1D; you're waiting for 8B for mah-jongg.

8. If you're playing MCR and you happen to be North (or it's the North round), just say hu; All Types. If you're playing Riichi/Dora and you're not North, you don't have a yaku. You need a third shiro (white); discard N.

麻雀

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