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WEEKLY MAH JONGG

By Tom Sloper
September 26, 2010
Column #468

American Mah Jongg (2010 NMJL card). Back to defense by the numbers. We left off last time at kongs of twos.

1. 2468, you say? No, no 2468 hand uses kongs of twos and fours. Could be Consecutive Runs, though; see #s 2 and 5. Hot tiles are 1C 3D 3B F. Watch her discards (and what she doesn't call) for clues.

2. Twos and fours in one suit could be Consec. #3. Hot tiles are threes and dragons in craks and bams.

3. Kong of twos and quint of fours. No such hand, in either one suit or two.

4. Kong of twos with pung of fives, eh? She's dead.

5. Kongs of twos and fives? How's that working out for ya, dead person?

6. Kong of twos with quint of fives. What are you thinking? Oh that's right, you can't think. Because you're dead!

7. Look in 2468 all you want, there's nothing like this in there. Call her dead.

8. Kongs of twos and sixes. Hmmm... no. Dead!

9. Kong of twos and quint of sixes: also no good.

10. Twos and sevens hardly don't never go together. Deadsies again.

11. Kong of twos and pung of eights. Unlikely. Not with two suits and not with one, neither.

12. Kongs of twos and eights in two suits? Gotta be 2468 #3. Hot tiles: F R.

13. Kongs of twos and eights in one suit, on the other hand...? Could be either 2468 #3 or #1. Hot tiles: fours and sixes in craks and dots, green dragon, and flowers. If you think she might be dead, carefully check exposures and the discard floor beforehand.

14. Well, let's see. Kong of twos, quint of eights. Doesn't matter how many suits (one or two), this ain't gonna work. Call her dead. (Twos and nines, neither.)

Thanx to Raena Sherb and Elaine Sagman!

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

Where to order the yearly NMJL card: Read FAQ 7i.

Need rules for American mah-jongg? Tom Sloper's book, The Red Dragon & The West Wind, is the most comprehensive book in existence about the American game. AND see FAQ 19 for fine points of the American rules (and commonly misunderstood rules). AND get the official rulebook from the NMJL (see FAQ 3). Linda Fisher's website is the only website that describes American rules: http://sites.google.com/site/mahjrules/.