NEWS is a kong, isn't it? There are no spaces between the letters, so...
On Monday, June 28, 2021, 01:48:48 PM PDT, Roy U wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q A
My mah-jongg question concerns "NEWS". I was playing a hand today that contained NEWS among its requirements. I had NW and S, and when someone discarded "E" I called for it. I was told I couldn't do that because the wind tiles were considered singles. I claimed that the way it was printed on the card, it looked like a Kong, i.e. no spaces between the letters to indicate that they were singles. Which is it?
Roy U
The Villages, FL
Hi, Roy!
Look at the back of the card, the first sentence of the first paragraph. A pair is 2 "like" tiles. Then the card says "Pung-3; Kong-4; Quint-5; Sextet-6." Because there is a ton of information that needs to be
on the card back, the word "like" was not repeated 4 times. Only because space is so limited on the card. The word "like" is implied in each case. Implicit because there wasn't enough room to be explicit.
Now look at the front of the card, Singles & Pairs #2. Is that hand a pung, a quint, and a sextet? There's no space between the first 3 numbers, and no space between the numbers in the 5-number group, and no spaces in the 6-number group. By your no-spaces reasoning, those must be pungs, quints, and sextets. But they're not. The bottom right corner section is called "Singles & Pairs" because those hands are all made of singles and pairs. Look at the bottom hand in S&P - three 2021s. Are those 2021s in fact kongs because of the lack of spaces? Or are they singles, since they're in the Singles & Pairs section?
You can see where I'm going with this. If you need more explicit wording, read FAQ 19-E.
Please bookmark FAQ 19 for rules questions, and FAQ 16 for questions about the NMJL card.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 28, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
He had a change of heart.
On Monday, June 28, 2021, 06:27:47 AM PDT, Kris wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
(We do not play competition rules.). A player had a tile in his hand, he called the tile, and touched the table with the tile. But he did not release the tile. It never left his hand. Can he change his mind and take it back? We are questioning the possession thing. If he physically didn’t let it go, is it still his active tile?
Thank you so much Tom! You are our “go to” guru!
Kris K
Sent from my iPhone
Hi, Kris.
I don't need to know what rules you don't play. I only need to know what rules you do play. The following answer assumes you play National Mah Jongg League rules.
You say the player "called" the tile; he said the tile's name out loud. AND he touched the tile to the discard floor.
That tile is down.
And down is dead.
In other words: no backsies.
Please read FAQ 19-AM, which answers all the "change of heart" questions (NMJL rules).
Please bookmark FAQ 19 for rules questions, and FAQ 16 for questions about the NMJL card.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 28, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Why can't I chow
On Sunday, June 27, 2021, 10:47:37 PM PDT, hndickson2 wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: I am from New Zealand and just play socially. We use The Mahjong Players companion by Pateicia Thompson and Betty Malony. We are unsure about Chows. One person says we can only play a chow on Ordinary Mahjong and that's all but I cant see why I cant chow on Windy Chows or Chop Suey or Chow Mein. Who is correct.
Sent from my Galaxy
Hi, hndickson2! You wrote:
We use The Mahjong Players companion by Pateicia Thompson and Betty Malony.
You have the wrong book. The "Companion" only describes the hands - it doesn't describe the rules. You need Thompson & Maloney's main book, "The Game of Mah Jong Illustrated," especially the section on chows on page 15.
One person says we can only play a chow on Ordinary Mahjong and that's all but I cant see why I cant chow on Windy Chows or Chop Suey or Chow Mein. Who is correct.
One person is correct. See page 15 of the "Illustrated" book: "In the Western game, only one Chow is permitted in the ordinary Mah Jong hand." Of course, if you're making a hand that actually calls for more than one chow, you can make more than one chow. Windy Chow, for instance. But since that special chows hand is Concealed, you cannot claim a discard to make a chow unless it's for mah-jongg.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 27, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
P.S. I also recommend Strauser and Evans' "Mah Jong, Anyone?" - especially the 2006 edition (I wrote the chapter on strategy, and touched up some portions of the book). - Tom
The bettor notes that it is a wrong mah-jongg, part 2
On Sunday, June 27, 2021, 04:58:26 PM PDT, barbara w wrote:
Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A
Thank you for your prompt response. I am glad that issue is now settled!
You're welcome, Barbara.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
June 27, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Can you use a joker in NEWS or 2021?
On Sunday, June 27, 2021, 02:26:58 PM PDT, gjl724 wrote:
Re: 2021 Rules
see below
On Sunday, June 27, 2021, 02:20:09 PM PDT, gjl724 wrote:
2021 Rules
HiTom,
One of the ladies in our group needs to see the answer in writing.
2021 Card
Can you, under any circumstances, use a 'JOKER' in NEWS OR 2021?
Thanks,
Gail
Easy, Gail. Just show her the back of the card.
Says it right there.
Every player should read the back of the NMJL card
every year. There may be changes, and many frequently
asked questions are answered on the card.
If your player is still not convinced, because she thinks NEWS and 2021 are kongs, show her where the term "kong" is defined, higher up on the card, in the 1st line of the 1st paragraph.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 27, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The bettor notes that it is a wrong mah-jongg
On Sunday, June 27, 2021, 01:23:41 PM PDT, barbara w wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: If after a person is paid for a mah jongg, the bettor notes that it is a wrong mah-jongg, do they still have to pay what the person they bet on does? Thank you.
Hi, Barbara!
The bettor has zero say. Nada. Zilch. S/he is not permitted to speak while the payment tally is discussed, and s/he is bound by what the three non-winners at the table already agreed to pay the winner. After s/he pays, s/he can inform the group that it's a bad hand, but payment has already been made and it's not refundable. You can read these rules in the official rulebook, which every table should have.
This is the League's official rulebook. It was revised in 2013, 2018, and again in 2020.
Every table should have an up-to-date copy.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 27, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Do soaps make good joker bait?
On Friday, June 25, 2021, 08:19:40 PM PDT, marsha c wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: Are soaps risky tiles to hold as “joke bait" or is it OK to hold them as any other pair?"
Cool question, Marsha. Joker bait
is a ploy that should be used somewhere near the wall's halfway point. Using it before that is less likely to succeed, and using it after that increases the risk of throwing someone's winning tile, even more so for soaps, but not by a whole lot when you consider how few "2021" hands are on the card. (Consider: the only thing that makes white dragons stand out from the red and green variety is their use as zeroes, and there are very few of those on the card.) I wouldn't wait too long to throw a zero as joker bait.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 25, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Do you make the game for Mac?
On Friday, June 25, 2021, 09:28:47 AM PDT, Sue B wrote:
Mahjong game
Years ago I bought the mahjong game for my computer. I am now a Mac user. Do you make the game fir Mac?
Sent from my iPhone
On Friday, June 25, 2021, 09:34:12 AM PDT, Sue B wrote:
Computer game
I just see you have a new email from the one I used. Question do you still have your computer mahjong game? Back then I used a pc now I am only Mac
Sue
Sent from my iPhone
Sue, I haven't made any mah-jongg software in two decades*. If you want true mah-jongg, see FAQ 5. If you're talking about tile-matching games, see FAQ 12.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 25, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
* Well, there was a mobile game in 2003 and an IPTV game around 2006. Both tile-matching, not mah-jongg.
Can I discard before picking from the wall?
On Thursday, June 24, 2021, 01:05:05 PM PDT, Sharon L wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q A
Can a player throw there tile and then pick
No, Sharon.
When your turn begins, you have 13 tiles on your rack. If you discard before picking, you have 12 tiles, and anybody can call you dead. You're supposed to hold 13 tiles when it's not your turn, and 14 tiles when it's your turn. Read the official rulebook, pages 14 and 15.
This is the League's official rulebook. It was revised in 2013, 2018, and again in 2020.
Every table should have an up-to-date copy!
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 24, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Oops! Backsies! Do-over!
On Thursday, June 24, 2021, 03:51:06 AM PDT, Louise D wrote:
MJ QUESTION
A player called a tile, exposed her tiles on her rack then said "Oops, I didn't want that tile" and started to put her exposure back in her rack. I said she couldn't do that. Once she exposed, she can't take it back. She said she didn't want the tile she called for. I said she had to take it and use it for the exposure and "just deal with and keep playing." (I didn't call her dead because it was possible that she could change her hand.)
Is that correct?
Lou D.
You told her true, Lou.
FAQ 19-AM lists the most common "oops, undo" scenarios, and indicates sources of League rules in writing. Most League rules are written in the official rulebook, but some rulings may be found in January newsletters. This one was covered in the 2007 newsletter. And another faithful reader sent me a picture of a ruling she got in writing from the league in 2015. The rule applies to the physical placement of tiles atop the rack, either from the discard floor or from the tiles on the sloping front of the rack.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 24, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
What if somebody picks from the wrong end, part 2 - Still teaching?
On Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 05:54:14 PM PDT, Donna E wrote:
Teaching and a question
Hi Tom,
Your name is listed as a MJ Teacher on Where the Winds Blow and I have given your name out recently when people are looking for a teacher in the LA area. I was told today that you aren't teaching anymore so I won't give your name out.
Also, I noticed on June 18, a person asked what happens when you pick from the wrong end of the wall?
In Mah Jongg Made Easy, if you "pick and rack" your hand is dead. P. 22 21B, I think that's a different answer than what you indicated.
LOVE your columns and all of your great info!
Thank you,
Donna E
Hi, Donna!
I'm not teaching at present. I have a lot going on but beyond that, I'm still leary of going into strangers' homes and breathing other strangers' air for hours at a time. I'll put my name back on
my teachers list when I'm up for teaching again.
As for "What if somebody picks from the wrong end," June 18 - I sit corrected. I don't think I read Star's question thoroughly enough. I also told her to read FAQ 19-AA. I concede that the FAQ doesn't specify racking the tile after picking it.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 23, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Can I call a single, part 3
On Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 04:40:30 PM PDT, Dorothy P wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
I did not have any tiles exposed. In my rack I had N W S and an E was
thrown, can I pick that up and expose it as NEWS?
Thank you.
Not unless it's for mah-jongg, Dorothy. Prior to mah-jongg, the only sets you can expose are pungs, kongs, and quints*. NEWS is none of those.
See FAQ 19-E.
Please bookmark FAQ 19 for rules questions, and FAQ 16 for questions about the NMJL card.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 22, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
* There are no sextets on the 2021 card.
Can I call a single, part 2
On Sunday, June 20, 2021, 09:38:46 AM PDT, Norma K wrote:
Re: single tiles
Thank you for the quick reply. One of the players yesterday picked up the E and MonJongg immediately. Everyone at the table told her she could not do it.
You're welcome, Norma.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
The day after Juneteenth, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Can I call a single or pair for mah-jongg?
On Sunday, June 20, 2021, 08:52:07 AM PDT, Norma K wrote:
single tiles
On 2021 card Winds – dragons last line the E W. Can I pick one up to MahJong?
Yes, Norma. As it says in FAQ 19-E3, if you are waiting for mah-jongg (you just need one tile), then - no matter how the tile is used in the hand (for a single, a pair, to complete a NEWS or a 202x, NO MATTER WHAT - as long as it is not a joker), you can say "mah-jongg" if anybody discards it.
Please bookmark FAQ 19 for rules questions, and FAQ 16 for questions about the NMJL card.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
Juneteenth plus one day, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The 2021 card, part 26.b.
On Friday, June 18, 2021, 06:35:44 PM PDT, <ktsharon wrote:
Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. You provide a very nice service.
You're welcome, ktsharon!
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
June 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
What if somebody picks from the wrong end of the wall?
On Friday, June 18, 2021, 03:41:50 PM PDT, Star Fire wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Easy question, but I can’t find the answer. If a tile is knocked off the wall, and exposed, tile is returned to where it fell off, and the games continues. If someone accidentally picks a tile from the wrong end of the wall, is it returned, and the tile from the correct side picked? Penalty??
Thank you
Star
Hi, Star!
Picking from the wrong end of the wall is treated as a death penalty offense in tournaments and competitive games. See FAQ 19-AA.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
P.S. Because the wrong end is so dangerous to pick from, a lot of players like to turn (rotate) the last stack as a visible barrier to errant hands. It's common worldwide, in fact.
P.P.S. - Also, the death penalty mentioned above refers to picking and racking a tile from the wrong end or wrong wall. Thanks to Donna E on June 23, above.
- Tom.
My computer game is being very uncooperative
On Friday, June 18, 2021, 03:33:27 PM PDT, melva j wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
How do I get my game to allow me to pick ANY matching tile? It use to do this for me and suddenly it stopped and I can only match very tiles!! My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Sent from my iPhone
I have no idea, Melva. You should ask the maker of your game. See FAQ 24.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
P.S. You may be playing a tile-matching game (one of many solitaire games inspired by the classic game Shanghai) - not an actual mah-jongg game. Still, if you say the name of your game (and which kind of computing device you play it on), maybe another reader can answer your question. Stay tuned... - Tom
The 2021 card, part 26 (part 3 redux)
On Friday, June 18, 2021, 02:09:00 PM PDT, ktsharon wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
Under consecutive run, the fifth hand down is not clear. It does not specify whether it can be Any Consec Nos or These Nos. Only
Our table felt it could be any consec numbers, but one person insisted that it must be the number one two and three.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Any numbers.
Please bookmark FAQ 16 for questions about the 2021 NMJL card, and FAQ 19 for rules questions.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Is this a legal play?
On Friday, June 18, 2021, 01:55:42 PM PDT, Rose I wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: When a player is attempting to form an all pairs hand (concealed) is it legal for that player to exchange a tile for another player’s joker just to discard the joker? The player drew the tile from the wall, exchanged it for the other player’s joker & discarded the joker. Is this a legal move given that the joker could not be used in the player’s all pairs hand?
Your reasoning is interesting, Rose, but any player may redeem a joker. Besides, how would anybody know that player is working on a Singles & Pairs hand? Not that what the player is holding has any relevance on joker redemption...
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Dragon/suit associations
On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 09:36:49 AM PDT, Karen G wrote:
Just checking--Honors
Although it's obviously true in NMJL, please confirm that, universally, "Green" dragons go with Bams, "Red" with Cracks, "White" with Dots. I don't know much about the other versions....
Thanks.
Karen
Hi, Karen!
It's not universal. Not many variants use dragon/suit associations. But as far as I know, the variants (Western, and sometimes Hong Kong, there may be others) that do involve dragon/suit associations do associate them the way you describe.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 16, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
When paying for the table...
On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 06:37:52 AM PDT, andrea g wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
When a player throws to an obvious hand and must pay for the table , does it include paying for the winner as well or just the losers?
Sent from my iPhone
When a player throws to an obvious hand and must pay for the table...
...Which is a tournament rule. Not an official National Mah Jongg League rule...
does it include paying for the winner as well or just the losers?
When your group makes up a table rule, your group has to figure out all the details (see FAQ 14). "Paying for the table" normally means that the offending player pays four times the value of the win, to the winner, and nobody else pays the winner. But since you are using a table rule, your group is free to set your rule however you all want.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 16, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Jade set, part 2
On Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 11:52:38 AM PDT, Pete S wrote:
going maskless and a Jade set
Hi Tom,
It’s been a while since I’ve visited your Q&A page and the first thing I noticed is that you are back to your old maskless avatar. Yay. Of course I had to scroll down to see when you stopped being masked. As I was reading my way back up to the present I saw the May 17th post about the Jade Mahjong set.
Boy I wish you would have asked to see some photos. I would surely be interested to see a stone Mahjong set. Some questions that spring to mind are; are they bamboo backed or solid stone? How ornate are the carvings? Are the tiles painted?
Oh well, maybe Iris is a Faithful Reader and will see this and post some pix.
-Pete-
I’m going to tell you a story. Not all of it may be entirely factual, but all of it will be true.
Hi, Pete, good to see you again.
I would have like to see pix of her jade tiles, too. I had a stone set once. It was carved, not ornately, it was solid stone (no bamboo backing).
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 15, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Proper tile naming, part 2
On Monday, June 14, 2021, 05:03:42 AM PDT, jamescaboose wrote:
Re: Proper Tile Naming
Tom,
Thanks for the response.
It answered my question.
One of the new players discarded and said "A dot."
I was looking for a 1 dot to call and missed it.
Thought he said an "8 dot."
Jim
I see.
If you had simply looked at the discard, you would have seen which dot he discarded, and you could have claimed it.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 14, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Proper tile naming
On Sunday, June 13, 2021, 01:50:45 PM PDT, jamescaboose wrote:
Proper Tile Naming
Greetings,
We have several new players in our club that insist on using tile names that they used before joining us.
This is causing problems.
What are the proper names to use when discarding each of the tiles?
Jim M
Hi, Jim!
Sounds almost like the "proper" names are the ones your club was already using, even if the newcomers use the same tile names that I do. What I'm saying is, my giving you a list of "proper" tile names probably isn't going to help the situation at your club. Besides, there are numerous popular nicknames that most players just accept after hearing them the first time. That said, I understand that a lot of players have plenty enough challenge trying to find a hand between the card and the tiles they were dealt, and resist any new complications. Heaven forbid they should look at the tile being named to understand what tile it actually is! Or take alternate names in stride with good humor...
I wish you had told us what tile names were causing a brouhaha. "One bird" maybe? "Zero" or "white," perhaps? Somebody saying "circle" instead of "dot" or "stick" instead of "bam"? Back in 1998 the online mah-jongg community on Usenet exchanged their tile names. You can read that conversation on the mahjongarchives page. You can also read FAQ 6, where I examined the various terminologies used by mah-jongg authors.
The standard terms in NMJL play are:
One dot, two dot...
One bam, two bam...
One crak, two crak...
North, East, West, South
Green, Red, Soap ("white" or "zero" also okay)
Flower
Jim, if I have missed the sticking points in your club's current disagreement, just tell me what terms those smartypants newcomers are saying that are ticking off your longstanding members so!
What about taking a vote?
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 13, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Backsies! Do-over! Undo!
On Thursday, June 10, 2021, 07:57:04 AM PDT, Joyce T wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
If you pick up a discard and decide you don’t want it, can you put it back.
Sent from my iPad
Hi, Joyce. All the "change of heart" questions are answered in FAQ 19-AM. Please bookmark FAQ 19 for questions about National Mah Jongg League rules (assuming that's the mah-jongg variant you play). The overall gist of all the "change of heart" rules is that actions speak louder than words.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 10, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
There is no rule about announcing one's own joker exchange, so...?
On Thursday, June 10, 2021, 07:25:03 AM PDT, Debbie B wrote:
Hello
Good day! Question, I know there is no NMJL rule about having to announce one's own joker exchange. However, do you feel it is courteous to do so? I suppose alerting everyone let's them know you "might" be one step closer to making mah jongg. Would love your take on this Tom. Thank you.
Kind Regards,
Debbie B
Hi, Debbie!
When redeeming a joker, it's only polite to speak to the player whose joker you are redeeming, to request the joker. It's impolite to just take the other player's joker and put your own tile on that player's rack. And in fact, rule 14 on page 23 of the 2020 edition of Mah Jongg Made Easy, the official rulebook, "recommends" that you should never touch another player's tiles. And it says "The player should first announce that a Joker exchange is to be made."
Maybe you're talking about redeeming a joker atop one's own rack (maybe that's what you mean by "one's own joker exchange"?). When Rule 14 says "The player should first announce that a Joker exchange is to be made", that only makes sense given that you are making an exchange with another player's tiles, hopefully without touching that other player's tiles yourself. It would be silly to talk to yourself and ask yourself for the joker. Also, "rule" 14 isn't expressing a rule, so much as a recommendation, right? Are we now in the gray area between rules and etiquette?
So let's talk about etiquette. We all know that many of our players have their eyes locked on their own racks, and rely solely on their ears for information as to what's going on with the other players. It's polite to be respectful of those players, and verbalize pretty much every move, isn't it? Or should we be talking about strategy? Is it good strategy to take advantage of other players' bad habits? If I silently redeem a joker atop my own rack, isn't that just good strategy, even if maybe a little impolite?
In sum, there are 3 ways of looking at this (rules, etiquette, strategy):
Rules: All players are required to obey the rules. But rule 14 isn't worded as a hard-and-fast rule. Even the verbalization is not worded as a rule but as an etiquette "should," and in context the verbalization seems to apply solely to redeeming jokers from others' racks.
Etiquette: clearly it is polite (good manners) to verbalize moves that can't be seen by players whose eyes are glued to their tiles.
Strategy: clearly it is beneficial to one's own chances to limit verbalizations to only the moves that the rules say must be verbalized, to withhold information from players who only listen and don't look.
So in this case, in the absence of a written rule that specifically addresses the question, we are torn between etiquette and strategy. Most of the time, I would favor etiquette over strategy, but I can imagine circumstances when I would go for the strategic move instead, like for instance if I'm playing against an opponent who values strategy over etiquette and annoys me and the other players with aggressive tactics.
In closing, here's what I do: I say aloud something along the lines of "Lucky me!" as I replace the joker atop my own rack. The verbalization signals what is happening on my side of the table. It's good manners, even if it does give information to ears-only opponents (information that's freely and unavoidably available to opponents who listen and look).
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 10, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The 2021 card, part 25
On Sunday, June 6, 2021, 12:00:36 PM PDT, Denise wrote:
2021 Mahjongg card
Hello,
My Mahjongg group has a question about one of the 369 hands.
The 3333 6666 999 999 (any three suits). Can you use 333 333 or 666 666 instead of 999 999? We assume you can’t. Just curious.
Thanks,
Sent from my iPad
Just so we're straight on this: I am not the NMJL, and I have not seen a ruling from the NMJL on this. But let's examine the clues:
- There is no parenthetical that says you can do that;
- There is enough room, so they could have put a parenthetical there but they didn't;
- If you use threes or sixes instead of nines, then there would be no nines in the hand.
- The family name is "369", not "36."
So my assumption is the same as yours. You have to use nines. Nobody asked this before but I'll add it to FAQ 16.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
6/6/2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
How to safely clean ivory tiles.
On Sunday, June 6, 2021, 07:52:30 AM PDT, Mary W wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
How to safely clean ivory tiles.
Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
The same way you clean bone and bamboo tiles. See FAQ 7o.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
6/6/2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Mystery tiles
On Sunday, June 6, 2021, 05:59:42 AM PDT, steven d wrote:
Fwd: Help Identifying Mahjong Tiles
Greetings,
I purchased my wife a small chinese traveling mahjong set....though we play w american rules this older set had some really interesting looking tiles, we could identify almost all the tiles except the attached we were not totally sure about....can you help identify them for us please?
I believe the first set is flowers and the second picture is a 1 Bam (Birdie bam),,,,but the third picture has us stumped....
appreciate your expertise....Steve D
Hi, Steve,
As I wrote in FAQ 7E, "once you have identified and arranged all the suit tiles and the winds and the dragons (and there don't seem to be any of those basic tiles missing), then your other mystery tiles are probably either flowers or jokers." Your mystery tiles are flowers. Take a look at FAQ 7E-F.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
6/6/2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Are identical pairs okay, part 2
On Sunday, June 6, 2021, 01:15:15 AM PDT, June G wrote:
Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A
G’day Tom
Really appreciated you getting back to me….even tho’ I’m an Aussie and play differently from the American game(which I’ve seen when cruising) it was so good of you to look into games we play here. I’ve taught many of my friends to play in the last 20 years, but we prefer not to score so that we can play more games and don’t have to worry about the score….we’ve even made up games for fun!
Since retiring I’ve found mahjong to have been such a great way to keep in touch with friends…so much fun!
As you say may the tiles be with you
June
You're welcome, June. I, too, enjoy playing without the whole counting-up-the-points foofaraw.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
6/6/2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Column 748
On Saturday, June 5, 2021, 08:04:10 AM PDT, lindaz wrote:
column 748
Hi Tom,
In column #748, number 9, I would keep the 9c and discard the 8b and either both winds or one wind and 2 c. It is a little risky to discard both winds in the Charleston, There are 7 friendly tiles for 3-6-9 section. A good beginning first dance step. Thoughts?
Thanks, Linda
Hi, Linda!
Yes, that's a valid approach too. I would keep 2C so I can preserve a Consec option, and if I want to keep 5B (which is by no means a certainty) then I'd need to pass both winds. I wouldn't say that's "risky" so much as "less than optimal."
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 5, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The 2021 card, part 24 (part 5 redux)
On Friday, June 4, 2021, 12:05:25 PM PDT, Anne Marie C wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
Question- On the 2021 card in the wind section - second hand down - NS Odd and EW even. The bracket reads (Any Like-Odd -Even). Does that mean you can use even with N & S as well as odd. And odd with E&Was well as even?
Anne C
Sent from my iPad
Hi, Anne. Please scroll down and see the answer I gave Diane W yesterday.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 4, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Donation
On Friday, June 4, 2021, 05:23:31 AM PDT, service@paypal wrote:
You received a payment
Hello, Thomas Sloper
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Thank you again, Evelyn!
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 4, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Strategies for flower pair hands, part 2
On Thursday, June 3, 2021, 01:30:53 PM PDT, Craig J wrote:
Re: Mah-Jongg Q&A Bulletin Board Questions from CK
Wow, Tom! Thanks so much for the fast and quality response that you posted on the Bulletin board!!!
CK
I'm glad it was helpful, CK!
Tom
Strategies for flower pair hands
On Thursday, June 3, 2021, 11:59:55 AM PDT, Craig J wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q&A Bulletin Board Questions from CK
Hi, Tom,
I have read your book The Red Dragon & The West Wind. I am now just beginning to look at your FAQ's, Strategy Columns, and Q&A Bulletin Board Questions. Thank you for providing these!!!
My Questions:
- Is there a Search function to look for where a specific topic is covered? I could not find it if there is one. For example, I am struggling with strategies for preferentially selecting or avoiding hands with a pair of Flowers if I am starting with zero or one Flowers. And if I have two flowers already, should I prefer a hand using them even if I have to abandon a slightly longer hand that doesn't use Flowers? (This would avoid discarding flowers for someone else to use. However, I did notice in one of the Q&A's that someone thought more were being discarded when using the 2021 card.)
- If there is not a Search Function, could you tell me if you know of column #'s where Flower Strategies are already discussed beyond what is covered in your book?
If not, I would be interested in thoughts on the Flower hand questions listed above.
Thanks so much!
CK
Hi, CK! Always glad to hear from a RDWW reader! Your questions:
Is there a Search function to look for where a specific topic is covered?
If you use Google and ask your question and then tack on "sloperama.com" on the end, sometimes that'll help you find something on my site.
For example, I am struggling with strategies for preferentially selecting or avoiding hands with a pair of Flowers if I am starting with zero or one Flowers.
If you have zero flowers, don't go for a hand that needs a flower pair.
And if I have two flowers already, should I prefer a hand using them even if I have to abandon a slightly longer hand that doesn't use Flowers?
It depends. If I identify a flower pair in step 1 (of the four steps), then on step 2 I look to see what else in the hand works with the pair. If my flower pair is unsupported by any friends, then I look to see if there is something else in the hand.
(This would avoid discarding flowers for someone else to use.
Flowers are dangerous to discard in the second half of the hand. Best to discard unwanted flowers early. If someone calls your discard for exposure, that is information you can use in your defense.
could you tell me if you know of column #'s where Flower Strategies are already discussed beyond what is covered in your book?
No, I can't. Have you checked out FAQ 8?
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 3, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The 2021 card, part 23 (part 5 redux)
On Thursday, June 3, 2021, 11:34:24 AM PDT, Diane W wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: on the 2021 card under winds & dragons line 2, does NNN and SSS still have to be with like odds and EEE and WWW the evens? It reads like could be either.
Thx
Diane
Hi, Diane. East and West are always even (just think East = Even), and North and South are always odd. Please bookmark FAQ 16 for questions about the NMJL card, and while you're at it, bookmark FAQ 19 for rules questions.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 3, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
A discard was misnamed, causing confusion
On Thursday, June 3, 2021, 07:19:51 AM PDT, Merle P wrote:
Re: Mah Jong rule for Charleston
Thanks, Tom. Another comment from that same new player: If a discard is miscalled (i.e. 9 dot for 9 bam), and another player needs 9 bam, can the discarded 9 dot be used as a 9 bam?
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
It depends, Merle. Is that other player calling that misnamed discard for mah-jongg, or for mere exposure? FAQ 19-AY answers the "misnamed discard" questions. Please bookmark FAQ 19 for rules questions.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 3, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
3P Chas
On Thursday, June 3, 2021, 04:40:47 AM PDT, Merle wrote:
Mah Jong rule for Charleston
When playing with 3 players at the table, is the fourth wall used during the charleston? If so, what is the procedure? We have always played without doing the charleston with 3 players, however, a new member of our group said the 4th wall is to be included during this part of the gam
Thank you. Merle P
Hi, Merle. Your new player is wrong, and the rest of you are right. The problem is that many players have never read the rulebook nor the Q&As in the yearly newsletter, and think the table rules they were taught are official and correct. Show your new player FAQ 13-A. Or, if you have the rulebook, show her what it says about 3 players (page 26 if you have the 2020 edition).
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 3, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Observations playing the 2021 card...
On Wednesday, June 2, 2021, 12:11:46 PM PDT, Deborah H wrote:
2021 unintended consequeces
* I notice that Soaps are discarded much earlier than other dragons therefore can not be collected unless you sacrifice Jokers very early as well. Why?
* I have also noticed that Flowers are not as hoarded as last year. Why?
* The Like #1 seems so simple. Is that because the W-D are more difficult?
Just pondering. It's a small universe.
Deb
Hi, Deb! You pondered...
I notice that Soaps are discarded much earlier than other dragons
Understandable. Soaps become hot quickly because of the special demand put on them by the 2021 section and the 2021 hand in Winds-Dragons and the bottom hand in S&P. Soaps are dangerous to discard in the latter half of the hand.
therefore can not be collected unless you sacrifice Jokers very early as well.
That's an astute observation.
I have also noticed that Flowers are not as hoarded as last year.
What I noticed is that there are few flower kong hands this year, and no flower kong in Consec at all. Maybe there's a connection.
The Like #1 seems so simple.
Yes. Singles are easier than pairs.
Is that because the W-D are more difficult?
I don't see a connection.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 2, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The 2021 card, part 22 (part 3 redux)
On Wednesday, June 2, 2021, 11:48:13 AM PDT, Jane P wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
On the 2021 card in the consecutive run section, hand #5 (pair of flowers/kong/kong/kong), are only numbers 1,2, and 3 allowed, or can it be any three consecutive numbers?
Thank you for your help. This question came up at our game today and the card is not clear.
Jane P
Hi, Jane!
This question (and other frequently asked questions about the 2021 card) is answered in FAQ 16. Please bookmark it for any further questions that might arise about the 2021 card.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 2, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
When was the first automatic table introduced, part 2
On Wednesday, June 2, 2021, 08:41:20 AM PDT, Debbie Barnett wrote:
Re: Hello
Super and thanks for the great tip! Enjoy your day!
Kind Regards,
Debbie Barnett, Certified Mah Jongg Instructor
You're welcome, Debbie.
Tom
When was the first automatic table introduced in the U.S.?
On Wednesday, June 2, 2021, 08:02:49 AM PDT, Debbie Barnett wrote:
Hello
Hi Tom, I hope you are doing well! Question, do you know when the first automatic mah jongg table was introduced in the U.S.? I'm doing some research for an article and cannot find a thing about this on the internet. Thanks!!
Kind Regards,
Debbie Barnett, Certified Mah Jongg Instructor
Hi, Debbie.
There's no way to know when the first one was imported. The mah-jongg parlor where I learned Japanese mah-jongg in the late 1990s had several of them installed, and I assume that the other parlors in the L.A. area also had some. There was no English-language site where one could order one at that time. Importers offering tables gave me their business cards when I went to tournaments in the early 2000s. Why don't you contact the manufacturers listed in FAQ 7F and ask them when they first imported automatic tables, or what they know about competitors' early activities.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 2, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Seeking a 3 bam
On Tuesday, June 1, 2021, 10:52:27 AM PDT, Shelley Yukelson <shelley2shoes [at) sbcglobal.net> wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question is I have 1 missing 3 bamboo in my set. Do you know where I can purchase an extra Ivory cream 3 bamboo with the number 3 on the left.
Thank you
Shelley
Shelley, your request has been posted on the Tiles Wanted board. But don't just sit and wait for sellers to come to you - get proactive! You should try the links atop that board, and you can also try reading the Tiles For Sale board. Good luck!
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tile be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
June 1, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
A link to add
On Sunday, May 30, 2021, 04:14:57 PM PDT, Ron van 't V wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
I found this interesting website with rules for Singapore Mahjong:
https://justanotherguysg.com/2020/05/21/how-to-play-singapore-mahjong-part-1/
https://justanotherguysg.com/2020/05/26/how-to-play-singapore-mahjong-part-2/
https://justanotherguysg.com/2021/01/03/how-to-play-singapore-mahjong-part-3/
I couldnt find this one under Singapore mahjong
(https://sloperama.com/mjfaq/mjfaq04.htm)
Greetings from the Netherlands,
Ron vant V
Okay, Ron, I'll add a link. Greetz.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 30, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
What are you supposed to do when someone denies being dead?
On Sunday, May 30, 2021, 10:05:06 AM PDT, Hedy G wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
My question deals with calling a player dead.
A player exposed 3 8 Bams, then went on to expose 3 9 Craks, I challenged her hand and she replied with “yes this is a hand” , I said she was dead she challenged again and no other player concurred with me. The only other player who knew she was dead was the bettor. I decided not to peruse my challenge and we continuously p,any. Since she had a joker with her 9 Craks, I exchanged her joker with my 9 Crak. The game ended as a wall game. We showed her why she was dead. She finally agreed. Had someone won, would there have been a penalty and is the bettor allowed to call a player. Should there have been a penalty for her refusal to be called dead? This is the third time the same player has been called dead and I think she became defensive.
Thank you in advance for your response.
Hedy G
Hi, Hedy!
All the frequently asked "death" questions (such as yours) are answered in the "You're Dead" section of FAQ 19. You asked:
I challenged her hand and she replied with “yes this is a hand” , I said she was dead she challenged again and no other player concurred with me. The only other player who knew she was dead was the bettor. I decided not to peruse my challenge and we continu[ed to play]
Yes, once the death challenge has been issued and replied in the negative, all players continue to play. The correct death determination can be made at the end of the hand. FAQ 19-AB.
Since she had a joker with her 9 Craks, I exchanged her joker with my 9 Crak.
YOU knew she was dead, so it can be argued that you were taking advantage of the other players' ignorance of the fact.
Had someone won, would there have been a penalty
Yes. FAQ 19-AB. She owes you a quarter.
is the bettor allowed to call a player.
Absolutely NOT. See the 5-player rules with bettors in the official rulebook. Or read FAQ 13-A. Or see the answer I gave you on June 13, 2020, at sloperama.com/majexchange/bulletinbd-archive49.htm#bettor.
Should there have been a penalty for her refusal to be called dead? This is the third time the same player has been called dead and I think she became defensive.
She owes you a quarter. FAQ 19-AB.
Please bookmark FAQ 19 for rules questions.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 30, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Seeking Viola Cecil's "Maahj"
On Saturday, May 29, 2021, 06:55:26 PM PDT, Sari Edelstein <sariedelstein5 (at] gmail.com> wrote:
Book
Hi Tom
I am looking for the book Maahj by Viola L Cecil. Please let me know if you or anyone has a copy.
Thanks
Sari Edelstein
Sent from my iPhone
Hi, Sari!
Have you tried eBay? And maybe someone on the Mah Jongg Collectors Group on Facebook has one.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the book be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 29, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Column
747
On Thursday, May 27, 2021, 04:46:35 PM PDT, Julia S wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
In Column #747, you say for hand #4 "Your opponent is making W-D #5. " Couldn't they also be trying for W-D #6 (with 2021 instead of the greens in #5)?
Thanks,
Julia
囧 You are quite right, Julia!
So the hot tiles are actually F G and 2021 in any suit. It's a question whether or not your opponent already has the flower pair. If they discard a flower, you can discard an unwanted flower too. If they discard G, you can eliminate W-D#5.
Good eye, Julia. When I saw W-D #6 just now, I remembered seeing it when I was scanning, but apparently I forgot it when I was writing! :p
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
May 27, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Are identical pairs okay?
On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, 04:53:00 PM PDT, June G <j....@yahoo.com.au> wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
When playing the game Hachi Ban, can you have 2 pairs of the same wind or dragon ie NN NN. EE. Or WW EE EE? Or do they have to be 3 pairs of different dragons or winds as is illustrated in the books?
June
Hi, June. Because this isn't addressed in your book, your table has to rule on that at the moment you declare the win. I know that Japanese rules permit two identical pairs, so I would say that's okay in Australian rules too. That's not a guarantee that you wouldn't get into an argument. If somebody thinks that shouldn't be allowed, there has to be a debate and a vote.
By the way, I was confused at first when you referred to the "game" of Hachi Ban. For a moment, I thought you were asking about the game of Hachi-Hachi (played with Japanese flower cards). Then I remembered that I have seen hands referred to as games before, and that you emailed from Australia, and it clicked. I found the hand in Thompson & Maloney's "Improve Your Mah Jong." Anyway, I hope this helps.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 26, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Our tiles are less than half the thickness of the newer sets
On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, 07:49:09 AM PDT, rita s wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
祍洠桡樭湯杧焠敵瑳潩牯挠浯敭瑮椠㩳
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
My wife found and older set and the tiles a less that half the thickness of the newer sets. Just curious if this set has any value due to its size? I have a picture looking from the side but don’t know how to send it to you. Thanks, Charlie S
Hi, Charlie. You wrote:
Just curious if this set has any value due to its size?
If you're talking about those cheaply made skinny tiles that make a clinky-tinkly sound (sometimes referred to as "travel sets" because they're so lightweight), there isn't much collector-clamoring for those. Hard to tell without a picture.
I have a picture... but don’t know how to send it to you.
Well, maybe Google can help you figure that out. I don't do technical support.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
5/25/21
Los Angeles, California, USA
Computer game technical support question, part 3
On Monday, May 24, 2021, 01:41:32 PM PDT, Marsha C wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
For Kathy N, RE: Real Mah Jongg question. When you open the game you’ll see “My Account.” Click on that and chose the “Change My Points” option. Also on that page is an option to contact them. My experience is that they will email you a response within 1/2 a day. Good luck.
The 2021 card, part 21 (part 11 redux)
On Sunday, May 23, 2021, 04:15:39 PM PDT, Marilyn G wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: on the 2021 card on the second hand under 2021 hands, does the first set of 2’s have to be dots or can any suit work as long as it’s different from the second set?
Thanks!
Hi, Marilyn! Please find the answer in
FAQ 16. Please bookmark it for future questions about the 2021 card, and please
bookmark
FAQ 19
for future questions about NMJL rules.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 23, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Computer game technical support question, part 2
On Sunday, May 23, 2021, 12:53:03 PM PDT, Kathy N wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q A
i wish. they never seem to be available. i was hoping you would try,,,,,,please...
I don't do technical support. Maybe another reader knows.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
May 23, 2021
Computer game technical support question
On Saturday, May 22, 2021, 11:37:31 PM PDT, Kathy N wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q A
My mah-jongg question or comment is when playiing Real Mahjongg on line, :how do I reset 2020 points back to zero for new card 2021? thanks.
I have no idea, Kathy. Can't you ask the people who run Real Mahjong?
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
How to play 3 handed mahjong?
On Wednesday, May 19, 2021, 12:30:50 PM PDT, Ethel M wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
How to play 3 handed mahjong. I think there are 2 ways but I’ve forgotten both!! Thx
Ethel M
Hi, Ethel. How to play 3-handed is described in FAQ 13. When the FAQ opens in your browser, just select which mah-jongg variant you play (Chinese, Japanese, American...).
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 19, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Give me a teacher recommendation, part 3
The Find Players, Teachers, Events board is back online.
The Teachers listings in FAQ 4a are back online.
FAQ 15 has been reinstated as well.
Let the games resume... cautiously!
If you want to be listed on the board or on FAQ 4a, just email your listing to me and I'll post it, verbatim.
Tom
May 19
My set has extra tiles
On Monday, May 17, 2021, 09:50:08 PM PDT, margaret f wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Sent from Mail for Windows
My Mahjong set came with 8 extra flowers (total of 16 - 8 with numbers and 8 without) and 2 extra jokers. Can they be added to the tiles for play or are they just extra?
You can't use them in play, Margaret. Read the back of the card, top left corner, eight words in all capital letters. I discussed numbers of flowers and jokers in
FAQ 7-B and
column 509.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 17, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Can I claim a discarded redeemable tile?
On Monday, May 17, 2021, 06:04:16 PM PDT, Sandy K wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: If a player plays 3 7Bams with a Joker and another player later discards a 7Bam can the 7Bam be called and replace the Joker and put it in her rack?
No. See FAQ 19-G.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 17, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Jade set
On Monday, May 17, 2021, 06:36:07 AM PDT, Iris wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
I bought a set at an estate sale and one of the employees informed me that the owner brought it from Japan back in1945. The owner of the set was in the Navy and he purchased it as WWII ended. The employee stated the tiles are jade and it is in very good condition and does not look like it was ever used at all. My question is how do I determine if it is jade and the value of the set?
Thank you.
I don't know, Iris. I don't know how to determine if something is jade and I have no idea how much jade is worth. Maybe make inquiries of antique shops, jewelers, see what they recommend. Good luck!
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 17, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Column dates
On Friday, May 14, 2021, 06:37:00 AM PDT, Marsha C wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Just some housekeeping. The heading on all of your 2021 strategy columns has the year as 2020 instead of 2021. Please don’t make me relive 2020!!! Be well. Be safe. Thanks for all your hard work.
Marsha C.
By Tom Sloper
May 9, 2020
Column #745
American Mah Jongg (2021 NMJL card). An opponent has two exposures atop the rack. Defend!
Thanks, Marsha. I wouldn't want to relive 2020, either! Those 2020s are fixed now, and I fixed the template too, so you might need to remind me in 2022 to fix the 2021s.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom
Give me a teacher recommendation, part 2
It's now 6:30 - three hours after my previous post, below. I heard the news on PBS Newshour that the CDC has announced that vaccinated people can go maskless in "most situations" or something. (Must still mask in healthcare settings, transit, airplanes, for instance.) Sounds like Dr. Fauci and the CDC are OK with mah-jongg games between the fully vaccinated.
Then President Biden came on, urging Americans to be patient with one another as people transition with varying levels of comfort or hesitancy. So I ask my readers to be patient with me.
I went on covid.cdc.gov just now to see an up-to-date map. Turns out there are several ways to view the latest available data. I looked at two: Community Transmission, and Cases.
The Level of Community Transmission map (which covers the past week) doesn't fill me with confidence.
The Cases map looks a bit more hopeful, but given what I wrote at 3:33 today (below), I'm still not feeling joy.
I'll come around. Be patient with me. But I am taking my mask off. Just for you, since you're vaccinated too. But tomorrow when I go out, I'm taking my mask along. But I'm not reinstating the teacher list yet.
...Was that a lot of buts, or is it just me?
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 13, 2021, 7:26 PM (it took me a while to write that)
Los Angeles, California, USA
Give me a teacher recommendation
On Thursday, May 13, 2021, 11:52:31 AM PDT, Emma A wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Dear Tom,
I hope you kept well during the pandemic. Following CDC guidelines my ladies group including myself who are all vaccinated would like to start to learn mahjongg. I know how to play but I am rusty I would be grateful if you could recommend a teacher in the west LA Beverly Hills area.
Thank you so much
Emma A
I'm in a real bind, Emma. Here in L.A. we're in "Yellow" alert. If we were in "Green," and if all the continental US was in "Green," I would totally just reinstate the teacher listings from before the pandemic.
But the continent isn't all-clear, and I feel very very uncomfortable with being even remotely responsible for people getting into close contact with strangers, breathing one another's air for hours at a time. While Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act may protect me from being sued if somebody catches COVID-19 from a mah-jongg game or class that was matchmade on my website, there is also the moral responsibility I feel to protect my readers from preventable disease.
If I republish the list now, I would not be able to rest easily.
Just the mere possibility, however remote, that someone died, and it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't published the list... That would weigh on me the rest of my life.
I also feel for the mah-jongg community that wants to get back to playing in person. I understand the desire. I, too, feel the pull.
I wish and hope for the day to come soon when we are all free to enjoy life "normally." But we have gotten in trouble when people got together before it was safe.
So, I'm in a bind.
My mah-jongg services and this website are for public information only.
I do not provide free private mah-jongg information.
Thus, before the pandemic, I did have teacher information listed publicly on this site.
People used to email me asking if I had any additional teachers not listed publicly. Those requests made me get angry, because I felt they were accusing me of withholding information. But now that the global pandemic keeps hanging on, I suppose it's ironic that now I AM purposely withholding information.
This is the bind I'm in. I don't want to publish just the "Green" zone teachers and withhold the rest - that would force me to do the extra work of keeping up to date on what areas are clear, and update the listing every week or month...
My life is going through big changes starting now, for one thing.
And I don't want to publish the whole list again now, for reasons that are clearly spelled out above.
And I absolutely do not and will not provide individual teacher contact information. I am not a matchmaker and I am not a messenger service, and I don't want to be treated like one (as stated in the website Terms of Service and Privacy Policy above). So I guess I'm saying, it's all (reinstate the entire teacher list) or nothing.
There are surely other "Mahj" websites that ARE listing teachers. I cannot tell you what those sites are.
I wish I'd never had to write this; I wish you'd never asked. I hope you can see why I say: I'm sorry, but I cannot help you at this time.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 13, 2021, 3:33 PM
Los Angeles, California, USA
Can I claim a discard for a 2021? (FAQ 19-E)
On Thursday, May 13, 2021, 04:37:34 AM PDT, Maryellen P wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: can I pick up a white dragon for the unit 2021 and lay it down during the game? Not at the last pick?
Thank you.
Maryellen
No. Please bookmark
FAQ 19
for future questions about NMJL rules, and bookmark
FAQ 16
for future questions about the 2021 card.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 13, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
She constantly asks for a "moment"
On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 03:59:31 PM PDT, Diana S wrote:
Potential call for discard
Dear Mr. Sloper:
We have a player in our group who will often pause the game while she considers a discard, then says she doesn't want it. It's annoying, but not illegal. However, it turns out that she deliberately "calls" for the discard, knowing that she doesn't want it, solely to be able to take time to scan all of the discarded tiles in order to strategize her play. To my knowledge (and I love your website!) there is no rule for this. It isn't really covered under "etiquette" either.
To me, it's one thing to "think" about whether or not you want the tile that was discarded. It's another, and poor sportsmanship, to pause the game just to get a better feel for what's been discarded, especially when it's not your turn. My argument to her was that what she was doing was bad manners and interrupts the flow of the game. If she needs to slow the play down, at least wait until it's her turn, draw and rack her tile, then take a moment to "think" before discarding. The obvious sticking point moving forward is when she asks for a "moment", we can't know for sure whether she is really thinking about the discard or if she is simply taking time to check out the table. We are not beginners here. I would appreciate your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Diana S
Hi, Diana!
I'd love to give you a quick answer, but there are points you made that I want to reply to individually. You wrote:
it turns out that she deliberately "calls" for the discard, knowing that she doesn't want it, solely to be able to take time to scan all of the discarded tiles in order to strategize her play.
I have to wonder how you know this. Did she admit that this is what she does? Because that is unconscionable behavior. If you just suspect that that's what she does, I call that "insufficient evidence" of unconscionable behavior.
To my knowledge (and I love your website!) there is no rule for this. It isn't really covered under "etiquette" either.
There's no rule, but it most definitely falls under etiquette. See FAQ 9 - I definitely list "Making everyone wait" as a "bad habit." Part of me wants to go on a rant about how bad that behavior is, but I'm not gonna.
It's ... poor sportsmanship, to pause the game just to get a better feel for what's been discarded, especially when it's not your turn.
Absolutely. But it's also unsportsmanlike to think unnecessarily long even during your turn. We are getting into the realm of "slow players," which have often come up in Q&As here, and FAQ 19-BA ("How do we handle a slow player?") and in my columns; see column 375 ("Dealing With Slow Players") and column 621 ("The Psychology of Slow Players").
My argument to her was that ... If she needs to slow the play down, at least wait until it's her turn, draw and rack her tile, then take a moment to "think" before discarding.
You're too generous.
The obvious sticking point moving forward is when she asks for a "moment", we can't know for sure whether she is really thinking about the discard or if she is simply taking time to check out the table.
I would ask her, every time. "Are you thinking about that discard, or not?" I'd follow after a few seconds, "Either take that discard or let it go." A 10-second sand timer may be the way to go. When I was a beginner, I just played to keep up and not interrupt the flow. Eventually, I sped up my thinking and became a better player. My Japanese mah-jongg friends called that learning period "paying tuition."
I wish I had more helpful advice for you. See those columns and that FAQ. Good luck!
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 12, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Mystery flowers
On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 07:38:14 AM PDT, Paula H wrote:
Mahj question -- Mystery Flower Tiles
Hi. I really enjoy your website and book!
Can you help me identify the meaning of the top row of flowers in the photo? They are part of a one bam bamboo shoot set, if that helps.
Thanks so much,
Paula H
Wish you would have sent a larger photo, Paula. But I think I've found the answer in
the Mystery Flowers FAQ.
Since you're not asking about the bottom row, I assume you've already tried comparing your tiles to the tiles in the FAQ,
and that you already know those in your bottom row (above) are Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. That would usually mean that the other four are the names of the usual flowers. But, when you were checking the FAQ, did you happen to see the entry titled "Another sort of flower tiles"? The characters and the graphics in the bottom row of this image look somewhat similar to yours:
From the FAQ: "Edwin Phua says these tiles depict the Four Arts of the Chinese Scholar, zither, board game, calligraphy, and painting." 琴棋书画 ("qín qí shū huà").
I think the box depicted in your #3 tile is a calligraphy kit.
I believe that's the answer to your question. If you ever again need to send me a photo, please make it larger than 240x320 pixels!
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 12, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Can you score for Special Eyes when you have a Seven Pairs hand?
On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 09:00:53 AM PDT, Richard W wrote:
special eyes vs 7 pairs
I haven't seen you address this but with the myriad of possible questions I may have missed it. Do the Special Eyes (2,5,8) score as a pair when scoring a Seven Pairs (Seven Sisters) hand? This would apply to several Asian styles so a general answer is satisfactory. Thank you in advance and thanks for being here! Rick W
Hi, Rick.
I think not. A pair is no longer considered "eyes" or "pillow" if the entire hand is all pairs. It could be considered special or rare for the one pair in a regular hand to be a 2 or 5 or 8, but it likely wouldn't be considered special or rare if one of seven pairs was 2s, 5s, or 8s. From the two books I checked on special eyes just now, both of them refer to "the eyes" or "the pair." It isn't stated that this doesn't apply to Seven Pairs, but if you have seven pairs, how could all at the table agree on which one is "the eyes"?
Now you have my opinion, for what that's worth. If you use a book or website as your guide, and if this question is not addressed, your group can establish its own table rule.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 11, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
I wrote a resource for MCR players
On Monday, May 10, 2021, 11:58:06 PM PDT, Petr Maniakhin wrote:
MCR Practicum
Hello, Mr. Sloper,
some time ago I wrote a small book with MCR problems - interesting waitings with ready hands, getting ready when you're 1 step from tempai. I saw nothing like it before, and I made it similar to chess problems: "white begin and win in 2", "black begin and win in 3". I developed this book and made it in 2 languages: English and Russian. Now it has 82 problems with detailed solutions. The latest version can be taken here: https://bit.ly/3vxm6wV (a Google Drive network folder). I hope it will be useful for people who begin their journey in MCR.
With best regards,
Petr ("Northern Peacock" Youtube channel)
Very cool, Petr. I'll post a link in an appropriate FAQ or two.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 11, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Your brainiac approach, part 2
On Friday, May 7, 2021, 08:44:06 PM PDT, Caryn M
Re: Reference: MJ@Sloperama Sloperama Mah-Jongg Answers - Donation from Caryn M
<3
Your brainiac approach makes Mahj make sense for me!
On Friday, May 7, 2021, 07:21:26 PM PDT, service@paypal wrote:
Reference: MJ@Sloperama Sloperama Mah-Jongg Answers - Donation from Caryn M
Hello Thomas Sloper,
Donation Received
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Message: Tom- I have followed you since I began playing - about 10 years ago. Your brainiac approach makes Mahj make sense for me! Now I catch you on FB and in presentations. I'm the one always defending your honor. . . . "Yes, Sloper is safe and his column is real!!!" Thank you! Stay safe. Caryn
Thank you very much, Caryn!
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
May 7, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Column 745
On Friday, May 7, 2021, 11:52:10 AM PDT, Daphne S wrote:
Column #745
Hi Tom-
Love your columns!!! Re: Column #745- #6- Two Kongs of nines. Couldn't other possibilities be Like Numbers #1 or #2?
Thanks-
Daphne
囧
You're absolutely right, Daphne. It would be a huge mistake to call someone dead after all! I am rewriting that entry for the benefit of future readers of that column. Hat's off to you!
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 7, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
A discard was misnamed, causing a problem
On Friday, May 7, 2021, 06:48:16 AM PDT, Lorri B wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Player yesterday through a 1 Crack and called it 7 crack
I called 7 Crack for Maj
She had a 7 crack in her rack- is she obligated to give me the 7 crack as my Maj tile or am I responsible to be looking at the discarded tile
Thank
Lorri B
Hi, Lorri! You wrote:
Player [threw] a 1 Crack and called it 7 crack
I called 7 Crack for Maj
Congratulations, you won the hand!
She had a 7 crack in her rack- is she obligated to give me the 7 crack as my Maj tile or am I responsible to be looking at the discarded tile
She said the name of your winning tile. You won. She pays you four times the value of the hand, and nobody else pays. That's the rule when a misnamer says someone's winning tile. See the back of the card (middle pane, at the top).
Every player should read the back of the NMJL card.
Every player owes it to the other players to know
all these basic rules of the game.
And see FAQ 19-AY.
Please bookmark FAQ 19 for future questions about NMJL rules.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 7, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
When can a joker be redeemed? What's the procedure?
On Wednesday, May 5, 2021, 07:10:37 PM PDT, Carol G wrote:
Mahjohn
Hello,
My question is...if a player calls a tile, lays down her pick, ie 7 crake (3 of them), can she then go and swipe a joker from another player’s hand? Or is that considered two turns? Someone said a turn does not end until a tile is discarded.
Thank you, we are fairly new at this and trying to follow the rules.
Thank you
Carol
That is when she CAN redeem a joker, Carol!
You can only redeem a joker while holding 14 tiles on the rack.
See FAQ 19-M for a complete description of the joker redemption rule.
Please bookmark FAQ 19 for future questions about the rules of American mah-jongg.
And please bookmark FAQ 16 for future questions about the 2021 NMJL card.
Play safely and stay healthy. And May the fifth be with you. ...If that's how you roll.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
Cinco de Mayo, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
P.S. Thanks for asking a question today. I really wanted to use that "May the fifth" joke.
Smelly tiles, part 2
On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 09:00:48 PM PDT, Diane M wrote:
Re: Smelly tiles
Thanks for your quick response, Tom. I guess I should go buy some febreeze!! I made a donation. Be well.
Diane
On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 08:58:46 PM PDT, Diane M via PayPal wrote:
dianeb sent you money
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Thanks, and good luck, Diane!
May the Fourth be with you.
Tom
Smelly tiles
On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 04:53:36 PM PDT, Diane M wrote:
Smelly tiles
Hi Tom,
I got a set of mahjong tiles that were in a stinky (mildew) case. I cleaned the tiles gently with a damp facecloth and I replaced the case. Well, today I opened the old new not smelly case and realized that the tiles themselves are smelly (mildewy). What do you suggest I do to get rid of the odor??? Thanks in advance.
Diane
Berkeley, CA
Hi, Diane!
I suggest you take a look at FAQ 7-o.
I made some markers at four entries about smelly tiles:
https://sloperama.com/majexchange/cleaning.htm#smelly1
https://sloperama.com/majexchange/cleaning.htm#smelly2
https://sloperama.com/majexchange/cleaning.htm#smelly3
https://sloperama.com/majexchange/cleaning.htm#smelly4
But if you just go to https://sloperama.com/majexchange/cleaning.htm on a desktop or laptop and Search the page for "smell," all the entries should be highlighted for easier finding.
I like the non-wet solutions (crumpled newspaper, used dryer sheets) over the liquid solutions. And it kind of depends on what kind of tiles you have. One or two of the entries in the FAQ is about smelly Hong Kong plastic, not mildew. So choose the entries about your specific problem. Extreme caution with liquids and bone tiles painted with water-soluble paint! With a slightly damp cloth, you can gently wipe a surface without removing paint down in the crevices. Modern plastic tiles do not use water-based paints, and are safer to clean with a damp washcloth.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
May the Fourth be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May the Fourth be with you, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
You received a payment
On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 04:25:35 AM PDT, service@paypal wrote:
You received a payment
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May 4, 2021 04:25:18 PDT
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Thank you for your continued support, Evelyn!
Play safely and stay healthy. And May the Fourth be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," the definitive book on Mah-Jongg East & West.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May the fourth, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 01:37:10 PM PDT, E 'two cents ¢¢' H wrote:
Re: You received a payment
You're welcome
Thank you for your work.
On Monday, May 3, 2021, 04:47:20 PM PDT, Andres P wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Hi, I just want to thank you for your efforts with mahjong and tile matching games. I want to learn playing mahjong and your website will be quite useful. I love to play tile matching games since my old dead brother told me how to play them.
I am playing shangai dynasty on the dreamcast and I got a diploma from you ;) I'm right now on stage 5 and I feel acomplished every time I beat a stage. That's how learnt about you.
It was quite a surprise to learn that you produced games for the vectrex as I own one with 16 games, including bedlam. I'm looking to repair it because the vectors began mismatching.
Thanks for your work.
Hello, Andres!
That's so cool. I don't remember if I even knew that the developer put my name on those certificates. I ought to have asked them to remove my name; maybe I didn't know. I guess in Japan it looks more "official" if it's signed by somebody with a title - would have been more impressive if it had Bobby Kotick's name instead.
I don't remember if the Dreamcast version included mah-jongg. If so, maybe it's only Japanese riichi-dora majan. And the in-game manual (if there is one) is probably in Japanese, so if you have questions about the rules you can use
the manual for Shanghai: Second Dynasty and FAQ 25. Somebody last August was asking questions about Japanese majan on the Nintendo Switch. It might be helpful for you to see his questions and screenshots in the bulletin board archive.
As for the Vectrex, it's cool that you have one. If mine was showing the vectors off-position the only thing I would be able to try is to see if the yoke (the wire collar around the thin part of the cathode ray tube) is askew and can be adjusted. I don't know electronics - wouldn't be able to do much else (unless maybe a wire came loose and could be soldered back into place). Good luck with that.
Anyway, you're welcome to come back with questions anytime.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 3, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Can soaps be used as a universal dragon?
On Monday, May 3, 2021, 08:22:53 AM PDT, Mike and Suzanne V wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: in a hand using dragons can soaps be used as a universal dragon. For example in a hand with 2s4s dragons 6s and 8 s, if you have bams for the numbers, do dragons have to be green, or can you use soaps?
Hi, Mike and Suzanne. You wrote:
can soaps be used as a universal dragon
No, but jokers can.
For example in a hand with 2s4s dragons 6s and 8 s, if you have bams for the numbers, do dragons have to be green
You seem to be asking about a hypothetical/general hand of an uncertain number of colors. The answer is "it depends on how many colors the hand is on the card." If it's all one color, then yes. Otherwise, no.
But perhaps you're asking about the specific hand at the #3 slot in the 2021 card's 2468 section. That's a one-color hand, so if your numbers are bams, your dragon must be green.
or can you use soaps?
Soaps go with dots only, unless they are used as zeroes, as described in red text atop the card. The Vietnamese rules include a "wild dragon" tile, but not the American rules.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 3, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Column 740, part 2
On Monday, May 3, 2021, 06:27:53 AM PDT, Michelle P wrote:
Question on 2021 card
Tom,
You said there were 15 new hands on the card. Could you please identify them for me?
All the best,
Michelle
Pronouns: she/her/hers
2468 #7, 2468 #8, Any Like #1, Any Like #3, Consec #3, Consec #4, Consec #8, Odds #2, Odds #7, W-D #3, W-D #7, 369 #3, 369 #4, 369 #5, S&P #3
The 2021 hands I considered to be variations on previous hands.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May 3, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The 2021 card, part 20 (part 12 redux)
On Saturday, May 1, 2021, 01:27:13 PM PDT, Catherine A E wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment regards “2021” line 3 of NATIONAL MAH JONGG LEAGUE card:
FFFF 2222 0000 21 (Any 1 Suit)
How can 22222 be 1 suit?
Thanks in advance!
Catie E
Hi, Catie!
Keep in mind, it's not a quint of twos. It's a kong and a single. How is it possible to come up with more than four twos in the same suit? Like this:
or these:
I guess that's four ways 2222 2 (a kong and a single) can be 1 suit. If we were talking about 22222 (a quint), then there would be five ways.
Please bookmark FAQ 16 for any further questions about the 2021 card.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May Day, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Help me to find full detailed rules for these variants, part 2
On Saturday, May 1, 2021, 11:04:51 AM PDT, Никита К wrote:
Re[2]: Having trouble with Mahjong variants
And I’m terribly sorry to forget Sichuan variant where are no Honors and no flowers!
Hi, Nikita.
See what you can find via those links I gave you before. If you come back with a list of questions, please number the questions to make it easier for me to respond.
Oh, and I just remembered another resource I have here: the manual for Shanghai: Second Dynasty includes information on rules for Japanese, Chinese, Western, and American mah-jongg.
And another one: FAQ 17 describes Hong Kong rules.
Oh, and FAQ 25 goes into some detail on Japanese rules.
Then there's FAQ 22, about MCR scoring, with a list of links to complete MCR rules on other websites.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May Day, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Help me to find full detailed rules for these variants
On Saturday, May 1, 2021, 10:51:24 AM PDT, Никита К wrote:
Having trouble with Mahjong variants
Hello! I’m collecting game rules from all of the world. But although I am clear with Riichi Mahjong and a little of Chinese MCR version, I feel cloudy with the rest of Mahjong variants. Please help me to find full detailed rules for these Mahjong variants listed above:
Chinese, modern Mahjong Competition Rules (with all numbers, Honors and 2 Sets of 4 Flowers)
Riichi, Japanese Rules (without flowers, but two 5s of Dots, one 5 of Bamboos and one 5 of Cracks replaced by red tiles)
Hong Kong, based on classic chinese Mahjong Rules (I wonder if flowers are used there or not)
European (I’m really unfamiliar with that)
American (how is that again? Basic rules, NMJL cards which are updated yearly and need to be paid for, 8 Jokers along with chinese tiles set)
Siamese (is it like 2 players, with 2 hands for each?)
Thai (I’m sure there is an official variant in Thailand which has its differences)
Taiwanese (expanded hands: 5 sets and 1 pair instead of 4 sets and 1 pair, I guess)
Vietnamese, modern (and this is the variant I’m the most unfamiliar with. I know the tiles set: with original 144, there’re extra 8 flowers: 1st-4th Princes/Princesses, and 3 sets pf 8 special jokers each: the first, I believe, has rectangles around symbols, the second has circles and the third has diamonds)
Singaporean (I saw the link of scoring, but I haven’t found gameplay mechanics. And I’m not sure about tiles that are used in official version of this variant)
Malaysian (no, not 3 players. I’m looking for 4 players version! I know 4P Malaysian differs from Singaporean!)
Please help me refine my knowledge about some rules and expand it about others. Maybe there’re some links to them on your site you’re in possession of, so please send them to me. If there’re no links about one of the variants, can you please make more pages? I want:
Sets of tiles for an official version of each variant;
Gameplay rules, mechanics and orders;
Scoring system for each hand or occasion.
Thank you,
Nikita K
On Saturday, May 1, 2021, 10:59:54 AM PDT, Никита К wrote:
Re: Having trouble with Mahjong variants
Sorry. Can you not forget Filipino variant as well?
Hi, Nikita.
Please check all the following:
- FAQ 4b (tons of links to mah-jongg rules sites)
- FAQ 2b (some links to rules sites that might not be in FAQ 4b)
- My mah-jongg downloads folder contains documents you may find helpful, including rules of some variants such as Vietnamese.
- FAQ 3 lists books on several variants. Especially check out Scott Miller's MAHJONG FROM A TO ZHÚ and Jelte Rep's THE GREAT MAHJONG BOOK, both of which discuss numerous variants.
After you have cross-checked those against your long list, you are welcome to come back with a shorter list. But note that I probably do not possess all the information you seek.
Oh, and if you find a dead link, please let me know which link is dead (and which page you found the link on) so I can replace or remove it.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
May Day, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Can I say mah-jongg on a discard if I'm waiting for a single to fill in NEWS?
On Friday, April 30, 2021, 12:24:24 PM PDT, Annie wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
If you are using News in you mahjong play and have everything except the s in new can you pick it up if you’ll have mahjong
Sent from miPhone
Yes, Annie, you can call a single for mah-jongg. See FAQ 19-E3.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 30, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Confused on jokers, part 3
On Friday, April 30, 2021, 08:42:02 AM PDT, Armin wrote:
Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A
Thanks so much.
You're welcome, Armin!
Is racking a picked tile mandatory?
On Friday, April 30, 2021, 07:54:52 AM PDT, Andrew S wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: is racking a picked tile from the wall mandatory? Some players are picking a tile from the wall and immediately discarding it.
Thank you.
Sent from Barbara' iPad
No, Andrew. There is no such rule. See FAQ 19-BL, Picking and discarding without racking is perfectly okay.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 30, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Confused on jokers, part 2
On Friday, April 30, 2021, 07:31:50 AM PDT, Armin wrote:
Re: Jokers
I meant kong not pong
Oh.
Confused on jokers.
On Friday, April 30, 2021, 07:21:08 AM PDT, Armin wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Confused on jokers. Can you have even 3 jokers and one dot for a pong. Thanks
I want to say "yes," but I'm confused by your question. Isn't "3 jokers and one dot" four tiles? Four tiles is a kong. A pung is three tiles.
As FAQ 19-L explains, you can have 0, 1, 2, or 3 jokers in a pung, and you can have 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 jokers in a kong.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 30, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Donation
On Thursday, April 29, 2021, 02:18:22 PM PDT, maureen m wrote:
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Thank you very much, Maureen!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Are you supposed to add 50?
On Tuesday, April 27, 2021, 11:11:39 AM PDT, Donna R wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
When playing chinese mahjong and counting up a basic hand, are you supposed to ad 50 to the score? Thank you
WHICH Chinese mah-jongg rules, Donna? There are a lot of Chinese variants. What made you ask if you have to add 50?
If you don't know which variant you play, maybe FAQ 2B will help narrow it down.
Other ways to determine which variant you play:
If you're learning from a book, what's the author's name? If you're learning from a website, can you send me the address? If you learned from a person from China, which part of China did they come from?
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 27, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Conflicting claims for a discard
On Tuesday, April 27, 2021, 09:12:03 AM PDT, Donna R wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
When a player discards a tile and the next player picks it up and another player says pong, who is entitled to get the tile? Thank you for your help, Donna R
Hi, Donna!
It depends on (1) what the "next player" wanted the tile for, and (2) what mah-jongg rules you play.
1. If "next player" said "chow" and another player says "pung," then the punger gets the tile. If next player said "mah-jongg" and another player says "pung," the winner takes it. If both players want the tile for pung, then the next player after the discarder gets the tile.
2. This frequently asked question is explained fully in FAQ 20 if you play an Asian variant (any variant except American/NMJL), and in FAQ 19 if you play American/NMJL rules.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 27, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Is she dead, part 2
On Monday, April 26, 2021, 06:32:19 PM PDT, <judi at mahjonggfunla.com> wrote:
bulletin board answer
Hi Tom,
Hope you are doing well and are staying safe.
I saw an answer you gave to Barbara D on April 25th and I don't think it is correct. When taking a joker from someones rack whether for mah jongg or not you may put that joker in your rack. That is your tile. It might have even come from your rack.
Judi Nachenberg
Mah Jongg Fun L.A.
818-764-6240
Hi, Judi! Great to hear from you. I guess the part of my response to Barbara that you disagree with is when I said, "Should she have laid joker on her rack, and then added her other tiles to the joker? Yes."
The League says that's "preferable" in the 2020 edition of the rulebook (page 14).
The "preferable" rule is about putting a claimed discard atop the rack when declaring a win, whereas Barbara's question was about putting a self-picked tile (a redeemed joker) atop the rack when declaring a win. I think the two situations are comparable (two ways of declaring a win - in both cases, it's "preferable" to put the taken tile atop the rack, rather than into the hand). I also took into consideration the rules in other mah-jongg variants, such as the Chinese official Competition Rules and Japanese riichi/dora majan, where there may be penalties for mishandling the winning tile, or obfuscating which tile was won on. The League's "preference" is reasonable in the light of global precedents. Also, placing the winning redeemed joker atop the rack first cements the right to claim double payment for self-pick.
You are right that the tile is hers once she's redeemed it. Just the same, the tile is hers once she says mah-jongg and picks the tile up from the discard floor or from the wall. (The exception then would be if a player between her and the discarder voices a trumping claim and exposes tiles, in which case the tile is not hers.)
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 2, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Charleston strategy
On Monday, April 26, 2021, 05:08:02 PM PDT, annk1 wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My friend and I are having a debate about a pass during the Charleston. She thinks it is OK to pass a pair during the Charleston. I say you should not do this unless you are just a couple of tiles away from mah jongg. What is your thinking on the subject? Thank you.
Ann K
Hi, Ann!
Your friend is correct: it is "OK" to pass a pair in the Charleston. There's no rule against it. It never bothers me when somebody passes me a pair. I always assume there's a reason why they did that, and it means they're probably having a really good Charleston and don't have any other tiles they want to pass.
And you are correct, too. You're right that passing a pair isn't the best way to go. But if ya gotta, ya gotta. It's not only about being "just a couple of tiles away" from a winning hand. It's about how you personally choose in the moment. You can form some foundational strategic principles for yourself, this many tiles to go that way, fewer tiles and I don't. Hard numbers for everything, if that's the way you roll. But sometimes really interesting options can create a situation in which you personally decide that you can try a little risky move. Venturing into new enticing territory.
Or am I missing something in your point of view? Is it somehow detrimental to you if an opponent doesn't exhibit exactly the same strategies as you? Because I don't see that it does you any harm if she passes a pair once in a while. I mean, especially if it's a pair of something you can't use. Or is she being all "passing a pair means I'm close to mahj, I'm dangerous" but she's just bluffing?
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 26, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
A vote against dark mode
On Monday, April 26, 2021, 01:22:18 PM PDT, Paula S wrote:
Black background
Tom:
Love your column but don’t love the black background on your strategy columns: glaring and hard to read, plus would use up a lot of ink to print the page for later reference. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to reverse the background/foreground colors.
Thanks for your consideration.
.paula
Thank you for your input, Paula. Yours is the first reaction I've had to my Dark Mode innovation. To date, here are the vote totals (including my own):
I hope more readers will weigh in. Personally, I find white screens more glaring than dark screens (I find white-on-black more restful for my eyes). So all my devices have been set to dark mode when the option is available.
TBH, I had not considered printing. Some print settings fix it so a page will print in black on white. Failing that, one could always just copy the text and paste it into Word or WordPad or Pages without the formatting (or remove the formatting if necessary), and copy/paste any images (if necessary).
[Edit] After doing a little research, I find that indeed, pure black is not the best background. Now that I think about it, my old CP/M and MS-DOS screens weren't pure black. So I've gone into each of the existing Dark Mode columns and made the backgrounds dark gray. I may also need to change the font.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
April 26, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Where is my card?
On Monday, April 26, 2021, 10:36:27 AM PDT, Joyce S wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: I have tried to get in touch with some one about not receiving my 2021 card.
are some still in the mail? My group are now starting to play again and i do not have my card. Can you help?
Thank you for your time. Joyce
I cannot help you, Joyce. As I said to the others before you (below), patience is a necessary quality in these trying times.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
April 26, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
I enjoy your articles!
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Thank you, Linda!
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 26, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Please bring back the Find Players/Teachers/Events board.
On Monday, April 26, 2021, 07:59:44 AM PDT, Rochelle S wrote:
Restart find players
Hi
Please restart find players , since so many have been vaxed or are able to play outside. And because of Covid there has been a shakeup in a lot of games it would be appreciated if we could find new players.
Thanks
Rochelle
I respectfully decline. You may notice that I'm still wearing my mask. There are other resources you can utilize.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
April 26, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The 2021 card, part 19
On Sunday, April 25, 2021, 11:50:43 AM PDT, Celia W wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:s2nd hand in 2021 card what are green0s
Can you use a wild in 2021
Hi, Celia! You asked:
what are green0s
They are zeroes. Zeroes are explained at the top of the card in red print.
Can you use a wild in 2021
No. The use of jokers is explained on the back of the card. Also see FAQ 19-E2.
For future questions about the 2021 card, please bookmark FAQ 16.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 25, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Is she dead?
On Sunday, April 25, 2021, 05:38:44 AM PDT, Barbara D wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
If a player takes a joker from another player and says mahjong as she takes it from other players rack and then drops it in her rack before exposing it. Is the hand dead?
Should she have laid joker on her rack because she said mahjong then add her other tiles to the joker?
Hi, Barbara!
Let me see if I get the sequence of events right:
1. She redeems a joker from another player's rack.
2. As she carries the joker home, she says "mah-jongg!"
3. She puts the joker in among her concealed tiles.
4. She exposes her hand.
Should she have laid joker on her rack, and then added her other tiles to the joker? Yes.
Is she dead? No. See FAQ 19-K. The FAQ addresses a related question, about putting a claimed discard into the hand when declaring a win, whereas your question is about putting a self-picked tile into the hand when declaring a win (win by joker redemption is considered self-pick). In other mah-jongg variants, such a move could be fatal, but the League says "it is preferable" to put the final tile atop the rack directly (p. 14).
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 25, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Which variant does my family play?
On Saturday, April 24, 2021, 07:02:18 PM PDT, Ruth W wrote:
Rule variants - 1920s questions - sequence limitations and charleston?
Hi,
I'm using your site to understand the variant that my family plays.
I looked at http://www.imahjong.com/maiarchives205d_3.html and we have two additional items that are in our rules I'm curious about. First, our rules are
1. Yes, 2. Yes, 3 Yes, 4 Yes, 5 Not sure what this means, 6 No 7 Yes, 8 Yes 9 Yes, 10 No
which don't exactly match any column but are close to 1920s CC. We don't play with special hands (no 13 orphans, etc). We play only 4 sets and a pair with scoring that matches what I see pictured with older sets - 2-8s 2 points exposed/4 concealed, 1s/9s/honors twice that, kongs 4 times a pong, 20 points for mahjong, 10 for no sequences, whole hand doubles for one suit+honors hands, double for pong of dragons, 3 doubles for clear/no honor, etc, etc.
However, we also play with
1. A limit of 1 sequence. I didn't find this discussed anywhere (I may have missed it). Are you familiar with a variant that limits to one sequence?
2. An optional 1 round charleston. East wind decides whether to charleston. When I was a kid we would pass 3 tiles to the right, 3 times. Later, we switched to right, across, left after I read a book that talked about the American charleston, and we decided that right/across/left was better. I haven't found charlestons mentioned in the Chinese variants so I'm curious whether a charleston was done in variants in the 1920s-1930s and then evolved further into the American game, or if at some point later my Grandmother just picked up on it from American and added it to our family's Chinese rules. I have read about the "goulash" which is similar but different.
For your background - I believe the rules we used were my Grandmother's and originally date back to the 1920s. During that time period, she played both in the Panama Canal Zone and in NY (Adirondack region). Whether she learned to play in the Canal Zone or NY I am not sure.
Your input is appreciated. If you need me to reword these questions better for your forum, just let me know.
Thanks,
Ruth W
Hi, Ruth. You wrote:
our rules are 1. Yes, 2. Yes, 3 Yes, 4 Yes, 5 Not sure what this means, 6 No 7 Yes, 8 Yes 9 Yes, 10 No
... We play only 4 sets and a pair with scoring that matches what I see pictured with older sets - 2-8s 2 points exposed/4 concealed, 1s/9s/honors twice that, kongs 4 times a pong, 20 points for mahjong, 10 for no sequences, whole hand doubles for one suit+honors hands, double for pong of dragons, 3 doubles for clear/no honor, etc, etc.
That's all too difficult to follow.
A limit of 1 sequence. I didn't find this discussed anywhere (I may have missed it). Are you familiar with a variant that limits to one sequence?
You mean one chow? Australian/British mah-jongg often enforces a maximum of one chow. Did you see FAQ 2b?
An optional 1 round charleston. East wind decides whether to charleston. ... I have read about the "goulash" which is similar but different.
You also said your family had made some changes to the rules. I still think you're probably talking about Western/British/Australian rules.
I'm curious whether a charleston was done in variants in the 1920s-1930s
Not in the 1920s. The early 1930s are a dark period, not much written. I'm thinking American players may have adopted a lot of different table rules in the 1930s.
I believe the rules we used were my Grandmother's and originally date back to the 1920s. During that time period, she played both in the Panama Canal Zone and in NY (Adirondack region). Whether she learned to play in the Canal Zone or NY I am not sure.
Might be the variant described by Eleanor Noss Whitney in A Mah Jong Handbook. She describes Chinese, Japanese, and "American" rules (her American rules are most akin to British/Australian/Western rules). You might want to see if you can get her book so you can compare it with your rules. See FAQ 3 for ISBN numbers.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 24, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Do I have to have a matching natural to call a discard? Can I use all jokers in a set?
On Friday, April 23, 2021, 02:10:42 PM PDT, Carol C wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: can you pick up any tile with 2 jokers to make a threesome?
On Friday, April 23, 2021, 02:12:59 PM PDT, Carol C wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+Ae
My mah-jongg question or comment is: can you use three jokers in place of a threesome.
Hi, Carol!
The answer to both questions you asked is yes, you can. See FAQ 19-L, which answers both questions.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 23, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The 2021 card, part 18 (part 3 redux)
On Friday, April 23, 2021, 06:09:26 AM PDT, Janet O wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
On the new card. Under consecutive run fifth line. To Flowers 123 anyone’s suit or any three suits but it doesn’t say if it Has to be one to three or can it be any consecutive numbers.?
Thank you
Janet
Hi, Janet.
As I told Cheryl yesterday (below), you can use any 3 consecutive numbers. For any other questions you may have about the 2021 card, please bookmark FAQ 16.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 23, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The 2021 card, part 17 - cont'd.
On Thursday, April 22, 2021, 07:45:17 AM PDT, Cheryl M wrote:
Re: Dear Mr. Mah Jongg Expert,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us! The equilibrium of our illustrious group is restored!
I wish you many JOKERS!
You're welcome, Cheryl.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 22, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The 2021 card, part 17 (part 3 redux)
On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 06:07:25 PM PDT, Cheryl M wrote:
cc: Jan K, Nancy M, Tammy E
Dear Mr. Sloper,
My Mah Jongg Group has been playing together for many years! We absolutely ADORE Mah Jongg and we have emailed you in the past with our questions! Because of COVID, today was our first time to get together in person in many months . . . and our first time playing with the 2021 card. And we have a disagreement regarding the new card and are split right down the middle. It has to do with hand five under CONSECUTIVE RUN. There are those of us who feel it should have read (Any 1 or 3 suits. ANY RUN.) And feel that perhaps the card did not have sufficient space on that line to indicate this? And there are those who feel the lack of the words "ANY RUN." dictates that ONLY the numbers "1," "2," and "3" should be used in that hand. And no other numbers.
Can you please settle this disagreement once and for all?
Thank you, Cheryl M, Mah Jongg Enthusiast
Hi, Cheryl!
You can use any 3 consecutive numbers. For any other questions you may have about the 2021 card, please bookmark FAQ 16.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
April 21, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Is it illegal to mark up your card?
On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 02:33:59 PM PDT, marsha c wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Is it illegal to mark up your Mah Jongg card? For example can I put a small 5 before the three hands that require 5 flowers or a C next to all concealed hands?
Thanks, Marsha C
It's not illegal, Marsha. Mark it up all you want.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 21, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Can I call that discarded redeemable tile?
On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 09:15:15 AM PDT, val wrote:
ask the Mahj expert
Scenario: player missed opportunity to exchange a tile for a joker in let's say a Pung. that player discards the hot tile. now it's not your turn but can you call that tile for the exchange? if you don't, and no one else does then that tile becomes dead, correct?
thank you Tom,
Valerie
Like I told Monika yesterday, you can't call that tile to redeem it. See frequently asked question 19-G2. Down is dead.
Also, you're using the term "hot tile" incorrectly. A hot tile is a tile that an opponent needs for mah-jongg.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
4/21/2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
When are exposed tiles supposed to be returned?
On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 03:39:43 PM PDT, Michelle S wrote:
Calling mah jongg in error
Hi Tom:
First off thank you for your zoom meeting Sunday night. It was great!
We keep going back-and-forth on this with some people. If someone exposes mah jongg in error with no tiles exposed, do they put all the tiles back on their slope rack? Second, if they had something exposed and they put a second exposure out that makes them dead do they put that second exposure back on the rack if someone calls them dead and then the joker that's possibly there from the first exposure is still available? The main thing is do you put the tiles back in the slope of the rack overall?
Thanks so much.
Michelle
Hi, Michelle! You asked...
If someone exposes mah jongg in error with no tiles exposed, do they put all the tiles back on their slope rack?
Yes. See FAQ 19-CK.
Second, if they had something exposed and they put a second exposure out that makes them dead do they put that second exposure back on the rack if someone calls them dead and then the joker that's possibly there from the first exposure is still available?
If the first exposure was ambiguous (not a certain indication of a dead hand), then the first exposure stays atop the rack.
The main thing is do you put the tiles back in the slope of the rack overall?
囧 ... I don't know how to answer. See FAQ 19-CK. And follow the link to FAQ 19-AA.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
4/20/2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
A couple follow-up questions, part 2
On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 02:02:52 PM PDT, Modern Mahjong wrote:
Re: Follow up from our Zoom Talk
HI Tom,
As for the first part, we were interested in seeing the actual old rule that permits the calling of the prior tile.
As for part two, we understand your "shock." We were not asking it for ourselves but it was a question brought up in the chat directed for you (not us) to answer.
We were going to reply that if the Joker was available to everyone (even if the hand was dead) but you are waiting to try to get that tile, whether that is an ethical strategy/cheating.
We were not considering that the Joker was already "dead" as well. We read their question as if they were it referring to a still a redeemable Joker.
Thank you for clarifying.
Hi, Dara and Donna. OK, you wrote...
we were interested in seeing the actual old rule that permits the calling of the prior tile.
That old rule is not in the newsletters I cited in frequently asked question 19-G3. FAQ 19-G3 cites the current rule only (I saw no reason to cite the source of the outlawed rule in the FAQ).
Now you have asked a difficult question, requiring much digging through historic materials...
In Viola Cecil's 1939 edition of "Maajh; The American Version of an Ancient Chinese Game," on page 37 it says you can discard a flower (flowers were used like jokers then - there were no jokers) you could "dog" it and say the name of the previous discard.
My copy of the 1940 edition of "Maajh" includes an errata sheet. It says to ignore the paragraph on page 45 where it says you can discard a flower and name it the same as the previous discard; the errata sheet says "change to read 'A flower may not be discarded at any time during the play, either for defense or to clear hand for no flower premium.'"
Took me quite a while to find the next rulebook, written by Dorothy Meyerson, "That's It; How to Play Mahjongg" (1951). "Flowers cannot be discarded at any time during the play."
Jump ahead to 1979, "42nd Year; Let's Play Mah Jongg; Instruction Book." (By this time the standard had settled on 8 flowers and 8 "big jokers.") Page 9, rule 5: "The BIG JOKERS may be discarded at any time during the play and called the name of the previous discard. ... Exception: When second discard is a Joker, the first discard (Name Tile) must be taken. Joker remains on table as a dead tile."
So there is the old rule in writing. That might not be the earliest statement of the old rule. That old rule also still existed in the 1984 edition of "Mah Jongg Made Easy" (the red cover). I hope that dredging up old rules does not cause further confusion!
we understand your "shock." We were not asking it for ourselves but it was a question brought up in the chat directed for you (not us) to answer. ...
Of course.
We were going to reply that if the Joker was available to everyone (even if the hand was dead) but you are waiting to try to get that tile, whether that is an ethical strategy/cheating.
"Ethical" - that's the key word that eluded me, thank you. Not calling someone you know is dead, so you can redeem their joker, is definitely not ethical. Perhaps I misspoke, using the word "cheating"? Perhaps one of your viewers would disagree that unethical behavior is necessarily the same as "cheating." I should have said "unethical," I suppose.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
4/20/2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
A couple follow up questions
On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 12:36:27 PM PDT, Modern Mahjong wrote:
Follow up from our Zoom Talk
Hi Tom,
Thanks again for sharing your card review and asking questions from our Mahjong Community. We have been getting many messages thanking us for hosting your for this event.
The replay of our Modern Mahjong Zoom Talk with you is available on YouTube.com/ModernMahjong. The direct link is
https://youtu.be/RwAjD6XhvLc
We had a couple follow up questions from after our Zoom Talk.
1. During the Zoom Talk, we had a question about calling the initial discarded tile before a Joker was thrown and called "Same." I thought I had read that this was allowed many years ago and couldn't find rules that covered it.
Now that we had time to search, we see that on Sloperama you previously addressed the issue. Would you have the newsletters/rules where it mentions this old rule?
2. During our Zoom Talk, the issue of knowing a player's hand is dead and not calling it and you referenced that as not strategy but cheating. We had a comment in the chat that we missed:
Why would you consider it cheating vs strategy if you don't call a hand dead until you get the exposed joker?
Can you share the rules and/or your thoughts on this?
Thanks again!
Peace Love Mahjong,
Dara and Donna
Hi, Dara and Donna. Thanks for the link to the video. Your questions:
Would you have the newsletters/rules where it mentions this old rule?
Yes, I have those newsletters I cited in frequently asked question 19-G3 (your screenshot). But what is it you are trying to find out?
- You want to see the old rule, where the League said that when someone named the joker the same as the previous tile, that another player could claim that named tile (not the joker)?
- Or you want to see the current rule in writing from the League?
- Or you want to know when the rule was changed by the League?
The rule is: When someone throws a joker and says "same," you can't have the joker. And you can't have the tile the joker was "same as."
Why would you consider it cheating vs strategy if you don't call a hand dead until you get the exposed joker?
Seriously? I go, "here, let me have that joker. Thank you. By the way, your hand is dead, and those tiles there have to be returned." If I knew your hand was dead, and I didn't say so just so I could redeem your joker which shouldn't be there, it was at the very least underhanded, an obvious sidestep of the rules.
I'm shocked, SHOCKED! that I have to explain why someone who knows the rules yet tries to undermine/circumvent the rules to their own advantage is cheating.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
4/20/2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
An opponent was holding these tiles. Is this allowed?
On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 12:20:18 PM PDT, dkljag wrote:
Mahj question
Re: 2021 card
Hi Tom,
In a game I played today I noticed player on the left was saving 13579 #1 mixed suits. It appears she is saving the colors randomly, not as the card shows. Is this allowed can you mix up all the numbers as long as 3 suits are used? I have attached a screen shot.
Thank you,
Donna K
Hi, Donna!
Are you talking about the unfinished hand "Computer 3" was working on? If that's what you're asking about, why bother? The bot just has the tiles it has, and it organizes them the way it organizes them. None of that has any bearing on a viable winning hand. If I had those tiles, I might organize them the same way. I wouldn't be able to win with them, but there's nothing wrong with having a non-winning hand of tiles that don't make a valid winning hand, as long as you don't declare mah-jongg. What's weird to me is that the bot appears to be pre-assigning jokers.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
4/20/2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Donation
On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 09:14:41 AM PDT, susan l via PayPal wrote:
sel... sent you money
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Thank you, Susan!
Play safely and stay healthy. And may the tiles be with you!
Tom
Can I call that discarded redeemable tile?
On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 08:40:28 AM PDT, Monika F wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
about calling a discard
I already have an exposure of a Kong of 7s using 2 jokers to make it the Kong.
Another player discards a 7 without noticing that she could swap it for one of my jokers. Can I call that 7 and use it to swap it for my joker on the existing exposure?
Thanks for checking into that.
Monika F
I don't have to check into that, Monika. It's frequently asked question 19-G2. (Answer: you can't.)
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
4/20/2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Column 742
On Monday, April 19, 2021, 11:23:00 AM PDT, Jean G wrote:
Charleston exercise, hand # 6
I would consider the jokerless #4 - Pass Red, 5B, 7D, and hope the "tiles would be with me"....
Jean G
Hi, Jean.
I admit I do tend to overlook Singles & Pairs. But S&P #4 is a very long shot with these.
You have a couple of ways you can go. Your like pairs can be either twos or eights. If the like pairs are to be the eights, you have 6 tiles, and you have zero fours, sixes, or eights in craks (and you'll need pairs of each). If the like pairs are to be the twos, you have 6 tiles, and again you're missing several whole pairs. If you get jokers after committing to S&P, you have to discard them.
If I go for Consec #6 or #7, I've still got just 6 tiles, but if I get jokers, I can use them.
I have a lot more faith in Consec than S&P. But there is something to be said about going for the gusto!
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 19, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Is there an abbreviated/shorter version, part 2
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, 11:38:26 PM PDT, Patti Shannon wrote:
Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A
Thank you for your speedy reply. I appreciate it and your info was valuable.
Gratefully,
Patti
Happy to help, Patti.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
April 19, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
The 2021 card, part 16
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, 04:15:16 PM PDT, Molly B wrote:
Mah Jongg card 2021
Why in the new Mah Jongg 2021 card under the 2468 the 7th choice says:
FF DDDD 2 4 6 8 DDDD why is the 2 4 6 8 separated?
it is unlike the spacing of 2021 or NEWS. That is the only place on the card it is like that and does that make it different from:
Hi, Molly! I anticipated that someone would ask me this question. See FAQ 16.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
April 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Is there an abbreviated/shorter version?
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, 04:27:11 PM PDT, Patti S wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Hello Tom,
Is there an abbreviated/shorter game of mahjong-jongg or tips for speeding up play?
We are not a beginner group and we play using “Mah Jong, Anyone?” as our guide. It typically takes us five or more hours to complete play. It would be great if we could reduce playing time to around four hours.
Thank you for taking my question.
Regards,
Patti
Hi, Patti!
In Western mah-jongg, you play four rounds to make a complete game, and whenever East wins, they keep the dealership, further lengthening the game. Right? Well, the problem is those four rounds. You can play two (East and South) like the Japanese do, or say it's just always the East round.
I wrote "Simplified Rules," if that's of interest to you. Another thing that might shorten your game some more is to abandon the flowers. Or you could adopt Hong Kong rules.
Just have fun!
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
April 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Lost my key
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, 04:29:20 PM PDT, John K wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: I have a mahjong set from the twenties and I’ve lost the key to the case. Do you have any suggestions on getting a replacement? Thanks.
A locksmith might be your best bet.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
April 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Saw you on Zoom tonight
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, 04:58:23 PM PDT, G&L K wrote:
Thank you
Hi Tom
I have been a fan of your website for years and have your book on my Kindle. That being said, this is the first time I was able to listen to you on Zoom! Nice evening...
Thank you!
Lynn
Cool, thanks Lynn!
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
April 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Rule 3 on the back of the card
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, 05:22:47 PM PDT, phyl c wrote:
Question about calling a tile for exposure
I just listened to you on zoom for the first time. So interesting! Thank you so much for taking all that time.
My question:
On the back of the card, (left side) #3 says When two players ant the same tile,,, EXCEPT when the other caller has begun to expose tiles.
We always played, next in line gets the tile. What does the highlighted section mean?
Aren't you supposed to call the tile and once you have it in your possession, you begin to expose the tiles for that part of your hand? Or does it mean if you already have a portion of your hand exposed and this is for the second exposure?
Again, thank you I am looking forward to checking out your website,
Phyllis C
Hi, Phyllis. You highlighted the words "begun to expose tiles." As I said in the Zoom talk, the ideal way someone should expose is (1) speak the claim for the discard, (2) take the discard atop the rack, then (3) expose the tiles from the hand. What the rule says is if someone else wants the tile, she has to speak before the first caller reaches step 3.
I explained this as well as I could in the Zoom talk, and that'll be up on YouTube in the next day or so. But I go into great detail on this in FAQ 19-H.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
April 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
How do I get on the mailing list?
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, 05:49:45 PM PDT, phyl c wrote:
Is there a way to be on your mailing list for FAQ or your mahjong column?
There's no mailing list.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
April 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Can you redeem a joker atop your own rack? Can you reverse-redeem?
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, 07:51:55 PM PDT, Rosemarie Campisi wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Can you replace an expose tile from your own rack with a joker of your own. Say you need 5 of something as in 2021 section.
Sent from my iPhone
Yes, you can redeem your own joker. It says so on the back of the card (it says "any and all exposures"). FAQ 19-M3.
Upon re-reading the question, I see that I misunderstood you the first time. No, you cannot reverse-redeem a joker. See FAQ 19-AL.
Play safely and stay healthy. And
may the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
April 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Can I change my mind?
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, 10:14:43 AM PDT, Sharron C wrote:
calling a tile
Question
I call a tile….if I start exposing from my wall and did not touch the thrown tile from the floor, can I change my mind and put my tiles back in the rack.
Hi, Sharron. Here is a link to
the "change of heart" FAQs. In most cases, "actions speak more loudly than words."
You can speak and change your mind. But once you have taken action, you have committed to the move and you cannot turn back. Once you expose tiles from the sloping front of your rack, you have committed to making an exposure, and you may not put those tiles back.
Play safely and stay healthy. 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.
Author of the
Sloper On Mah-Jongg column and
the Mah-Jongg FAQs
Donations appreciated
April 18, 2021
Los Angeles, California, USA
Sticks
On Friday, April 16, 2021, 06:30:03 PM PDT, Stephanie B wrote:
Question about betting sticks
Aloha Tom
I have several older Chinese bone and bamboo sets and in the bottom divided drawer there is usually a mishmash of bone betting sticks. Each of my boxes has a random number of these sticks. My question is how many betting sticks originally came in these 1920-1940 era boxes and what denominations were included in that number. I have a variety of black dots, red dots, red and green dots, red and black dots. I don’t know anyone who has ever played with these sticks but it would be nice to have it right.
A big Mahalo in advance for any information you can give me.
Playing it safe,
Stephanie
"If you have a garden and a library
you have everything you need"- Cicero
Stephanie
Aloha, Stephanie. You want to know...
... how many betting sticks originally came ... what denominations were included ... it would be nice to have it right.
I believe you'll find the answers in the "extra bits and pieces" FAQ. If not, you're welcome to ask follow-up questions.
Shortcuts to Most-Visited Topics
Sloperama.com.
I answer mah-jongg questions that are submitted by email only. I don't take mah-jongg questions via telephone, snailmail, semaphore, Morse code, Facebook Messenger, or smoke signal. Also don't send your question to me via carrier pigeon. What am I supposed to do with a pigeon? I'm a city apartment dweller. And you should see the rules they got here! </rant>
This is explained on the back of the card, where it says "G- Green Dragon." And there's another hint to the right of those green Gs, where it says "Green Dragons Only" in parentheses. (^_^)
Would you agree that my assessment, based on the assembly of the box and the nature of the tiles, that this set is likely from the early 1920s?
Sorry, no. It was made recently, and then treated and made to look old. Above, you said: "there are thin white lines on the backs of some tiles which indicate them having been slid across the table/rubbed against something (maybe 20% of the tiles)." They look to me like they were soaked in clay or something. I've seen a lot of such sets since the 1990s. The design on the white dragon, and the Singapore animals tiles, are indications that the tiles were made in the decades after the 1920s.
Does this set offer any unique or interesting features
Do you recommend that sets be cleaned before you purchase them, or do you/other buyers prefer to purchase as-is to evaluate and do repairs/cleaning yourself?
What valuation/estimation would you say this set is worth
You're welcome, Joann!
many players turn the last stack of two tiles sideways. Is this a rule or just an option in order to identify the end of the wall and to ensure that players pick their next tile from the correct end of the wall?
it is in a cardboard box that is marked Kwong Fat Cheung - this box has fallen apart on the seam and does show some water damage
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