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You're correct, Ron, and the group is wrong. "Any dragon" means any dragon. The dragon kong can be red, green, or white - because the parenthetical says "any."
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
December 10, 2025

Next player won by joker exchange - is that legal, and how is it scored?

On Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 06:10:22 PM EST, Ellyn B wrote:
Subject: MJ question
A player, who has a joker included in his exposure of 3 tiles, discards a soap.
The next player picks up the discarded tile,(soap) exposes his 3 of a kind , (soaps). Proceeds to replace the joker on the other players rack , and then calls MJ.
Does the player who called MJ receive double from all the players, or just from the player who threw the soap?
We all paid double but my thinking was without the discard of the soap, the player would not have had MJ.
So only the player who threw the soap would pay double..
Ellyn b
Sent from my iPhone

Hi, Ellyn! Let me make sure I'm understanding what the next player actually did. (In each of these steps, "next player" always refers to the same person.)
1. Next player says "call" and takes the soap and puts it atop the rack.
2. Next player puts up two more soaps, so they now have an exposed pung of soaps.
3. Next player then produces from the rack a redeemable tile - they hand it to "a player" and requests a joker (it doesn't matter what tile it is, except it's not a soap).
4. Next player then puts up the rest of their tiles and declares mah-jongg.
5. Next player announces the score: double score from everyone.
If I've described it correctly, that's a perfectly legal maneuver called a "finesse." Next player didn't call the winning tile from a discarder - they had the redeemable tile in hand, meaning it's regarded and scored as self-pick.
As for your theory, that the discarded soap was the key, the final tile that ought to determine scoring, that's wrong. The key tile was the redeemable tile next player was holding already.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
December 10, 2025

When is a discard "down," etcetera, part 2

On Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 11:08:58 PM EST, Deborah V wrote:
Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A
Dear Tom Sloper/Mahjong Yoda Master,
Thank you so much for that rapid response! Love your site (especially the Star Warsesque sign off)…
Gratefully,
Deborah
Sent from my iPhone

Welcome you are, Deborah. May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
December 10, 2025

When is a discard "down," and can the discarder call "backsies"?

On Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 09:19:30 PM EST, Deborah V wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question is:
A player named her discarded tile as she began to place it on the table (but she did not put it on the table). As she named the tile she was discarding, another player called it (for Maj jongg) almost simultaneously to the player discarding tile saying, “no, wait” as she changed her mind.
Is it valid to allow the tile be withdrawn from being discarded, or can it to be claimed for Maj jongg (even though the tile did not reach the table)?
The player discarding was located next to (counterclockwise) the player called it to make Maj jongg.
Thank you!
Deborah

Hi, Deborah!
1. The discarder cannot take back the tile she just discarded. She said its name, and that's enough. See the "Backsies" rules, specifically FAQ 19-B. In fact, while you're at it, see FAQ 19-AM too.
2. It sounds to me like she said "no, wait" only because the other player wanted it for mah-jongg. That's poor sportsmanship. She should have gracefully acknowledged the win. Instead of "no, wait," she should have said "oh, poopies." (That's Official mah-jongg jargon! -jk- )
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
December 9, 2025

How do u respond to a player who refuses to separate their exposures?

On Friday, December 5, 2025 at 05:53:11 PM EST, Hedy G wrote:
Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Is there a rule about separating your exposures? If there is not a rule, what is expected of a player requests that another player separate their exposures? How do u respond to a player who refuses to separate their exposures?
Thank you
Hedy G
Sent from my iPad

No, Hedy, there isn't a rule as such. MJME 2023/24 p. 15:

When a player has multiple exposures on the rack it is courteous to leave a space between the exposures.

It is expected when a player asks another player to separate their exposures, that the other player will be courteous and make the space.
The way I respond to a player who refuses is to refuse to play with that player again. But that wouldn't work for everyone.
May the tiles be with you, Hedy.
Tom Sloper
December 5, 2025

Have you ever seen this type of flowers before?

On Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 06:18:28 PM EST, steven k wrote:
Subject: new set
Hi Tom,
I just acquired a new set sourced from an auction.
They are made of bone and horn with an unusual size of 31x21x15.
Besides cracks design which is not common, I am interested to know if you ever met these type of flowers.
For the 1 dot, it is hard to identify the symbol but based one the 1 bam, I assume it could be a dragon (maybe not positionned properly on the picture).
I am also interested if you could date this set (pretty heavy by the way), considering the size and design of the tiles.
Thanks in advance,
Steven

Hi, Steven,
So these tiles are approximately the same size as typical American and European tiles. Interesting. And they're not Westernized (no indices), and they show Haversian system markings but not like cow shinbone markings. Since the backs are horn (as you say), I'll assume the bone parts are ox bone.
1. Yes, I've seen Singapore-style "animal" flowers before. You haven't visited my "Mystery Flowers" page before this?
2. I don't know what the symbol in the circle represents.
3. Singapore flowers are a later addition to the mah-jongg world. I don't know for certain but I guess your tiles could have been made anytime between the 1930s and the 1960s.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
December 2, 2025

The 2025 NMJL card, part 20

On Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 12:55:36 PM EST, R & D L wrote:
Subject: Question
I’n the second run under Winds-Dragons can I call for a dot number a player discards as part of the 123? ie: 2 dots and use in that 123.
Can I use a Joker as one of the numbers?
Thank you. Dorene L

Hi, Dorene!
1. No, you cannot call a discard to form and expose a group of singles like 123, NEWS, 2025, etc. You can call a discard only to form groups of IDENTICAL tiles, like a pung, kong, quint, or sextet.
2. No, you cannot use a joker to stand in for a single or pair. Jokers can be used only in groups of IDENTICAL tiles, like a pung, kong, quint, or sextet.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
December 2, 2025

Mystery tiles, part 4

On Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 08:07:05 PM EST, Denise W wrote:
Subject: Bakelite Flower/Season Tile Translation
Hi Tom
Denise again. Once again I used Google Gemini AI with a more refined question while providing a photo of the tiles in question.
The second set are also related to the Snake Story.
Attached are the tiles and the detailed AI translation.
Cheers
Denise

Great research, Denise. I hope my readers will be able to handle the PDF file okay. btw, the flowers should be arranged 4321 (they were meant to be read right-to-left).
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 26, 2025

Mystery tiles, part 3

On Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 07:30:53 PM EST, Denise W wrote:
Subject: Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A l-Denise Snake Story
Hi Tom
On your suggestion of the Snake Story I used Google free Gemini AI to find the translation of the characters, the correct sequence and the 'story'.
See attached result according to AI at the bottom of these emails.
Denise

So it IS the White Snake? The four tiles with the guy with the sword and the guy hiding were part of the White Snake story? The guy hiding is a demon? Did you find anything about the other four? You sent 3 copies of this one image.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 26, 2025

Mystery tiles, part 2

On Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 06:29:03 PM EST, Denise W wrote:
Subject: Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A l Denise
Hi Tom
Thankyou so much for your reply and research. You have given me something to continue with.
I guess the red looking rose tiles are flowers and I am missing the white dragons.
The smaller ones were included as substitutes.
I have attached a photo of the whole set as purchased.
I think I will try to find some orphans for the white dragons, same size and royal bluec wafer.
Thanks again. Much appreciated.
Denise

Denise, you're not missing the white dragons. That's what your painted tiles are. I guess a previous owner didn't like blank tile faces. You don't need 12 flowers anyway. 8 is enough. You should move your white dragons to the right, between the Norths and the Greens. You've got your winds arranged WESN, but the Chinese order is ESWN.
btw, your green dragons are upside down. (^_^)
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 26, 2025

Mystery tiles

On Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 03:01:20 PM EST, Denise W wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
Hi from New Zealand. I am becoming intrigued with the collections of Mahjong sets and devourd the book 'Art of the Game'. I have recently bought, from a Hospice Shop this bakelite set with royal blue wafer in a worse for wear light satchel box. The tiles are in excellent condition but perhaps missing the white dragon tiles. There are 8 flower/season tiles with figures but also 4 more I cannot identify with my Google research.
I have attached photos. A second lot of photos in 2nd email.
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
1. What is this tile that looks like a red flower on a bakelite tile with royal blue wafer? The set of 144 tiles does not have an apparent white dragon blank tile but has 4 others that are smaller and not Butterscotch colour. I was hoping the red design was a stylised dragon - but probably not. Is it another flower the?
2. I would appreciate any help with the 8 flower tiles with figures, in relation to their sequence and if they reference a story, proverb or such.
Very much appreciate any time you can give me to clarify these questions.
Regards from a budding 'wannabe collector'
Denise

On Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 03:05:19 PM EST, Denise W wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A l- 2nd email photos attached Denise
Attached second lot of photos for query in first email.

Hi, Denise!
1. It would have helped to see those tiles in context with the whole set. I don't know what your white dragons look like - you say there aren't any? And no blanks original to the set? A previous owner of the set painted those for a reason I can't know since I can't see the whole set.
2. 囧 I'm no expert on Chinese symbolism, mythology or legend. I've got a few books, but I also have the worldwide web. Just now I Googled "chinese tale about a woman attacked by a snake in her bed" and am now reading about the Legend of the White Snake, but I don't think that matches your tiles. After I pressed Google AI by asking "chinese tale about a woman attacked by a snake in her bed - NOT baishezhuan" it came back with "it seems there is no other major Chinese tale about a woman being attacked by a snake in her bed."
I should explain, shouldn't I?
I based that search on the flowers in your set with the Chinese writing at upper right, in blue paint. The #4 tile shows a snake emerging from what might be a painting or it might be a bed (a covered bed like the one on the #2 tile). The #3 tile seems to show a woman running away from the snake. The #2 tile can be construed to represent a snake going into a covered bed. What about the #1 tile, then? Knowing a little about the Legend of the White Snake, my imagination says that's the female snake spirit Bai Suzhen herself. Or maybe it's the goddess Nuwa, another name Google AI mentioned. The writing probably gives some clues. But since it takes a lot of work to try to look up the Chinese writing (which I would have to do via my basic Japanese resources), I don't intend to try.
Another Google or Bing search could be done based on the other flowers, the ones with the Chinese writing at upper left, in green paint. The guy in the #1 tile? I have no idea. In #2 and #3 it looks like a guy is trying to hide from a guy with a sword. No idea which one we're supposed to sympathize with, which one is a good guy. In #4 somebody seems to be sleeping, or maybe it's the guy from #2 and he's been caught and tied up. Maybe there's a Chinese legend that matches, but is the guy in tile #2 at home, a royal, or is he a home invader, a thief or spy... is the guy in tile #3 a guard, a royal, the home owner...?
Am I being helpful? Probably not. So sorry! You might have a look at the Mystery Flowers FAQ, if you're curious to see some other story flower sequences. This exchange will be posted there soon.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 26, 2025

Your thoughts on my proposed house rules

On Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at 01:43:53 AM EST, Brent M wrote:

Subject: Hybrid HK-Riichi Mahjong

I am coming up with house rules that are based on HK style mahjong but want to incorporate elements of Riichi.

With this goal in mind, what do you think about having a dead wall of 14 tiles where the first 12 tiles are used for flower/kong replacement and tile 13 is a dora indicator and 14 is an ura dora indicator?

If a flower is the dora indicator then all seasons are the dora and vice versa.

We play with a 3 faan minimum. To maintain a focus on strategy and hand value (over speed), I was thinking that the dora can only count toward 3 faan minimum if you already have at least 2 faan for other sources. Faan from ura dora are just a bonus but do not count toward minimum.

Ura dora can only be rewarded if you declare a ready hand ("ting") that is fully concealed prior to mahjong.

If four kongs occurs among multiple player then the game will end. If one player manages to get four kongs they can immediately mahjong even if they do not have a pair.

I would appreciate any insight and/or suggestions.
Brent

Hi, Brent! I shall pretend you numbered your questions:
1. Sure, why not. No kan dora, then. Okay.
2. This idea works if you have clearly-differentiated flowers and seasons. Many sets' flowers and seasons are difficult to distinguish from one another.
3. I think dora should not count towards the minimum faan at all.
4. So "riichi" = "ting" in Cantonese. If you have melded anything, you cannot declare riichi (ting), and if you win after declaring riichi/ting, you get to see the ura dora also. That's pretty much the way it works in regular Japanese play, is it not? Or am I missing the difference?
5. Sure, why not.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 25, 2025

Who plays next after someone calls for exposure out of order?

On Monday, November 24, 2025 at 01:39:35 PM EST, ncc1427 wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Just learning American Mahjong,and would like to know if any player calls pong,after he is done, does play go back to where it left off before pong or begin to the immediate right of the player who called pong?.....Dave
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy Tablet

Hi, Dave! Play continues from the player who just made a move. If player D calls player A's discard, player B and player C are skipped. After player D discards, it's player A's turn again.

She changed her mind

On Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 08:37:38 AM EST, Carol T wrote:
Subject: Question
Thank you in advance for settling this disagreement.
A player called for a tile and placed that tile on top of her rack but decides she doesn’t want the tile. Can she return the called to the table if she has not exposed any of the tiles from her hand (the sloped part of her rack)? I say she can but was challenged by another player.
Carol ??

Placing a called discard atop the rack is an immutable action. No backsies. See FAQ 19-AM.2 and see MJME 2023/24 p. 18, rule 13.

May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 18, 2025

Can I claim a discarded redeemable tile for exposure?

On Monday, November 17, 2025 at 05:56:51 AM EST, Stephen T wrote:
Re: Could you kindly help me
Hi Tom,
Sorry to bother you again but I searched your site and could not find an answer regarding:
MJME2023 says that the natural tile must not touch the discard floor. If it touches the discard floor before the request for the joker is vocalized, then the natural tile is considered discarded, and may not be exchanged. Page 21, rule 3.
If this occurs and it is considered a discarded tile and not a dead tile, then can any other player call for this tile for an exposure?
Thank you so much.
Steve
Sent from my iPad

Yes. FAQ 19-G.2.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 17, 2025

The 2025 NMJL card, part 19

On Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 04:45:39 PM EST, Michelle T wrote:
Subject: Question
I recently played a hand that I thought was a legal mah jongg, but my table mates disagreed.  
I was playing Consecutive Run # 4.  I put up FFF 456 crack and a kong of 2 dots and a kong of 3 bams.
The card says consecutive, but it does not say the kongs have to be ascending. 
Can you please clarify if this is legal.  Thank you, Michelle Tobin

Hi, Michelle! The kongs have to be ascending. See FAQ 16.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 2, 2025

Can an exposed kong be split into two pairs? (The 2025 NMJL card, part 18)

On Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 12:14:12 PM EST, Melanie S wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
On the 2025 card, “any like numbers”, if you’ve exposed 4 like numbers (with no jokers), aiming for the first listed hand (FF 1111 D 1111 D 11), can those 4 numbers be separated into two pairs to pivot to the second row hand
(FFFF. 11 111 111 11).
Thanks.
Sent from Melanie's iPhone

No. Once a set has been exposed and the player has discarded (to end the turn), the exposed set is immutable. See FAQ 16.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 13, 2025

An angel hovers over little Robert

On Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 09:31:35 PM EST, Diane K wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: When playing a chow hand such as Little Robert (half limit Concealed) or Hovering Angel (Limit Concealed) and have two tiles to form a chow can you pick up from your left and expose the three tiles?
Thank you.

Hi, Diane! The answer is built into the names of the hands: Concealed. That means for those hands, you can only call a discard for mah-jongg.
The only kind of hands you can chow are regular hands, not special hands marked Concealed in Thompson & Maloney's The Mah Jong Player's Companion.
Western mah-jongg (Australian/British/etc.) also permits no more than one exposed chow in a regular hand.
But you didn't ask that, so don't read that last sentence. Or two.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
11/11/2025

Maj in error with one exposure, part 2

On Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 07:46:42 AM EST, JR D wrote:
Subject: Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A
I need to reword my question
I had exposed four eight dots on a previous turn. Then later I put up what I called a mahjong and it was wrong. Maj in error. My question is: do those tiles go back in my hand or stay on my rack?
Jacqui D

The erroneously exposed tiles go back on the sloped part of the rack. The kong of eights remains atop the rack and you stop playing. FAQ 19-AA, FAQ 19-CK.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
11/8/2025

Maj in error with one exposure

On Friday, November 7, 2025 at 07:19:44 PM EST, Jacqui wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
I declared Maj in error
with one exposure out. Does the new incorrect exposure need to go back into my hand?
Jacqui D
Sent from my iPhone

I have questions about the event, Jacqui. The answer for what should happen depends on the answers.
Did someone else call your hand dead? You're not allowed to call your own hand dead. See FAQ 19-AB.
How was it known that your hand was dead based on one exposure? Was it a "dead giveaway" exposure, like a dragon quint, wind quint, or flower quint? In other words, was the exposure illegal based on what's shown on the card?
How did it happen that you put up only one exposure after you declared mah-jongg? You realized the hand was incorrect, or someone else did and spoke up?
If you yourself realized there was a problem after putting up one exposure, you should have just changed your call from mah-jongg to exposure and continued playing. See FAQ 19-CS.
The rule for what happens to exposures in an erroneous mahj situation is FAQ 19-CK. The rule is also stated in FAQ 19-AA.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
11/7/2025

Two of us wanted the tile, but she had erroneous mahj, so...?

On Friday, November 7, 2025 at 01:35:20 PM EST, Jackie D wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: In our game yesterday the player opposite me threw a White (soap). I called it but the player on my left called it for mah jongg. When she exposed her hand she had incorrectly called the White to go with an all Bam hand. (The two flowers, 11 222 3333 DDDD hand.) She was dead. Do I then get to call the White?
Thanks,
Jackie

Hi, Jackie. Sorry, but no. If you wanted the tile for exposure, you're out of luck. Now if you'd wanted it for mah-jongg, that's a different story! FAQ 19-H.4.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 7, 2025

The window of opportunity, part 2

On Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at 11:40:59 AM EST, Karen T wrote:
Subject: Thank you!!

You're welcome!

The window of opportunity

On Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at 10:16:22 AM EST, KAREN T wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
Hi TOM! Here is my question…If player A discards a tile. Player B picks a tile, holds it in her hand, but does not rack it, 5 seconds later player C calls it. Can player C have that tile or is it ltoo late?Thank you!

It's not too late, Karen. Player B has not closed the window of opportunity on the live discard.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 5, 2025

It has only 112 tiles

On Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 05:42:51 PM EDT, carolyn f wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Hello,
I ran across your site while looking for more information on a mahjong set that belonged to my grandparents and has a little booklet with it dated 1923..
My question has to do with what type of set this is. There are 4 drawers with 28 tiles in each and a 5th drawer with three tiny dice and a lot of little sticks. 4 x28 is only 112 tiles...it's my understanding that a standard mahjong set is supposed to have 144 tiles so I am confused unless this is perhaps a "travel set" for just 2 players. I am new to learning mahjong and really have no idea about this.
Thank you for any information you can provide in this regards to this. I look forward to your kind reply.
Carolyn F

Hi, Carolyn!
Those numbers don't tell enough of a story. You say there are 28 in a tray/drawer. I don't know which 28 those are, I mean that's not even a whole suit (should be 36 tiles in a tray). And just 112 tiles in all, but I don't know which tiles are missing. 28 divided by 4 is 7, so are there just 7 different tiles in each tray? Are the ones and nines missing?
I have only questions for you at this point, not answers. It would help me help you if I could see all the tiles, laid out and organized like this:

It wouldn't be a "travel set" because even those need to have the full complement of tiles. It's possible it's a set made for an alternate version of the game, but that idea is inconsistent with the 1923 date. So if you want me to be more helpful, please send me pictures of all the tiles, organized. Standing by...
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 1, 2025

After rolling dice and serving the wall, where do the dice-roll tiles go?

On Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 11:59:07 AM EDT, JoAnn S wrote:
Subject: position of East wall
when East puts designated amount of tiles from dice roll, in the middle of table, is there a rule that the remaining wall be put to far left or stay on the right in front of rack.
Thanks, JoAnn

Hi, JoAnn! The rule is that the designated amount of tiles from the dice roll will be the last short wall, which goes to East's right end of the rack, so as not to be disconnected from the rest of the wall. This is from pages 10 and 11 of Mah Jongg Made Easy, the official rulebook of the NMJL:

May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
November 1, 2025

Two players call a discard for mah-jongg...

On Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 04:45:30 PM EDT, Barbara W wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Two players wanted a tile, both for Mah Jongg. Player A discards. Player B, next in line, and Player C both want for Mah Jongg.
Player B takes the discard and only makes that exposure, no other tiles added to the flat top part of the rack. They realize they don't have Mah Jongg. The tiles stays with them even though they basically took away the Mah Jongg of the next player in line. If anyone has anything to the contrary in writing, please let us know! This is a run around the rule and if a player did this often, people wouldn't want to play with them. Where can I find a contrary opinion? Thank you. Barbara W.

Hi, Barbara,
Your story breaks at the point where player B realizes they don't have mahj.
Yes, if they only make one legal exposure rather than exposing the whole hand, the tile can remain and they can continue playing - that's "Mah Jongg In Error" rule 3 at the bottom of MJME2023-24 page 21 - but see "Mah Jongg In Error" rule 6 at the top of page 23.

Because a second player needed the same tile for mahj, rule 3 is trumped by rule 6. The second player gets the tile and the win.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 26, 2025

Hold vs Call, part 2

On Friday, October 24, 2025 at 07:21:40 PM EDT, Sue Z wrote:
Subject: Re: Hold vs Call
Got it, Tom. Thanks so much,
So if I understand correctly, once Player 3 racks the live discard, even if it's just a Hold rather than a Call, Player 2 is too late to exercise their next it turn privilege, yes?
Am assuming the same is true if Player 3 just snatched (no verbalization of anything) the tile off the table and racked it, or possibly exposed tiles from their hand. Poor etiquette perhaps, but still a legal move? A violation of MJME pg 18 #10(a), a rule with no penalty, so the game continues.
Sue Z

I wouldn't say "a legal move." I'd say "if a knowledgeable mah-jongg judge was asked to settle your situation, they'd likely decide that the exposure sealed the deal, especially since both players erred (non-fatally). Next in line was too late."
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 24, 2025

Hold vs. Call

On Friday, October 24, 2025 at 12:16:18 PM EDT, Sue Z wrote:
Subject: Hold vs Call
Hi Tom. Hope this finds you well. FAQ19/DR does not quite address my question regarding Hold (or similar) vs Call (or similar)
Player 3 says Hold or something similar to indicate a tentative (?) interest in the live discard. They do not say Call or anything else to indicate that they intend to claim the discard. They just rack the discard. Player 2, who is next in turn, says “No, sorry, Player 3, you only said Hold and did not actually Call the discard before you racked, and I want the tile since I am next in turn.”
Can next in turn pre-empt the racked discard because Player 3 never actually verbalized the Call? I am going by MJME 2024 page 18 #10(a). I see roughly 50% of the players in a community group who say Hold but never actually verbalize a Call before racking the live discard. Sometimes they actually expose before verbalizing a Call and then rack the discard. I find this concerning. This may need a written ruling from the NMJL.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Sue Z

Hi, Sue! The written MJME rule you cited does cover this situation. But in this case, both players erred. The rule is that you can say "hold" but you must verbalize the call itself. But next in turn should have spoken before the "holder" racked. Should have spoken up right away. It should have gone like this:
Player 1: "Five bam." [For example]
Player 3: "Hold."
Player 2: "Call. I'm next in line." To player 3: "Are you going for mahj? I'm calling for exposure."
Then player 3 and player 2 can discuss whether or not player 3's call is for mahj, which would trump player 2's call for exposure.

Saying "hold" and never verbalizing the call explicitly is common, but when there's a conflicting call, the "holder" needs to be explicit in calling for the tile.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 24, 2025

Year and value...?

On Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 07:16:22 PM EDT, Michael C wrote:
Subject: Year and value...?
Hi Tom, I have a 148 Mah Jong set I inherited and wondering if you might have an idea when it was made? 
And possible value? These coins were in the box as well. 25 page manual.
Pics enclosed,
Any help would be much appreciated. 
Cheers,
Michael
Albuquerque

Hi, Michael. I'm missing a lot of information here. Without knowledge of the condition beyond what I can see, I have to assume the worst.
These yellow Romanized tiles in leatherette cases are pretty common. Of interest in your set is the Singapore style animal flowers. I can't see the condition of the tiles, but I don't see any chips, stains, or paint flaws, but I can't see the backs. So I'd call the tiles Good.
The leatherette case looks very worn. I see flaws. I don't know if the lock works, so I'll assume it does not, or the case is less than sturdy in some aspect. The condition of the case, then, is somewhere in the Fair to Good range.
The dice and the key and the sticks look to be in reasonable condition, but I see manufacturing flaws on the wind indicator disc. Condition: Good. I don't know what that thing marked "Sing Kee Faotor" is. It was probably put into the set by its prior owner. Same for the actual coins, which are likely not worth much (and have you ever tried to cash in loose change from other countries? Don't get me started).
The paper booklet has some value, perhaps as much as $30. Paper materials are ephemerae, not so much cared about by most set owners but prized by some collectors.
I would guess that the set was made sometime between the 1960s and 1980s. As a Good set with 148 tiles, I'm guessing the set might be worth $70-80.
If I'm wrong about the condition and it's in nicer shape than I assumed, it could be worth as much as $90.
I recommend you do more research yourself. Check out the Other Excellent Mah-Jongg Sites page.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 21, 2025

German manufacturer, part 2

On Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 10:16:51 AM EDT, Allan W wrote:
Subject: Re: Mah-Jongg Q A
Hi Tom
Thank you for the swift reply.
Cheers
Allan

You're welcome, Allan.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 21, 2025

German manufacturer

On Monday, October 20, 2025 at 08:31:04 PM EDT, Allan W wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: Hello Tom
I am a voice from the past. Recently. I purchased a mah jong set from a lady in Germany Manufactured by Golconda D.R.G.M. My research into this company has not yielded much information other then the company started manufacturing sets and selling them in Germany before Babcock started in the U.S.A. Do you have any knowledge of Golconda?
Cheers
Allan W

Hi, Allan. No, I don't. But I do know that the game was introduced to Germany before the US. https://sloperama.com/majexchange/bulletinbd.htm#germany ("Ma Tsuo Pai by Richter," Friday, August 15, 2025, David H)
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 20, 2025

She had second thoughts. Can she have a do-over?

On Sunday, October 19, 2025 at 07:28:50 PM EDT, Barbara M wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: One of the players had 47 dots exposed. She wanted to call a seven crack and started to expose and changed her mind. Should we call her dead or can she continue playing and taking it back?

The official rule is that once you've started to expose tiles, you have committed to making an exposure, regardless of the consequences. Putting tiles atop the rack is not a rescindable act. See FAQ 19-AM.2
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 19, 2025

Was this a legal move, part 2

On Friday, October 17, 2025 at 10:37:27 AM EDT, The Logels wrote:
Subject: Re: Mah Jongg Joker Question
Thanks so much, Tom!

You're welcome, Kimberly.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 17, 2025

Two people wanted the discard for mah-jongg, part 3

On Friday, October 17, 2025 at 07:45:59 AM EDT, Debbie Barnett wrote:
Subject: Re: Hello!
Thank you Tom for your reply, and yes, I've experienced the same things many times over. With more technical questions I do need the whole story as hard as it might be to do so. There are way too many rules already left open for interpretation...one day maybe...we'll have a more complete rule book and in particular situation the rule will say, "You MUST verbalize your Call for an Exposure or for Mah Jongg, and in the case of a simultaneous call, if one person declares Mah Jongg and the other gets up and dances around the table, the person who declared Mah Jongg gets preference, even if they were not in priority position."
P.S., this might be a good follow up post...LOL
Take Care!

May the tiles be with you, Debbie.
Tom

Was this a legal move?

On Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 03:58:40 PM EDT, The Logels wrote:
Subject: Mah Jongg Joker Question
Hello, Tom!
We are a group of new players and could not figure out how to navigate a situation that happened in our game last night: Toward the very end of our game with only 4 or 5 tiles left on the wall, one player discarded a 6 Crak. Another player, who had an exposure with a 6 Crak and 2 Jokers (so the first player did not exchange for the Joker, but discarded the 6 Crak instead), called for the 6 Crak. She then exchanged the 6 Crak for a Joker in her own exposure to use that Joker to complete another Pung of 2 Craks for Mah Jongg. Is this allowed?
Thanks so much!
Kimberly

No, Kimberly. That's not allowed. It's not legal to call a redeemable tile and use it to exchange for a joker. See FAQ 19-G2. FAQ 19 answers all the most frequently asked questions about American mah-jongg. And you need a copy of Mah Jongg Made Easy, the official rulebook of the NMJL - see p.23, rule 5. A redeemable tile may be called only for creating an exposed set.

May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 16, 2025

Two people wanted the discard for mah-jongg, part 2

On Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 03:27:53 PM EDT, Debbie Barnett wrote:
Subject: Hello!
Hi Tom,
Hope all is well with you. Long time, no email! Was just reading the most recent question by Susan. I thought that according to MJME page 14, The Play, you must verbalize your call, the next in line merely waved her arms in the air.
Let me know and thanks!
Have a Mahjful Day!
Debbie Barnett

Hi, Debbie,
Susan asked me who should have won the hand. The story was missing details I wanted to know but didn't want to ask for. So I gave her the answer I thought would suffice.
Did you also see Susan's sister's post in the Mahjong Community group on Facebook?
Sheila Marshall asked, about 11:20 am today, Thursday, Oct 16:

I have a question about who was entitled to mahjong. My sister was playing, and they were down to the last tile. A one crack was discarded by the person on her left, my sister said mahjong and took the tile for exposure for mahjong. The player to her immediate left, who would have been next in line, also needed the one crack for mahjong but didn't say anything, just threw up her hands. I think my sister was entitled to the game since she said mahjong when the one crack was discarded. Is that correct?

My opinion as to what should have happened is based on what Susan and Sheila didn't say. They both told the story up to Stephanie throwing up her hands, and do not say what happened next. Reading between the lines, I figure what happened next was: non-winners didn't know who to pay. Susan and Stephanie talked, during which Stephanie confirmed that she too needs the tile for mah-jongg.
Weirdly, Stephanie says (per Susan) that "[s]he thinks since she didn't say Mah Jongg she was not entitled to the discard." 
Stephanie was wrong. She didn't say it a minute ago, but her words now, moments later, indicate that she does have a valid claim to the tile. (I concede that these words may have been implicit, as opposed to explicit as to claiming the win.) There's no reason for her not to say "I didn't say it a moment ago, but I'm saying it now. Mah-jongg." What was said in that conversation is important to the question.
I assume that at this point money has not been paid by the two non-winners, since who should be paid is still under discussion; moments later (before money has been paid) she's agreeing to split the winnings. So Stephanie must have said it was her mahj tile, just not declaratively.
The story was missing too many details.
Sheila says (above) that Susan "took the tile for exposure for mahjong," but what (if anything) was actually exposed? Susan herself says (below), "Neither of us actually picked up the tile[.]" Doubt about the details. If Susan put anything atop her rack before Stephanie said it was also her mahj tile, then yes, Susan gets the win.
I've found over the years that dragging information out of people can be tedious for me, and annoying for the other person. So yesterday in my reply post, I decided to give her the quick answer, and not try to get into all the details with her.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 16, 2025

Two people wanted the discard for mah-jongg

On Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at 10:09:14 PM EDT, Susan L wrote:
Subject: Re: Question regarding discards
Hi Tom!
Last night at our weekly Monday Mahj group a fun and interesting thing happened.  The last tile was discarded , a 1 crack. I yelled Mah jongg and the person to my left raised her hands in excitement but didn't say anything, she too needed that last tile for Mahj.  She was the next person in line for the discard.  Stephanie, my friend to the left, is a seasoned player and tournament player but neither of us knew who the correct winner of the tile would be. She thinks since she didn't say Mah Jongg she was not entitled to the discard.   Neither of us actually picked up the tile during this debacle to claim it with our exposures. Since we are a friendly social group we ended up  splitting  the winnings haha.  Being a NMJL rule follower the correct winner is still nagging at me.  Please help. 
Thanks,
Susan

Hi, Susan, long time no see!
The player who sat to your left comes before you in the order of play, so her claim takes priority. It's not a matter of who speaks first. See FAQ 19-H.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 15, 2025

Update, Oct. 16: this question has been asked since, on Facebook, by Susan's sister, Sheila. Having read two accounts of the incident, I noted some things:
- The player to the left, Stephanie, who raised her hands. Susan says the hands were raised "in excitement" but Sheila says that Stephanie "just threw up her hands" when Susan called mah-jongg. The way I read that, Stephanie reacted, thwarted that Susan spoke first (and Stephanie seems to have thought that was the end of the conflicting claim).
- I assume that at this point the people at the table were aware that there is a second claim, albeit not explicitly claimed.
-Which raises the question: why did Stephanie not say she also has mah-jongg with that discard? She must have said something, because the two agreed to split the winnings.
I think both Susan and Sheila didn't tell more of the story because they were under the impression that that's all the info that's needed to rule on the incident: one player spoke, the other raised her hands. I don't think that is enough, because at some point, Stephanie would have to have said it was also her mahj tile, and instead of acknowledging her the rightful winner, they split the winnings.
Tom

What if another player exposes before next in line does?

On Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at 04:02:21 PM EDT, judyrm wrote:
Subject: Re:
If two people want to call maj, I know the next one in line gets it -
but what if the other person calls and puts her tiles up quickly before the next one in line does ?
In our friendly game, the next in line always gets it,
but is there a rule about this ?
thank you.

Yes, Judy, there is a rule. I recommend you purchase a copy of Mah Jongg Made Easy, the official rulebook of the NMJL. The rule (see FAQ 19-H) is: When two players want the same tile for Mah Jongg, player next in turn to discarder has preference, EXCEPT when other caller has started to expose tiles.
That doesn't mean that slamming is okay. Slamming (hurrying to expose tiles, so as to shut out another player) is considered poor sportsmanship. If next in line hasn't said anything and is thinking a long time, another player can call the discard and expose tiles.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 14, 2025

Is all of the hand dead after 3 exposures?

On Sunday, October 12, 2025 at 06:45:54 PM EDT, Joanne M wrote:
Subject: Is all of the hand dead after 3 exposures, or just part of it?
A player made 2 valid exposures. She then made a third exposure. At this point other players noticed that she had too many tiles. So she put back on her rack the third exposure, but left the previous two exposures where they were. She stopped playing.
Some players said that the first two exposures with redeemable jokers could still be claimed by those still playing. Others said that all the exposures were part of a hand with too many tiles and that the exposed jokers could therefore not be exchanged.
Who is right??
Thanks.
Joanne

Hi, Joanne! In my opinion, the third exposure did not have to go back to the sloping front of the rack. The reason the hand was called dead had nothing to do with the third exposure, but the fact that players noticed that there were too few tiles on the rack. If the three exposures can be read to represent at least one hand on the card, the exposures are all valid, so their jokers remain available for exchange while the player stops playing.
That's how I interpret the rules, anyway. See FAQ 19-AA. If you have doubts, you can call or write to the League (I recommend writing over calling, but of course that would take time to get the answer).
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 12, 2025

George and the dragon's tail.

On Saturday, October 4, 2025 at 05:41:24 PM EDT, Marilyn M wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
No luck finding this question. Both of my MJ groups, when having only three players, do the Charleston and have the third wall that we have named George. (Not the league rule, we know.) Definite disagreement on which walls come out AFTER the Charleston is over and George is now uninvolved. I’m east, George is to my left but cannot come out when mine is exhausted because we have to complete the Charleston. So, west’s wall comes out after mine. I was taught that we return to George (going against the “to the left” rule) when west’s wall is exhausted, because his wall is done with Charleston involvement. The last wall to come out is the north one, which touches the dragon’s tail. By using George out of the “to the left” rotation, we are going against the proper order. I was told that the walls represent a dragon and that the last wall ALWAYS must be next to the tail, and that doing a Charleston with three players creates the disruption. I assume since doing a Charleston with three people isn’t part of NMJL rules, there is no league rule involved. Thank you for your help; if I’m wrong, no problem!
Sent from my iPad

囧 Hi, Marilyn!
In ALL forms of mah-jongg in every country on Earth, the second wall used in play is to the left of (clockwise from) the first wall used. The tiles are removed from the wall clockwise. Here's one way of looking at it, as if looking down from the ceiling:

And here's the order in which the walls come out (in ALL forms of mah-jongg, although only American mah-jongg pushes out the wall into the middle of the table). Note: clockwise.

I see no reason why this should be any different in a 3-player game of American mah-jongg.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 2, 2025

What would Tom say?

On Saturday, October 4, 2025 at 12:33:50 PM EDT, Linda S wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: Hello Tom, you are playing American MJ and a player discards a 3 Bam, but calls 3 Crak. The other players at your table have not noticed the error. Please tell me what you would say at this point. Thank you. Linda again!

I would say, "That's not a crak." The rules say the discarder has to say the tile's correct name before the game can move on. So I don't say its name myself.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
October 4, 2025

The 2025 NMJL card, part 17, cont'd.

On Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 10:29:12 PM EDT, Hennie B wrote:
Re: Majong question
Thanking for your response I am always thinking ! ????
Sent from AOL on Android

You're welcome, Hennie!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 30, 2025

The 2025 NMJL card, part 17

On Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 05:48:34 PM EDT, Hennie B wrote:
Subject: Majong question
In the consecutive run SEQUENCE
FFF 123 4444 5555
Description says any consecutive numbers 3 different suits
Question
Can the majong be
FFF 3333 4444 567 ?
THANKING YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE.

Hi, Hennie! No, you may not mess with the structure of the hand. It's flexible as to what numbers you need, though - you can make FFF 345 6666 7777 if you want. The 3-number run has to be first, lower than the numbers in the kongs. For future questions about the 2025 NMJL card, I recommend that you bookmark FAQ 16.

May the tiles be with you!
Tom Sloper
September 30, 2025

Did the manufacturer make a mistake? Part 2

On Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 06:41:11 PM EDT, Julia S wrote:
Subject: black tile question
Hello Tom,
I was curious about Junior W's question posted on your website. So I looked on Amazon.
The listing for this set has these pictures:

Very nice, Julia! I have a different interpretation: using only 2 colors of paint saves a bunch of money on the cost of manufacturing, and it is easily justified as "artistic license" as you said. I have to wonder if the manufacturer really understands mah-jongg players' tastes and needs. Junior's confusion about the white green dragon and the red white dragon is totally understandable and even predictable.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 25, 2025

Did the manufacturer make a mistake?

On Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 09:19:20 PM EDT, Junior W wrote:
Subject: Re: American Mahjong-White Dragon shown instead of Green
Hello Tom :
I bought your book " The Red Dragon & The West Wind recently.
It's very helpful to me in learning more about American Mahjong.
Please help me with this Question:
I saw a Black Set of American Mahjong on Amazon.
It's in the Azul Home section or just search for Black Tiles.
I like the set very much as I wanted a Black Tile set.
But they made what should be the GREEN Dragon WHITE.
I am not speaking about SOAP - as they are showing the SOAP Tile
correctly. So in effect -this set is showing 2 Sets of WHITE Dragons.
Their WHITE Dragon has the same design as the GREEN Dragon.
So can this White color Dragon be used as Green Dragon when playing American Mahjong ?? or did the Makers make a Mistake in the coloring.
Looking forward to your kind reply.
Thanks & Regards,
Junior W

囧 I can't answer without seeing a picture, Junior. Can't you send me a picture? It's not fair to expect me go hunting through eBay to find a picture to answer your question.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 25, 2025

Someone declared mahj on a different year card...

On Tuesday, September 23, 2025 at 04:32:34 PM EDT, Barbara W wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
If someone exposes their mj but was playing a different year card, are jokers available for exchange that were exposed before the hand was called dead? Sent from my iPhone

It depends on what you all agreed to when you all chose to play that old card. Did you agree to play by that year's rules, or did you agree to play by this year's rules? This year's ruling on the question you asked are outlined in FAQ 19-P. I can't say if those rules were the same in that different year.
Or are you saying that just one player was using a card from a different year? If so, every hand that player makes is a dead hand (unless the hand happens to be the same as one on the card being used by everyone else).
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 23, 2025

Cleaning catalin and bakelite mahjong tiles

On Friday, September 19, 2025 at 05:36:13 PM EDT, Andrea O wrote:
Subject: Cleaning catalin and bakelite mahjong tiles
Hello Tom,
I appreciate all the information you have provided and shared on your website. It has been my go to since 2020 for information on sets.
I have adopted sets through the 5 years and I want to ensure their longevity and care in cleaning and maintaining them. I have acquired a variety of mahjong sets focusing on the materials used through the years.
Is it okay to use 70% isopropyl alcohol to clean catalin and bakelite tiles? How about French ivory and pyralin?
If so, do I need to wipe them down with water after using alcohol?
I also made a mistake of soaking my 1st bakelite and had to send it out to Red Coin to repair the most damaged ones.
Thank you for your advise.
Kind regards,
Andiee

囧 Hi, Andiee. I never had Catalin tiles that needed cleaning, so I have not tried the things you suggested. The tips in the Cleaning and Restoring FAQ were written by other people. What I would do is (depending on how dirty the tiles are) try a slightly damp cloth, wiped across the face of the tiles and not into the carved/imprinted painted details. If I had to test a chemical cleaning agent, I'd do it on the side of a spare tile if I had one. I wish you luck. Sorry I can't answer the isopropyl alcohol questions.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 19, 2025

A NMJL rules history quiz

On Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 12:46:42 PM EDT, Martine K wrote:
Subject: A few NMJL historical topics that I'd love to see you address!

(1) In 2015, a group of players collected vintage NMJL cards and analyzed the rules. (https://mahjonggandme.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/4525/)
In their analysis they include this statement for 1960 and 1962: "Jokers may not be replaced in exposures"
I don't see anything on the 1959 - 1963 cards to this effect, but it does have me wondering what the history of the "Joker Exchange" has been over the years.

(2) This is also the era where the NMJL transitioned away from using the Flower as a "wild tile." For example, the 1961 card says "A Flower cannot be used in a Bouquet Hand to replace the required pattern of Numerals, Winds or Dragons, but the BIG JOKER may be used. ... A discarded Flower may be claimed to complete the Pung, Kong, Quint or Sextette of Flowers for Exposure or Mah Jongg in an Exposed Bouquet Hand. ... BIG JOKERS may replace any tiles in any hand, for anything." And within the QUINTS section: "BIG JOKERS ONLY may be used to replace tiles in a Kong. BIG JOKERS or UNLIMITED FLOWERS may be used in both Quints, either concealed or exposed and a DISCARDED FLOWER may be called to expose a Quint of Flowers." This card doesn't contain any Quints of Flowers — so does this mean that a discarded Flower can be claimed to expose a Quint that INCLUDES *a* flower (RRRFR), a quint that includes MULTIPLE flowers (RRRFF), or that to claim a discarded flower to complete RRRRR, you must use all flowers (FFFFF) as wild tiles?

(3) Can you define an NMJL Bouquet Hand vs. Non-Bouquet Hand? (I found the definitions for other mahjong variants on your website, but not a clear simple explanation for NMJL.)

Hi, Martine!
1. Since Big Jokers (today: "Jokers") had just been introduced to the game in 1961, there were probably expectations that wildflower rules now applied to Big Jokers. Did they have flower redemption rules before switching to Big Jokers? Apparently so. I found a mention on page 3 of the 1951 edition of Dorothy S. Meyerson's "That's It" that does mention redeeming a flower from an exposure. That mention also says "Once a flower has been used for a Quint, Sextette, Septette, or Octette, and exposed, it cannot be used a second time even if the ...tile is picked to take the place of the Flower." That wording can be read more than one way, making me unclear on what's the point of redeeming a flower if it can't be used again.

2. Sorry, I don't know, either. Apparently during this year of transition from flowers to jokers as the wild tiles, hands on the card included flowers, which was now pretty much what flowers could be used for.

3. I can't be positive, but I believe a Bouquet hand was any hand that had flowers in it. See this scan of the 1958 card. The whole thing is flower hands (Bouquet Hands). That's my guess, anyway.

Booklets are sometimes auctioned on eBay, and sometimes they're found inside old used mah-jongg sets.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 16, 2025

Appraisal cost query, part 4

On Friday, September 12, 2025 at 04:21:03 PM EDT, Farley wrote:
Subject: Re: Mahjong - appraisal cost query
Hi Tom,
I just gifted my BFF the set and she nearly cried. Well, she did cry. It is so beautiful — the tiles are all hand painted. My friend reads and speaks Chinese so she could tell the tiles had been hand painted by someone who didn’t write Chinese!
She’s headed to her Mom’s memorial so we’ll be in touch on down the road with a picture for you.
Again, it’s an exquisite set — she thinks it’s likely been hand painted on porcelain bathroom tiles!
More to come.
Be well!
Thank you kindly!!
Farley

That's nice, Farley. But I haven't done anything, and I haven't even seen the set.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 13, 2025

A question about jokers, part 2

On Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 06:02:09 Pm edt, judith b wrote:
Subject: Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Sorry I wasn’t clear.
If I have a tile to claim an exposed joker, can I call for a discarded tile then use that claimed joker and that discarded tile in my initial meld?

You're asking if you can use both a called discard and a redeemed joker in making a new exposure. No, you may not. As I wrote in FAQ 19M,  When it is your turn, you must first bring a 14th tile into the hand. There are two ways to bring a 14th tile into the hand - by picking from the wall OR by taking a discard for exposure. THEN, after picking (or after taking and exposing a COMPLETE exposure), you may redeem jokers from atop anyone's rack (including your own). So you see, you can't both make an exposure from a discard and also redeem a joker and use it in that exposure. The exposure must be complete before you redeem the joker. See page 23 in MJME 2023-24.

May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 10, 2025

A question about jokers

On Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 03:32:38 PM EDT, Judith B wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
If I have a tile to exchange on my turn, can I use that joker in my initial exposure from a discarded tile?

囧 I'm not certain what exactly you're asking, Judith. If you're asking "can I claim a discard and use it to exchange for an exposed joker," the answer is no. If that's not your question, I answered your question in FAQ 19.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 10, 2025

Another French buy, part 3

On Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 01:19:34 PM EDT, steven k wrote:
Re: Mahjong set question
Hi Tom,
I confirmed that tiles are not carved but « printed » using adapted temperature.
Best regards,
Steven

Thanks, Steven. Good to know. I haven't seen one of those sets until now. Nice find!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 4, 2025

The 2025 NMJL card, part 16B

On Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 08:30:51 PM EDT, Steve wrote:
Subject: Re: Could you kindly help me with the 2025 card?
Hi Tom,
Wow! Thanks for your very prompt reply and I found the section you recommended for the answer. Thanks again.
Steve

You're welcome, Steve.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 2, 2025

The 2025 NMJL card, part 16

On Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 04:34:33 PM EDT, Stephen T wrote:
Subject: Could you kindly help me with the 2025 card?
Hello Tom,
I just started learning Mahjong about a month ago and I have found your website so helpful. Thank you for providing all that information for us. During a practice session I became confused with:
FF 3333 369 9999 (Any 2 Suits)
(369 #4)
I understand that color changes only signify a different suit but in the above hand I was trying to match the suit for the 3 kong to be the same suit for the 9 kong ( as both have the same color) but then I started to wonder if it states any 2 suits then the kongs don’t have to match so one of the kongs can match any of the suits used for 369 as long as only 2 suits are used. Is this interpretation correct?
Thank you so much.
Steve

No, Stephen. The threes and nines must be the same suit since they are shown in the same color on the card.
You must have:
● A pair of flowers (which are suitless);
● Kongs of threes and nines in one suit;
● 369 (three singles, not a pung) in any other suit.
You don't get to mess around with the color-coding.
I'm going to add your question to FAQ 16. To see your question in the FAQ, wait a while (give me some time), then click that link to go to FAQ 16.
There you will see "Quick jump to the card section of interest:"
Below that there may be a Google Adsense ad.
Then you'll see a horizontal box broken into 3 parts, based on the 3 folds of the NMJL card, each containing the names of the different sections/families of hands. Find "369" in the right hand part, and click it. 369 #4 is right there, questions and answers about the hand.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
September 2, 2025

Another French buy, part 2

On Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 01:19:21 PM EDT, steven k wrote:
Re: Mahjong set question
Hi Tom,
Please find the back color of tiles, which confirm the burgundy color.
Thanks again for your information.
Can you confirm if it is Bakelite or other material?
Best regards,
Steven
Téléchargez Outlook pour iOS

They're not Bakelite, in my opinion. Edges too well defined. Bakelite starts as a liquid, resulting in rounded corners and edges. I don't know what the plastic is. Might be Plexiglas, for all I know based on your pictures. And what are the fronts made of - the designs are printed on, yes? Are the fronts plastic, too?
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 31, 2025

Another French buy

On Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 04:12:23 PM EDT, steven k wrote:
Subject: Mahjong set question
Hi Tom,
This in another set I purchased in France. I think the case is partially filled with stanger material but cannot really make sure of it. I am curious to know if you can date the tiles and observe some coherence with the different materials regarding mahjong for western application.
Best regards,
Steven
Téléchargez Outlook pour iOS

囧 I can't tell, Steven: are all the tiles backed with that maroon plastic? The fronts of the tiles look like typical 1920s bone/bam tiles, but if they're all maroon-backed, they're definitely of later manufacture. Everything looks 1920s except those maroon-backed tiles.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 30, 2025

I called the discard but another said mahj

On Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 02:17:34 PM EDT, Jean D wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
The player on my left drew a tile from the wall. She held the tile in her hand without racking. I called for the discarded tile and then the player to my left who drew but had not racked at the same time said Mahjong. She had not racked nor said anything about the tile she drew. So, do I get the discarded tile or does she get her Mahjong?
Jean
Sent from my iPhone

Mah-jongg wins, Jean. Mah-jongg trumps everything. A claim for exposure rarely supersedes a claim for mah-jongg.*
"Conflicting claims" issues are an important part of NMJL rules, because when playing in person,** the act of claiming a discard gets into personal conflicts when someone else wants to supersede your move.

* Note that in conflicting claims situations, timing is largely unimportant; if one person claims and then another claims, it doesn’t matter who spoke first - these vocalizations can be considered to be simultaneous.
There are a bunch of situations in which someone is trying to claim the live discard, and someone else also wants to take an action:

● What if a player picks her mahj tile and another player calls the live discard? ("Conflicting self-pick and call")
● What if a claim for a discard is spoken at the same time that the next-in-turn racks? ("Simultaneous rack and call")
● Two Players want the same discard - Which player gets the tile? (Conflicting Claims)
● What if one person calls for the discard but another person says "wait" or "hold"?
● Tom, what do you mean by "mah-jongg trumps everything?"

**As opposed to conflicting situations in a computer game. The computer handles such conflicts automatically, per the rules. Humans are often unaware of the actual fine points of the rules.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 30, 2025

The Great Snake Mystery

On Thursday, August 28, 2025 at 02:30:34 PM EDT, Helen T wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: 
Is the hand The great Snake exposed or concealed?  
“Do or do not. There is no try”
                    Yoda (Star Wars)

囧 Yes, probably? You didn't tell me which variant you play. The "snake" pattern I know is a run from 1 through 9 in any suit. But that leaves 5 more tiles in the hand, and the "Great Snake" hand wants those 5 to be something specific, but I don't know what. There are many different versions, all with different names.

Each author uses his own naming for the special hands, and I don't know the name of the author of your variant's "bible." But in general, special hands with "snake" in the name usually do require the hand to be concealed.
"It's a trap!"
                    Admiral Ackbar (Star Wars)
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 28, 2025

How old and how much?

On Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at 05:42:56 PM EDT, hilaryc wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My question is - How old do you think my set is and what is its value? I have no desire to sell it, just want to know more about it.
Hi, here is my checklist. Thank you in advance for your time and expertise.
1. My set contains 152 tiles, 4 dice, 4 wind disks, rules book and wooden flat box with sliding top.
2. Condition of tiles is very good, not faded or chipped. Chips, dice, and rule book are very good as well. Wooden storage box is good, has some scratches and shrinkage of the wood.
3. I think the tiles are made of bamboo and bone, and they are dovetailed. Based on your guide, maybe Fishbone. Hopefully from the photos you can determine.
4. I don’t know much about the set. I inherited from my Mother In Law, who said she got the set from her aunt. The book has no date or info on the set.
5. Tile dimensions are 1”high, 5/8” wide, 3/8” deep. Bone is 1/8”, Bamboo is 2/8” deep.
6. The basic 136 tile set is complete, dots, bams, craks, winds and dragons. The set has 8 flowers and 4 jokers. 4 blanks For a total of 152 tiles.
7. There are 4 additional blank tiles, that look exactly like the soaps. Question – what were these for?
8. Container is a flat wooden box with sliding top and 4 Chinese Characters engraved and painted into the lid. I took two photos, since the tiles stack two deep.
9. Container is in good condition, some scratches and wood is drying out so it has shrunk a bit.
10. Manual with no useful information about date or manufacturer is very good condition.
11. Older Craks
12, See photo
13. See photo
14. See photo
15. 4 jokers – question - I read that Chinese Sets do not come with jokers, but I am pretty sure this is a Chinese set, if you can clarify if this is Chinese or American Set
Phew, I think I did it correctly! Fingers Crossed!
With Gratitude, Hilary C

Hi, Hilary! You did it correctly. Thank you!
When I saw the box, I assumed the set is a typical bone/bamboo set from anytime from the 1930s to 1960s. But you are right about the tiles looking like fishbone rather than cowbone. The first time I saw fishbone tiles was in the 1990s. The question, then, is whether the box itself is old or new. In the late 1990s in Los Angeles' Chinatown, I saw a lot of fishbone sets on sale, and also "old made new" sets (mud-washed tiles in new colorful boxes with newsprint interiors). Such sets often didn't match up tiles with boxes perfectly (extra space, and/or tiles not arranged in neat 4x9 rows). It's the norm for tiles in the slide-top boxes like yours that they can't be arranged 4x9. It's difficult to say whether the tiles and the box were manufactured at the same time. The set was definitely made for export to the west, and it's not rare. It's not any more attractive than the usual. Some specifics, from your photos:
● This booklet comes with a variety of covers but the same innards: incomprehensible Chinglish that tries to describe an unknown variant of Chinese mah-jongg. The green cover version is older than the 1990s. The booklet itself is practically worthless because it's pretty much useless.
● The photo of the box top shows the top upside-down, and the West wind disc is also upside-down. The plastic wind discs indicate newer manufacture (after the 1940s, maybe after the 1950s). If the top slides nicely into the box's grooves, that's a plus for the set's value.
● It's lucky when the set contains eight blank tiles and eight Singapore-style "animal" flowers and four jokers. Not all Chinese sets come with jokers, but this type of set often does. The presence of jokers indicates later manufacture (not as early as the 1930s-1950s). The four extra blanks are replacement tiles, for a lost tile emergency. One could write on a tile to make it fill in for the lost tile. I say it's "lucky" because not all such sets come with that many tiles, and in case it's desirable to make the set playable with NMJL rules, those can be stickered to go with the horse jokers (surely no one would want to sticker over those pretties). The horse may have been chosen to celebrate the year of manufacture: 1954, 1966, 1978, or 1990. Maybe.
● The photo with the flowers and ruler show the Singapore-style imagery (cat catches rat, cock eats worm, fisherman catches fish, etc.) That indicates later manufacture. I can't say when animal flowers became popular in southeast Asia, nor when they started appearing on bone/bam sets made for export. The thick bone portion looks very white and flawless, which all indicate fishbone rather than cowbone. You say the tile dimensions are 1”high, 5/8” wide, 3/8” deep. That's small! It's typical of slide-top wooden box sets for the tiles to be small. That is an indicator of earlier manufacture (not as late as the 1980s-1990s).
● The photos showing tiles in box is very useful, but there's not a lot to say about them. The tiles arrange in an 8x10 pattern, so the 9 tiles of a suit cannot be arranged in one line. I'm a bit OCD I guess; I'd feel compelled to arrange them counting from top to bottom. That would leave a horizontal row of 8 at the bottom, which works perfectly. The Chinese do read vertically as well as horizontally.
● If you haven't run across my article that discusses animal flowers, see Mystery Flower Tiles.
If the Year of the Horse connection is correct, I would guess 1966 or 1978 as the year of manufacture, because of the box. If not for the box, I'd say 1990 for the tiles. As for value, I haven't purchased any sets lately but I know they've gone up since I was collecting.
You say:
"Condition of tiles is very good, not faded or chipped. Chips, dice, and rule book are very good as well. Wooden storage box is good, has some scratches and shrinkage of the wood.
Container is in good condition, some scratches and wood is drying out so it has shrunk a bit.
Manual with no useful information about date or manufacturer is very good condition".
Overall, you say the set is "good," with the bits and pieces "very good." The tiles look better than just Good to me, but you've clearly done your homework (thanks for that) so I have to assume that your assessment of condition is correct. Back in the nineties, I would probably have paid $80-90 for it. $85 in 1995 would be worth $180 today, for whatever that's worth. $180 sounds way high to me, but my head is stuck in the past. Price for collectibles like mah-jongg sets rises or fluctuate not just with the value of the dollar but also with the popularity of the game.
I hope you have enjoyment with the set, Hilary.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 27, 2025

She said I was not allowed to call her dead, part 2

On Monday, August 25, 2025 at 05:18:25 PM EDT, Carolyn S wrote:
Subject: Re: Mahjong question regarding dead hand and counting another player's tiles
Thanks for answering my question so quickly.  
Carolyn

You're very welcome, Carolyn!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 25, 2025

Send me a hard-to-read mah-jongg card.

On Monday, August 25, 2025 at 04:05:14 PM EDT, Ki R wrote:
Subject: No Subject
Please kindly send me a mahjong hard to read card.
Thank you Kimberly

囧 Your request has me scratching my head, Kimberly! I'm not in the business of providing cards, hard to read or otherwise! I assume you want a 2025 National Mah Jongg League card? If that's what you're looking for, you can order one at https://nationalmahjonggleague.org/store.aspx#. If that's not what you're looking for, tell me more. I am interested in hearing more about your request.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 25, 2025

She said I was not allowed to call her dead.

On Monday, August 25, 2025 at 03:58:00 PM EDT, Carolyn S wrote:
Subject: Mahjong question regarding dead hand and counting another player's tiles
Would you please answer a question for me regarding American Mahjongg?
Here is the scenario:
During a game, I saw that the player to my left had too many tiles and it was not her turn. I told her that she had too many tiles and pointed to each tile, counting 1,2,3,...14 and that she was therefore dead. She said that I could not call her dead because I could not point at her tiles and count them. I did not agree with her but she insisted she was correct. So, is she right or could I call her dead in this situation?
Would it make any difference if we were playing in a tournament or would the rule be the same?
Thank you very much for answering my question.
Carolyn S

There is no rule against pointing at a player's tiles in the course of pointing out that there are too many tiles. That's a strange idea.
There is no rule against counting a player's tiles, especially if you're pointing out that someone has the wrong amount of tiles. Also a strange idea.
There is no rule against calling a player's hand dead. The death challenge rules are spelled out very clearly in Mah Jongg Made Easy, the official rulebook of the NMJL. In the latest 2023/24 edition, see pages 19-23. If you don't have the rulebook (you really should), see FAQ 19-AA.
The death rules are not different in a tournament.
You were correct: having too many tiles is a fatal error. She's not supposed to challenge your right to call her dead - she's supposed to reply affirmatively or negatively (yes my hand is dead or no my hand is not dead). Since it turns out that you were right, she owes you 50¢ if you play for coins, 50 points if you keep score.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 25, 2025

Ebonite: when?

On Monday, August 25, 2025 at 03:21:17 PM EDT, steven k wrote:
Subject: Mahjong / ebonite
Hi Tom,
I recently purchased (in France) an incomplete set of mahjong made of ebonite.
I would be interested to know if you can date its production. Unfortunately there was no box.
Thanks for your support.
BR,
Steven
Téléchargez Outlook pour iOS

May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 25, 2025

Can I change my mind about a joker exchange? I had a change of heart.

On Monday, August 25, 2025 at 11:41:35 AM EDT, Susan W wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
If a player has exposed three 8 Bams and a joker, and on my turn I exchange my 8 Bam for his joker, then decide I want to do Singles and Pairs so don’t need the joker, can I return his joker and retrieve my 8 Bam? I haven’t discarded yet.
Susan
Sent from my iPad

No, Susan. Once you've handed over the 8 bam, it's too late to change your mind. Actions cannot be undone. See FAQ 19-AM.4.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 2, 2025

Interested in learning more about two sets

On Sunday, August 24, 2025 at 05:57:41 PM EDT, Cindy S wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question is:
Hello Tom.
I am interested in learning more about two of my mother’s Mah Jongg sets. She and her friends were avid players.
Would you be able to tell me about the heritage, materials, age, and values of each set?
I’ve attached photos. Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Cindy

Hi, Cindy! The set with the white tiles was made after 1970. It's a common type of set. The case looks old, probably 1970s or 1980s. I can't tell you a value because you haven't given me enough information (see FAQ 7h). The set with the yellow tiles is older. I can't tell you how old because you haven't given me enough information (see FAQ 7g). And I also need the information requested in FAQ 7h for that set. You should not send me additional photos and information about two sets in one email. Separate emails, please.
You could also try going through CHarli's websites. They're listed in FAQ 4a. She's an expert in American manufacturers, and I'm not. Good luck!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 24, 2025

No idea!

On Sunday, August 24, 2025 at 06:58:44 AM EDT, Lisa J wrote:
Subject: New Old Tiles
Tom,
Hi! I know these are not MJ tiles, but I was wondering if you have any information on them that you could share.
The size is:
H = 1 1/8
W = 3/4
D = 1/2
They have a really nice dovetail, and they are bone/bamboo. There was a box with it but there was absolutely no writing on it. It was covered in a silky material, and the lid was glass. I spent a lot of time cleaning them with Q-tips. The guy who I bought them from said they might have been used on cruise ships? No idea!
I'm always interested in your opinion.
Thanks, Lisa

Hi, Lisa! Here's literally everything I know about these:
1. They're playing card tiles (I'm sure you already knew that).
2. They're bone and bamboo (as you already said).
3. They're not rare (I have several such sets).
4. They're not new (not made after Y2K).
5. One or more of my sets is made of plastic (Bakelite).
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 24, 2025

Past NMJL yearly bulletins

On Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11:45:44 AM EDT, sue p wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Good morning I was wondering where to find a copy of all of the past national Mahjong league bulletins. Thanks in advance, Sue.
Sent from my iPad

囧 Sorry, Sue. I have no idea. NMJL bulletins are "ephemera," which are "items of collectible memorabilia, typically written or printed ones, that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness or popularity" (per Oxford). Most people threw them away. Only serious mah-jongg nerds* like me keep them... well, no, geeks* would keep them too.
*Nerds vs. geeks: geeks often collect memorabilia out of enthusiasm or fandom, while nerds are interested in research on the subject (paraphrased from Google AI), thus they too would likely collect bulletins. So, look for mah-jongg nerds or geeks who've been playing NMJL rules for many years. Seriously, I have no idea where there might be a repository of bulletins. Good luck!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 18, 2025

This pamphlet said, part 2

On Sunday, August 17, 2025 at 12:59:39 PM EDT, Karen G wrote:
Subject: Re: question
The American Mahgongg League put out the booklet which questioned my knowledge that a joker could not be used for Mahjongg with a singleton pairs combo. See photos of the pages from that document at the bottom of this thread.
Karen

I interpret this wording differently, but I agree that it's worded ambiguously because of the run-on sentence.
I read this as: "[S&Ps are] the hardest hands to make because Jokers are not permitted." Period. "And you may not call a tile to complete a pair or use as a single - unless it's to instantly announce 'Mah Jongg!'"
But I still want to know who wrote this. It looks fairly new. I don't have this one in my library. You say the author is "the American Mah Jongg League," but I can find no reference to any organization by that name. There once was an American Mah Jongg Association, but that quietly faded away some years ago. Today with a Google search for "American Mah Jongg League," I found only an old Reddit thread about the old American Mah Jongg Association, several links to the National Mah Jongg League's site, and a listing for a new business using the name American Mah Jongg Association. No American Mah Jongg League. I'd love to see what the pamphlet's cover looks like, and the copyright and title pages, if possible.
That's just to satisfy my own curiosity. But if I've highlighted the correct paragraph, it doesn't say that a joker can be used for a singleton or in a pair, when declaring mahj. Was there something else I was supposed to look at on the other page? Or did you have a different passage in mind?
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 17, 2025

Will you be doing a 2025 Quandries column?

On Sunday, August 17, 2025 at 07:37:13 AM EDT, Lynne M wrote:
Subject: 2025 Quandries?
Hi - I asked on Mah Jong That’s It fb page for strategy problems like those found in newspaper columns for bridge and chess. Some suggested at look at Sloperama. Great stuff! Will you be doing a 2025 Quandries column? Thanks.
Sincerely,
Lynne M
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

囧 Thanks for asking, Lynne! I wrote columns weekly for years, then monthly, and I have, sadly, lost enthusiasm for continuing.
If you'd like to give me some tiles for me to analyze, I'd be happy to do that.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 17, 2025

Ma Tsuo Pai by Richter

On Friday, August 15, 2025 at 06:45:10 PM EDT, David H wrote:
Subject: Early version of Mahjongg called Ma Tsuo Pai, by F. Ad. Richter

I hope I have provided enough details. Below is what I wrote out in a Word document and pasted here. Thanks in advance.

Ma Tsuo Pai details
I would like a realistic value of this set. It seems to be rare enough that there is little about the value, other than one ebay auction where it sold for like $35. Heritage Auctions give me a ballpark of $250 - $500. (I'd also welcome any suggestions about how/where to sell it.)

Preface.
This is an American version of the game by FA Richter, which they called Ma Tsuo Pai. The box was found in a garage. The front of it shows weather wear, but otherwise the set has never been played. Most of the pieces are still in the same position as when it was produced, including the tissue paper used to separate layers of tiles. I would say about 60% of the tiles have never been exposed or seen since production.
I would put as being made between 1919 and 1924. See *notes below with references for the determination.

148 pieces (size (in.): 1-5/32 x 1 x 5/32)
- 4x9 dots
- 4x9 bamboos
- 4x9 numerals
- 12 dragon blocks
- 16 race blocks
- 8 flower blocks
- 4 position blocks

There is a sheet on the inside of the lid with images and names of the pieces.
No other content, from what I can tell.

The set is in a flat, wooden box, painted black, with a side-sliding lid. There are metal braces (shaped like a B or 8) on the corners of the box.
The cover is red, with the title of the game Ma Tsuo Pai, and sub-title Chinese Domino Game. It also says “Manufactured by F. AD. Richter & CIE A.-G. Rudolstadt (Thuringia)” and “Sole distributors: Block House Inc. 43 East 19th Street, New York”

I would describe the tiles mostly As New, with many on the top layer and the box as Good.
The top layer of tiles are dusty, with some showing chipping of the printed (acetate) layer on the face of the tiles. I have not cleaned them. I don’t want to take any chance of damaging them.
The blocks are made from (artificial) stone, as was normal for the company. TheMahjongtileset.co.uk site describes it:
‘Stone‘, or more accurately artificial stone, was the prime material used by the German firm F.Ad. Richter, famous for its Anker building blocks.

Richter used the same material to make Mah Jong tiles, faced with a printed acetate film, then lacquered with shellac which varies in thickness, giving a much darker hue to some tiles. The tiles are an unusual design, featuring ‘races’ for the Wind tiles, and very collectable. The tiles are quite large and heavy, but not thick, however the stone material damages the facing material with use, or even in storage. Very often the tiles were packed before the shellac had dried sufficiently, with consequent adhesion of the acetate film to the reverse of the next layer, which is then ripped off on first usage.

The site also has a photo of a version of the set in Allan and Lila Weitz’ private collection 13 – Flat Wooden Boxes (number 23 of 23).

There's no penalty in this situation, Sara. The discarder should say the real name of the tile, and the game continues. I think player B is upset at herself too, not only the discarder. There's a penalty only if the misnamed tile is called for mah-jongg. See FAQ 19-AY for more details.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 15, 2025

When can I redeem a joker, part 2

On Friday, August 15, 2025 at 08:01:18 AM EDT, Linda M wrote:
Subject: Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A
Thank you.
To clarify, once the player picks up the discarded tile, then exposes can she then claim the joker exposed by the other player and save It on her rack ? Or does she need to wait her turn again to claim the joker ?Isn’t this double dipping? Two plays in one turn?
Linda
Sent from my iPhone

It's not double dipping, Linda. The rule is that one can redeem jokers on one's turn. There are 2 ways to begin one's turn: by picking from the wall or by claiming a discard (and making a complete exposure with it). The rule is not "one can redeem a joker on one's turn but only if the turn begins by picking from the wall." See FAQ 19-M or read the joker rules on page 23 of MJME 2023/2024.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 15, 2025

When can I redeem a joker? What's the procedure?

On Thursday, August 14, 2025 at 09:57:03 PM EDT, Linda M wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Can a player pick up a thrown out tile and then simultaneously try to take an exposed joker on someone else’s rack?
Linda
Sent from my iPad

No, Linda, those two things may not happen simultaneously. First the called discard must be exposed atop the rack with other tiles in order to make a complete exposure. Then, the player may redeem a joker, but that new joker may not be added to the newly exposed tiles. The player must have the full "price" of the exposure in order to claim a discard, before calling the discard and making the exposure. See FAQ 19-M: all about the joker redemption rules. In MJME2023/2024 (Mah Jongg Made Easy, the latest edition), see the joker rules on page 23.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 15, 2025

This pamphlet said ...

On Thursday, August 14, 2025 at 05:05:29 PM EDT, Karen G wrote:
Subject: question
I am teaching mahjongg to a group of people and this came up:
A person was completing a singles and pairs combination.
FF 2468DD 2468DD
She only needed a 6 bam. She received a joker and declared mahjongg. She had with her a mahjongg pamphlet (not written by the NMJL) that said one could use a joker for a singles and pairs combo, but just for declaring mahjongg. I did not think this was correct. Someone else also said she read you could do so. My thinking is that this goes against making a singles and pairs combination.
Please advise.
Karen G

Hi, Karen!
This is simple. Show your student rule 9 atop page 24 in MJME2023/2024. Since you're teaching, you surely must have a copy of the official rulebook from the League. Regardless, your students themselves have the rule, right on the back of the card.

I'd dearly like to see this pamphlet. A photo of its cover, or at least the name of its author, and a page number where I can look up this rule in my copy of the pamphlet. (I have copies of most pamphlets in my library.) If there's no author's name, then that further erodes that pamphlet's trustworthiness.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 14, 2025

* Yes, it's technically incorrect to say "tweet" in regards to Facebook, but I think it's a perfectly cromulent turn of phrase.

Errata erratum

On Thursday, August 14, 2025 at 11:37:10 AM EDT, Terri B wrote:
Subject: Errata2024 Rule 86.h
Dear Mr. Sloper,
First and foremost I want to send you well wishes and to thank you for the vast MahJong (camel case must be yet another spelling by now, I imagine) resource that you have made available at sloperama.com for free! As a complete novice to the game this summer, I was relieved to find your website, entertained by your writing style, and appreciative of your thoroughness.
So, of course, I bought your book _The Red Dragon & The West Wind_ and was thrilled to find that it also includes rules for Chinese Official play. I also was tickled to imagine that I now understand the title of the book, given the eastern and western rule sets (it took me a while to catch on).
Beyond thanking you, the primary reason for writing to you is to point out one item in your Errata2024 at sloperama.com. On page 3 of the Errata, fourth item from the bottom references P.58 then goes on to add Rule 86.h. related to taking a discard to create a new set. Since Rule 86 in the book is all about redeeming jokers, I wonder if the Errata Rule 86.h. might be misplaced. Perhaps this rule belongs on page 52 under Rule 58d? Of course, you may already be aware of this detail and I simply may be misunderstanding some context related to Rule 86.h.
In any case, I am grateful for the care you have taken in keeping your book up to date. I hope that this message is of some use to you in clarifying the Errata on this one point.
All the best to you,
Terri

Hi, Terri! Wow, good eye! You're right that rule 86.h belongs at 59.e instead. But in moving it, I realized its pertinence to rule 86: it concerns jokers in that a redeemable tile can't be called in order to redeem it for a joker. So I amended rule 86.h and added rule 59.e. I've uploaded a new errata file, RDWW_errata250814.rtf*, at sloperama.com/mjfaq/rdww.html. Thanks for the tip, and thanks for your kind comments.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 14, 2025

* tldr: I had to save the errata as an rtf this time because I missed a typo when I started to convert it to pdf but even though I didn't save the pdf that time, after I fixed that typo, Adobe wants me to pay $13 every month for the privilege of re-converting one file today. Maybe before the next revision I'll make the errata a pdf, but most devices can probably handle rtfs just fine too. I think.

Is there a limit to how long you can think about what tile to discard? What's the cutoff?

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Gwen B
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How much time is allowed before you discard a tile?
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Hi, Gwen! There is no rule on this. It's more a question of etiquette. Etiquette and patience. And it depends on the group, and how the group rolls. There are different types of groups: chatty, beginner, intermediate, advanced, speedy, mixed, and cutthroat. Each group would have different ideas about how long one should take to discard.

Chatty group: Since the focus is on socializing, there's time between turns. Chat all you want, but be ready to discard when someone points out that you should discard.

Beginners group: Everyone is still learning the card. A common factor that slows things down is when a beginner is hellbent on winning over learning. Pride can slow down a game. When I was learning, I played with experienced players, so I decided to just keep up with the flow... for the time being. The more I played and lost, the more I absorbed, and eventually I was able to not just keep up but win once in a while. I learned that if all things are equal, I could win about 1/5 of the time (the other players too, and the wall wins the last 1/5 of the time). Winning will come when you have managed to keep up with everyone's flow. Yes, that means discarding a tile without being 100% sure you will need it, when you see signs of impatience in the other players. You'll get there in due time.

Intermediate group: Everyone has become comfortable with the card and the rhythm of the game. If one player interrupts the flow with long thinks, it actually interferes with not just the rhythm but also the other players' thought processes.

Advanced group: These players play a bit more focused and faster than the intermediate group. Shorter time to think about what to discard. If you run into a sticky decision, apologize for taking more time: "I need to think a second, sorry." Or "please give me a minute." Don't do that too often.

Speedy group: Speedy players have probably created table rules that force quick play. They might even "pick ahead" or not build walls, anything to facilitate fast play. Keep up.

Mixed group: In a mixed group of one or more beginners, intermediate, advanced, and speedy players, the speedy ones may grouse about it, but they need to graciously go with a slower speed than they'd like.

Cutthroat group: Abandon hope, ye who enter here, unless you're super-competitive yourself. Go with the flow if you know what's good for you.

Gwen, I know you were hoping for a more concise answer, like "twenty seconds" or something like that. If so, you might well get some little sand timers ("hourglasses"). They’re available in short intervals just for game players. Just now I found an Amazon listing for 30 second, 1 minute, and 2 minute sand timers. Personally, I think 30 seconds is a long time to think about what to discard, even though I know there have been times when I exceeded that limit.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 12, 2025

When can an exposure be corrected? Special circumstance if any.

On Friday, August 8, 2025 at 07:01:10 PM EDT, Dalia H wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A When can an exposure be corrected? Special circumstance if any.
My mah-jongg question is:
If I call for a tile and I need it to make a Kong BUT I expose it on the tray as a Pong and after I throw the discard I realize that I left the 4th tile on the OR the joker on the tray….AND later on I earn the 14th tile to get Mah Jongg …..can I make correction to the intended original Kong (which is represented erroneously by three) with the 4th tile remaining on the rack (or a joker that may be remaining on the rack).
Example: WWW is exposed where WWWW should have been exposed…..I throw out a discard…..then
I look at the rack and I see that the 4th remaining W was supposed to have been exposed is still on the rack …….(missed it by not looking correctly at the card or noticing that I was too hasty and left the 4th tile behind….or getting old and not concentrating.)
Now I pick the tile that can give me Mah Jongg ….can I correct the three WWW with the remaining forgotten tile or joker that is in my tray.
Can I correct the Pong to a Kong before I discard? Can I correct the Pong to a Kong after I discard? OR am I dead because I cannot correct the original line with the tile on the tray that I forgot.
Thank you.
Dalia H

Hi, Dalia!
You asked:

Q: When can an exposure be corrected?
A: On the turn when you make the exposure, before you discard and end the turn.

Q: after I throw the discard I realize that I left the 4th tile on the OR the joker on the tray
A: You mean the rack. Now that you've discarded, it's too late. You have a pung, not a kong, and that's that. Oops! Shoulda coulda woulda!

May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 9, 2025

Bombshell UK MJ

On Friday, August 8, 2025 at 12:05:01 PM EDT, Jerry S wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A My mah-jongg question or comment is:
What constitutes a Bombshell?
Is there more than one way to achieve that?
Regards,
Jerry.

From my iPhone
On Friday, August 8, 2025 at 01:24:52 PM EDT, Jerry S wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: what is the best source of getting to know all the special hands playable in the UK.
Regards,
Jerry.
From my iPhone

Jerry, I took your first email as some sort of spam, but I still looked at your second email anyway. I can answer your second question but I'm flummoxed by your first.
To get to know ALL the special hands playable in British/Australian/Western mah-jongg, there are two parts: one easy and one not.
1. Get every book about Western style mah-jongg and compile a list of the special hands in each book. You can find books in FAQ 3 and FAQ 2b. All books that I know of anyway. To save you the trouble: get the mah-jongg books by authors Strauser & Evans, Thompson & Maloney, Whitney, Carkner, Robertson, Pritchard, Glass, and Headley & Seeley. If you can find any other authors who wrote about Western mah-jongg, add those.
That gets you all of the published special hands. But there are probably custom hands in use at some tables. Thus:
2. Find and interview all players in the U.K. and Australia and New Zealand and India and other English-speaking countries that were formerly part of the British Empire. Add any new finds to the list of published hands.
OK? Now as to your first email: Is that really a mah-jongg question? And where did it come from? What put that question in your head? I never heard of a "bombshell" in mah-jongg. If you heard it used in a sentence, can you tell me the context? I'd love to know more.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 8, 2025

Appraisal cost query, part 3

On Thursday, August 7, 2025 at 02:46:33 PM EDT, <farley wrote:
Subject: PS Re: Mahjong - appraisal cost query
Hi Tom,
I just wanted to thank you again for your responsiveness. I haven’t had a chance to follow up on my end — the mother of my Mah-Jongg playing friend just died (expectedly), so my plan of giving my friend this beautiful vintage set I found has been put aside until she returns.
Again, thanks!
Farley

You're welcome, Farley.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 7, 2025

Can you tell me anything about this unusual old set, part 3

On Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 07:00:49 PM EDT, Todd M wrote:
Subject: Re: Unusual Mahjong Tile Set
Thank you very much!
Todd

You're welcome, Todd. If the Googlebot is right, I learned something!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 6, 2025

Can you tell me anything about this unusual old set, part 2

On Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 05:56:06 PM EDT, todd@ wrote:
Re: Unusual Mahjong Tile Set
Thank you for taking a look at this.
Here are some pictures. I too thought I might have two sets of cracks, but the detail on one set is slightly different. And I am missing one tile as you can see.
image4.jpegimage5.jpegimage6.jpegimage2.jpeg
There is one additional picture that I’ll send separately.
Todd

On Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 05:57:48 PM EDT, todd@ wrote:
Re: Unusual Mahjong Tile Set
Here is that additional picture.
Todd

There's at least one major flaw in what Google AI said: craks are NOT also called dots or circles. But we learn from this that your set could have been either manufactured or cobbled together to play this "tanyao" variant. I've long been aware of Tanyao as the name of a yaku (scoring combination) but I had not run across it as a variant of the game. So maybe that's the deal with your set, if Google AI isn't totally wrong about everything.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 6, 2025

Can you tell me anything about this unusual old set?

On Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 03:37:50 PM EDT, Todd M wrote:
Subject: Unusual Mahjong Tile Set
I have an old Mahjong set that was purchased at a yard sale. It differs from the standard American set that I have in that it has no flowers, dragons, winds or jokers. It is comprised of 144 tiles in these four suits. Here’s a picture.
Can you tell me anything about this set?
Thank you very much.
Todd M

If you really want to know more about your set, I need more than just the picture of four tiles. I need to see all the tiles, and the tiles need to be organized by suit and numerically. And I also need to see the carrying case the tiles come in. I'm standing by...
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 6, 2025

Is it inappropriate to discard a hot tile?

On Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 11:59:47 AM EDT, Denise M wrote:
Subject: Question About Defense vs. Winning
I play with a group that get's very upset if you discard a tile that allows someone to win. Unfortunately, I find myself in situations where I need 1 tile for Mahjong. If based on other's exposures, I feel like my discard would allow them to win, is it always expected of me to break up my winning hand? Is it inappropriate to take a chance?

Hi, Denise! This strategic decision requires more than just a "feeling." If, after seeing exposures go up and discards go out, you can tell that the probability is high that a tile is dangerous to throw, consider what it would cost if the other player wins on your discard, and know that the other players are going to come down on you like a ton of bricks to boot. In the words of the immortal Clint Eastwood, "do you feel lucky, punk?"
You are free to discard that tile if you are feeling lucky. There's no rule against it. Some groups set a table rule of "paying for the party," making the discarder of a winning tile pay four times the score, and nobody else pays.
And yes, apparently your group does expect you to break up your hand rather than give somebody the win, making them also pay. I suppose they believe that they themselves would break up their hands rather than give the winning tile. They were probably taught that way. That doesn't mean you should never throw to a dangerous table - sometimes the dangerous player isn't one away from the win (they were bluffing). It's not "inappropriate" to take that chance, except maybe in the eyes of your group.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 2, 2025

The wall hadn't been pushed out yet

On Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 09:35:04 AM EDT, Susan R wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
It would be Player C’s turn to play…but…Player B had not yet pushed out her wall.
Player C picked up the ‘would be appropriate tile’ from Players B’s wall —> while B’s wall has yet been pushed out.
Is Player C’s hand considered dead bc she picked from a wall that hadn’t yet been pushed out?
Is it considered ‘picking out of turn’?
Thank you.

Hi, Susan! Player C took the next tile that was rightly hers to take. It doesn't matter that the wall hadn't yet been served by player B. Pushing walls out is just to put the tiles-to-be-taken into the middle of the table. Picking from the wrong wall is a penalty error - picking from the correct wall is not. And it's not "picking out of turn" because player B had finished her turn and it was player C's rightful turn.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
August 2, 2025

The controversial "misnamed joker" rule

On Monday, July 28, 2025 at 11:44:16 PM EDT, Jan K wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is: can a misnamed joker be called for mah-Jongg
The NMJL seems to be saying yes this one time only and the player that made the mistake pays for everyone.
Jan k

Yes, that's exactly what the League is saying. See FAQ 19-AY.1 (the rule about misnamed discards) and see FAQ 19-G.3 (the rule about naming a joker when discarding). These two rules come together in your question.
If player A is waiting for a 7 dot for mah-jongg, and player D discards a joker and names it 7 dot (let's say the previous discard by player C was a 7 bam, not a 7 dot, thus it's a misnamed joker), player A can rightly claim mah-jongg, and player D pays for everyone. But player A is not winning on a joker exactly - player A is winning on what player D SAID the tile was. Same with any misnamed tile, not only a joker.
For more on this quirky rule, scroll down to Monday, March 10, 2025 to the post by Sheila S, titled "Something I [myself] was [not really] told today that's hard to believe...". And then scroll down to the previous post, dated Thursday, March 6, 2025 from Carolyn G, titled "A discard was misnamed and somebody said 'mahj'..."
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
July 29, 2025

What are they made of, part 4

On Monday, July 28, 2025 at 04:17:20 AM EDT, SCIENCEofDUB !!! wrote:
Re: Mahjong set
Hi Tom,
Many thanks for taking the time looking at my set and give some more definite conclusions!
Greetings,
Mark

You're welcome, Mark.
Tom Sloper
July 28, 2025

Rack repair

On Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 12:27:47 PM EDT, mary sf f wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
I’ve just discovered your site. Thank -you.
I just ordered and received a set from e-bay. A piece came broken. The piece from the rack. Pictures attached. What is the best way to repair it?
I appreciate your help.
Mary

囧 No picture was attached, Mary. I assume the rack is plastic, but which plastic? Because some plastics are impervious to some glues. I assume superglue (cyanoacrylate) is the best bet, but I can't guarantee it. Take a look at FAQ 7-o and search the page for "glue" - maybe you'll find a helpful hint there. It might still be a good idea to send me the pic.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
July 26, 2025

What are they made of, part 3

On Friday, July 25, 2025 at 07:07:46 AM EDT, SCIENCEofDUB !!! wrote:
Subject: Fwd: Mahjong set
Hi Tom,
Please reply tot this (my private) e-mailadress from now on.Tnx.
I made some foto's of the set laid out, and some more.
The box is very dry. It smells like old wooden objects usually smell. It falls apart here and there and there have been made some adjustments.
If you need more or better foto's, please let me know.
Mark

Thanks, Mark. I really only wanted the pic of the tiles, but I thought the pic of the box was interesting so I'm posting that too.
We've already established that the tiles are bone and bamboo; the main remaining question was its origin.
The absence of flowers is an indication of a possible Japanese set, but the clincher for me is the circles in the peacock's tail - very consistent with Japanese one bam tiles. So the set most likely is Japanese after all.
Greetz,
Tom Sloper
July 25, 2025

What are they made of, part 2

On Thursday, July 24, 2025 at 03:58:06 AM EDT, Mark K wrote:
Subject: Re: Mah-Jongg Q+A
Hi Tom,
Thanks for your quick response.
I made some more close up foto’s of some tiles. And the box they are in.
If you might come to a more definite conclusion wether it is bone or not I’d like to hear that.
Thanks again!
Mark

That will help me determine if the tiles are (as I now suspect) actually Chinese rather than Japanese. I've never seen Japanese bone and bamboo tiles, only plastic. That box is really weird, and it looks like the tiles and the box were soaked in mud to make them look older than they actually are.
Greetz,
Tom Sloper
July 2, 2025

Appraisal cost query, part 2

On Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at 11:23:57 PM EDT, <farley wrote:
Subject: Re: Mahjong - appraisal cost query
Hi Tom,
Thank you! Thank you!

Appraisal cost query

On Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at 07:24:06 PM EDT, Farley Z wrote:
Subject: Mahjong - appraisal cost query
Dear Tom,
I just read your “About Tom Sloper” — neato! I’m writing you from Los Angeles. I’m not in your field(s) of gaming, but my colleague, Tim Jenison, invented the VideoToaster way back when, and I like to think the streams your respective and collective tech knowledge resonate a little.
I’m writing because I’d appreciate knowing how much you charge for a Mahjong set appraisal.
I was at a thrift store just now, and happened on a vintage Mahjong set that's inside a converted cigar box — a cigar box onto which someone lovingly hand-stitched a leather covering. Resting atop the tiles there’s a handwritten note (early 1900s?) with score-keeping notes — that handwriting is so evocative. The two dice are green bakelite. All of the tiles have a slightly raised “B” on the back (that is, the “B” has no color, it’s just slightly raised, on the back of the white-ish tiles.)
I don’t play Mahjong and have no idea what the tiles are made of etc… However, one of my BFFs plays, and she’s going through a hard time so I thought I’d gift it to her. However, before I do, I’d so appreciate determining the details.
Thanks for letting me know what you'd charge for an appraisal. It is not an super antique bone set — but again, just judging from the handwriting — I’m guessing early 1900s.
Many thanks for getting back to me at your convenience.
All best,
Farley

Hi, Farley. I do public appraisals for free, here on my bulletin board. I don't do paid private appraisals unless I can touch and thoroughly examine the set. And I'd rather not do paid private appraisals anyway, because it can happen that my price exceeds the value of the set. With you in California and me in New York, a paid appraisal would be a pain in the butt for both of us.
You can just email me the details specified in FAQ 7h and good photos (at least 1 megapixel please) and email me. I'll post the appraisal here. The one thing most people don't do is tell me the condition of the parts of the set (see FAQ 7h for how to describe condition; there are specific terms to use), so keep that in mind. Scroll down to see some previous appraisals.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
July 23, 2025

What are they made of?

On Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at 05:31:01 AM EDT, Mark K wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Hi Tom,
My name is Mark and I’m from The Netherlands.
I recently bought an old Mahjong set on catawiki, from Japan. It is said to be from de Meiji-era.
The seller says it’s bone. The scoring sticks definitely are, but I’m not sure about the tiles.
I tried to figure it out with the help of the extensive information on your nice website. But I keep having doubts.
De tiles differ so much from the scoring sticks. They look more like plastic. They are very discoloured, they are very smouth and quite shiny. And have rounded sides. They feel more like plastic.
And I don’t really see the cracks or nerves that are typical for bone, maybe a little bit on the sides of the tiles.
Still they don’t look like they are made from bakelite, caseine etc.
I’m confused. And I’d rather not do a hot needle test or something.
Can you please take a look at the pictures and maybe give some clues?
Thanks for yout time.
Mark

Hi, Mark! I really can't tell from the photos whether they're plastic. But I can tell you some things that may possibly help:
1. They do look more Japanese than Chinese.
2. Early Japanese sets were made of thick plastic backed by what looks like bamboo but might not be. Those sets usually were packaged in vinyl briefcase-style cases. Newer Japanese tiles are solid (albeit two-tone) plastic, without the faux bamboo look.
3. A common "antiquing" trick used by some sellers is to bury the tiles in mud to give them an "aged" look. It looks like your tiles have been treated that way. Burial in mud should, I imagine, be more effective with bone than with plastic.
4. The rounded edges are not common with bone.
5. One of your six bams (the one overlaid with a corner of a one bam) has vertical streaks. You can test those streaks with a fingernail, to see if those are just dirt, or are depressed into the surface. If depressions, that is a sign of Haversian streaks, indicating probable bone rather than plastic. You say there are depressed streaks on the sides of some tiles? That's unusual. Cracks between the tops and the backs would indicate possible bone and bamboo.
6. Japanese tiles are typically made of denser plastic than Bakelite/Catalin or Casein. Polystyrene: harder, denser; reminiscent of ceramics.
That's all I can think of.
Greetz.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
July 23, 2025

The 2025 NMJL card, part 15b

On Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 08:33:00 PM EDT, <iowapaw wrote:
Subject: Thank you
Tom,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I have shared your answer with some of the gals I play with every Friday.
Pat

You're welcome, Pat.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
July 22, 2025

The 2025 NMJL card, part 15

On Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 06:41:10 PM EDT, <iowapaw wrote:
Subject: 2025 MJ question for winds-dragons, line 2 (FF 123 DD DDD DDDD)
Hello Tom,
I understand when playing Winds-Dragons, Line 2 (FF 123 DD DDD DDDD) that the single run can be any 3 consecutive numbers in one suit. I must have 3 dragon suits, a pair, a Pung and a Kong. I understand the suit of consecutive run does not have to match the Kong.
My questions to you are:
Can I call for a dragon for the Pung and/or the Kong before I have Mah Jongg? My thinking is I can but will you please clarify for me?
Am I correct in that I can call for a tile to complete my consecutive run but ONLY if I have Mah Jongg?
Thank you,
Pat W

Hi, Pat!
1. Yes, because the hand is marked X (for eXposed) and not C (for Closed/Concealed), you may call for a discarded dragon for the pung or kong. If the hand was marked C, you may not call a discard (except for mah-jongg).
2. Yes, you may call for a single or pair for mah-jongg.
I'm adding this to FAQ 16. Please check FAQ 16 first, whenever you have a question about the NMJL card.

May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
July 22, 2025

Age and value estimate

On Monday, July 21, 2025 at 10:54:16 PM EDT, JS W wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Set Age and Value estimate
Hey Tom!
I am hoping you can help me out with this Mah Jong set that I recently inherited. I recently retired, and my group of friends are starting to learn the game.
Thanks!
Julie W.

Mah-Jongg set information
Set includes
2 dice (½”)
Chip rack with a Bakelite base and 5 posts, includes 35 red chips, 25 blue chips, 24 yellow chips, and 20 green chips. Chips are smooth and have a round hole. They are approx. 7/8” diameter x 1/16” thick.
5 Cowens No. 33 racks (burgundy swirly)
Tiles included:
The basic 136-tile set is complete. Plus there are 8 flowers and 2 stickered jokers
Condition of tiles is very good to excellent. No color loss or damage. There are some very fine scratches from normal play. They appear to be hand carved, with very fine linework. I have spent hours looking on the internet for a similar 1 bam. I have not found one.
I am on the hunt for matching tiles that I can add stickers to for jokers.
Material:
Material seems to be “Chinese Bakelite” with a very flat matte surface (not radiused edges, just the vertical edges are radiused)
Color:
See Sherwin Williams SW6677 Goldenrod
This set belonged to my grandmother, who lived from 1906 - 1975. I’m pretty sure that she did not buy it new, as she never bought anything new. Probably from a garage sale.
Tile dimensions:
1 3/16” x 55/64” x ½” (1 3/16” x 7/8” x ½”)
Case:
19 ¾” x *9” x 3 5/8” (*9 5/8” with handle) Faux alligator cover, has some minor damage to the corners, consistent with the age. Inside is brown felt under the top and at the bottom. Sides and trays are faux alligator and in good condition, with no obvious damage.

On Monday, July 21, 2025 at 10:53:21 PM EDT, service@paypal.com wrote:
Subject: Reference: MJ@Sloperama Sloperama Mah-Jongg Answers - Donation from Julie W
Hello Thomas Sloper,
PayPal
Donation Received
This email confirms that you have received a donation of $15.00 USD from Julie W
You can view the transaction details online.
Donation Details
Total amount: $15.00 USD
Currency: U.S. Dollars
Purpose: Sloperama Mah-Jongg Answers
Contributor: Julie W
Message: Thank you, Tom, for all your work! Julie W.
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Hey Julie! Thanks for the donation, but you didn't really need to do that.
The condition of the tiles is a huge plus. The flower tiles are nice. Even the brass rack ends look amazingly untarnished. The main problem with the set (for resale purposes) is the lack of enough jokers. The number of flowers and jokers in a set isn't necessarily a reliable indicator of the exact date of manufacture of an American set, but since it has no manufactured jokers, my guess is that it was made during WWII (early forties), if not before.
The value is probably somewhere in the $200s because of the set's great condition, despite the lack of jokers to make the set playable with NMJL rules. If it had 8 jokers (even stickered) I imagine it would go for around $400 (because it's in such great condition for its age). Good luck finding joker-suitable tiles for it.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
July 22, 2025

Old NMJL cards

On Friday, July 18, 2025 at 05:07:00 PM EDT, Patty Mc wrote:
Subject: Vintage Mahjongg cards
Would you happen to know of a source to buy vintage cards from certain years? I happened to see a post that someone bought one from the year of their birth and piqued my interest to see my year and buy a little gift for my group. Example: 1954 Thanks, Patty Mc
P.S. I happen to have some cards that my mother saved from the 70s, 80s, 90s, that I would sell or trade.

Hi, Patty!
1. 囧 No, sorry, I don't. If I did, my collection would be more complete than it is!
2. You could try selling them on eBay, or OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, Mercari, Etsy...
Good luck! May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 18, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

The 2025 NMJL card, part 14

On Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 09:17:30 PM EDT, Pat W wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:on the 2025 card,, quint section, first line shows 3 consecutive numbers with the quint as the last number. Does the quint have to be the last of the consecutive numbers?
Sent from my iPad.

Yes, it does. Look at the structure: 2 tiles, 3 tiles, 4 tiles, 5 tiles. A rising number of tiles in each portion of the hand. Together with a 3-number consecutive run, the quint definitely has to be the high number.
I'm adding this to FAQ 16

May the tiles be with you, Pat!
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 17, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

The 2025 NMJL card, part 13

On Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 11:39:24 AM EDT, Arlene T wrote:
Subject: Like numbers (#2)
Hi Tom:
Where it says, (pairs must be the same) is that considered a Kong.
Arlene T

No, Arlene. It's two pairs. I answered questions about Any Like Nos. #2 in FAQ 16.

May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 17, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

Do you still valuate older sets

On Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 10:51:22 PM EDT, Matthew R wrote:
Subject: 1923? Piroxloid Mah-Jongg Set Inquiry
Hey Tom,
I’m reaching out to see if you still valuate older sets if I send you some photos and info about it?
I believe it’s a 1923 Piroxloid set.
Thanks for your help
Matt

Hi, Matthew. With a Piroxloid set, I wouldn't "valuate" so much as "guessuate." I'll see if I think it's a low-range, medium-range, or high-range set. And I'll guess at a value based on its desirability for collectors. I'll need good photos (not 320x240 pixels, postage-stamp size - at least 1 megapixel). And the completed checklist from FAQ 7h. You need to be clear about the condition of all the parts, noting all flaws.
Standing by. May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 16, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

Estimate on my set's value, part 2

On Sunday, July 13, 2025 at 11:13:05 PM EDT, Sorah B wrote:
Subject: Re: Estimate on my set's value please
Thank you!

Estimate on my set's value please

On Sunday, July 13, 2025 at 09:47:21 PM EDT, Sorah Broder wrote:
Subject: Estimate on my set's value please
Dear Tom,
I have a set that I purchased on ebay about 7 years ago. I am hoping you can give me an estimate on what it is worth, and if you know the manufacturer. The reason I am at a loss is because the set is not only complete, but the tiles (with the exception of 3) are in excellent, almost pristine condition. Based on the number of flowers, and that it is the exact set my mother had, I’m quite sure that it was made in the early fifties and was purchased in New York City. I have attached pictures of all the components I am listing, following your guidelines on how to describe the condition of each item:
· 1 brown fake alligator case with keys in good condition. The brass is all there, works, but is somewhat stained, so I’d say the case is in good condition
· 5 Bakelite racks (red, blue, green, yellow, cream). The Bakelite is in excellent condition, the brass coin holders only good condition, because they have little stains
· 134 round coins w/square holes: 10 yellow, 22 white, 29 green, 34 blue, 39 red all in excellent or mint condition
· 1 Bettor and 2 red dice in excellent condition
· 164 Bakelite tiles in excellent or mint (I can’t tell) condition except for 3 tiles (a 5 dot, a 6 dot, and a 7 dot are worn or just not printed well, so are only in good condition)
· Dimensions of the tiles are 2cm x 3 cm x 1 cm
And I think that’s it. Pictures attached. And I thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Warm Regards,
Sorah

Hi, Sorah! Nice job with the description and pictures. I imagine you could get $250-350 for the set. Those 28 flowers indicate that the set was probably made in the 1950s. And your set avoided being plundered of flowers for other people's use. See column 509.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 13, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

What happens when someone declares, part 2

On Sunday, July 13, 2025 at 05:35:16 PM EDT, Joanne C wrote:
Subject: RE: Dead Hand
Thank you so much, Tom. I’ll let me friends know!
Best,
Joanne C

You're welcome, Joanne!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 13, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

What happens when someone declares an opponent dead?

On Sunday, July 13, 2025 at 12:21:57 PM EDT, Joanne C wrote:
Subject: Dead Hand
Hello Tom,
We were wondering what happens when someone racks one or two series and another player declares that opponent dead.
Does that change anything?  Do we just keep playing?
All best,
Joanne

Hi, Joanne!
See FAQ 19-AA and AB. When someone issues a death challenge, whether it's phrased as a statement, a guess, or a question, the player who is on the receiving end of the death challenge must either acknowledge that she is indeed dead, or she may deny it (without explaining what hand she is making). Then the game continues, either with or without that player, depending on her reply to the challenge. If the player acknowledges that her hand is dead, she stops playing. If she denies that her hand is dead, she keeps playing. At the end of the hand, her tiles are checked to see if her hand was rightly challenged. Whoever was wrong pays the other player 50 points (or 50¢ if using coins).
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 13, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

Would you mind please answering or confirming, part 2

On Friday, July 11, 2025 at 08:38:00 PM EDT, Caleb B wrote:
Subject: Re: Mah-Jongg Q A
Thanks very much for your reply, Tom. I'm eager to share your assessments with my players and the set's donor.
Though the box is quite glossy, I'm certain it's simply shiny wood. A metal skin certainly would be interesting, I can see that appearance in my last photos for sure.
I can't make my mind up about the backs. While there are some very small gaps on some of the tiles at the interface (they can be felt with a nail and photographed with the right light), the opaque specks in the green of what looks like the yellow tile face material (again, depending on the light), combined with instances of the green appearing to follow uneven moulding of the face, makes me guess that it's conceivable that the two materials were poured twice rather than married later. Then again, for all I know that's exactly what indicates glued tiles!
Caleb B

Hi, Caleb!
Okay, so the box is carved, not embossed sheet metal. That's pretty fancy. Indicative of an earlier time in the life cycle of Japanese-style briefcase sets. Over time, a manufacturer usually looks for ways to cost-reduce a product line. We may be talking as early as the 1950s, but the jokers must have been engraved in the 1960s or 1970s.
As for the green tile backs, it's interesting that you can't tell by examining the seams if the backs were glued on or poured separately from the fronts. Both methods are viable, and were used before modern seamless two- and three-toned tiles were developed.
Something I didn't mention the first time is that the yellow part of your tiles has a name collectors use: "Chinese Bakelite." They're not really Bakelite or Catalin, because their edges and corners are sharper than the edges and corners of Bakelite/Catalin tiles.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 11, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

I recently read something you wrote...

On Friday, July 11, 2025 at 09:34:30 AM EDT, Susan D wrote:
Subject: Misnamed Tile
Tom, I recently read something you wrote about a misnamed discarded tile. It started like this: American Mah Jongg. The ladies are having their weekly game, when, all of a sudden, an unexpected thing happens, and they don't know what to do about it. it goes on to describe a situation where a player discards a south but calls it a flower and so on. Can you direct me back to that? I can't seem to find it, and I desperately need to share it with a group. Thank you, Susan

Starting with "American Mah Jongg" sounds like the beginning of a column, so I searched my columns. Finally Google found it for me: column 472. From 15 years ago, October 31, 2010.
Maybe you really just need the rule on misnamed discards? See FAQ 19-AY.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 11, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

Would you mind please answering or confirming the following points?

On Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 04:57:42 PM EDT, Caleb B wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Hello Tom, and I have to say thank you after reading through many pages of your exchange bulletin. I've found the whole thing very stimulating, it's an excellent public resource.
I'm writing to you because I've taken a few photos of a set I received recently, and while I have some questions about it, I think I've been able to answer the most important ones already using other examples on the bulletin. In the hopes that someone else might be able to do the same—if it's not an imposition—I'd like to submit them to you and get your opinion. I'm not bothered about the value, since my intention is to keep the set and play with it (I leave whether it would be useful to include for a future traveller to your judgement).
I'm in Ireland, and this set belonged to the late husband (born 1952) of a friend of mine. His mother spent a lot of time working in Hong Kong, which as far as we know is where this set would've originally been obtained. [a] It contains what I would think of as a full set of tiles for riichi mahjong, plus eight flower tiles, and four jokers. [b] Tiles measure 23.8x30.9x15.3 WxHxD. [c] The green backing appears to be cast in the same mould as the faces, and has some thickness variation across the tiles. No arabic numerals are present, though the joker is written in English, simply as "JOKER." Included in the box are three dice that make a lovely sound when rolled, and feel good in the hand (though their crude shape and manufacture brings into question their fairness), a number of point counting discs, and what looks to be a round wind indicator. There is also a lock with a very elegant mechanism.
Would you mind please answering or confirming the following points?
1. The date range I've seen you estimate for similar sets has been 1930-1950, are there any characteristics here that would point to one end or the other of that range?
2. The wooden trays don't seem to be quite the right size for the tiles, there's *almost* a tile's worth of space on the long side. The four jokers won't fit into the racks, and need to be placed in the center tray. Is this something you've encountered before? Could it be that someone transplanted the set into this box? The four jokers won't fit into the racks, and need to be placed in the center tray.
3. Racks are absent, but jokers are present, and there are no arabic numerals. This was obviously a domestic Chinese set, but is that a strange combination of features?
4. Four of the flower tiles had the numerals 1-4 written on in permanent marker; does that indicate a particular style of play?
Thank you very much again for your consideration.
-Caleb

Hi, Caleb!

[a] I would think of this set as a regular Chinese set plus four Americanized jokers (rather than a "set of tiles for riichi mahjong, plus eight flower tiles, and four jokers").

[b] Those dimensions are helpful. Thanks. Per FAQ 7A, and as I suspected from the photos, your tiles are about the same height as typical American tiles, but a bit wider and deeper. Certainly they're not as large as typical Hong Kong tiles.

[c] It sounds, reading between the lines, that the green backs are glued on? Not made in the same mold as the tops? I'm assuming the answer is yes.

1. I'm thinking this set may have been made in the 1950s-1970s, more likely the 1960s. The main reason is the box. That "briefcase" form factor probably originated in Japan after WWII, and the box and its interior don't look particularly old. If the green tile backs are glued on, not made in the same mold, that suggests old plastic technology, pre-1970s. So the green backs are also a clue. The box is interesting, with its embossed metal skin. Typically, that sort of box is covered in embroidered cloth, or padded vinyl fabric. This again makes me think 1960s-70s. But I'm not an expert. For further research on this type of set, see CHarli's websites, linked to in FAQ 4a.

2. Yes, I've often encountered not-quite-fitting trays. Yes, a "transplant," as you say, is very possible here. (I usually call that "Frankensteining.") It's typical that the usual four extra blanks (here, jokers) have to reside in the center tray. Each tray is only going to hold 36 tiles in a 4x9 configuration, and that's the norm for "briefcase" type cases. No room for one extra tile per tray.
Frankensteining is big business and has been since the nineties; small companies (I assume) collect used sets of tiles and repackage them in lookalike boxes, with some sets not-quite-fitting in the trays. If there are a lot of sets out there with that embossed sheet metal skin, then we might have a Frankenstein here. But I'm leaning toward the 1960s because of the tiles; and the box could be contemporary to the tiles.

3. Yes, it's unusual, but the only unusual element is the jokers. It's not unheard of for Chinese sets (without Western indices) to include jokers, but those are marked in Chinese, not English. Someone clearly engraved "JOKER" on the set's four extra blanks. Chinese sets in briefcases almost always contain Chinese jokers. And no racks, because it's a briefcase, not a "trumpet" case.

4. Yes. Numerals are for the way flowers are used in Chinese styles of play. But there were no numerals on the flowers in the photos. Did you clean them off? I'm assuming yes. The odd thing is to have markered-on the numerals to make the flowers usable in Chinese play in the first place. It's unusual that there were no numbers in the first place, and it's unusual that a person who wants jokers in the set also wants numerals on the flowers. Minor mystery: why "JOKER" is engraved but the numerals were markered.

This was fun, Caleb! May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 10, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

Conflicting claim and pick, part 2

On Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at 09:32:50 AM EDT, Debbie Barnett wrote:
Subject: July 8, Kathie D's question
Hi Tom, hope this email finds you well. The question asked by Kathie was, "Player to my left discards. Player to my right calls it for MJ. as I've picked a tile and upon looking at it I call MJ. Who gets the MJ?"
The letter you posted by the League states that if there is a simultaneous rack and call, the caller gets the tile and I agree that it would make sense to follow suit if player A picks and racks a tile and says Mah Jongg at the same time another players calls the previous discard for Mah Jongg.
The poster's question states that the player picked and looked at the tile but did not actually rack it. If this were the case then wouldn't then the rule noted in the 2020 bulletin, answer #4, "Yes, when there is a simultaneous rack and call, the tile goes to the player who called the tile," apply?
A few weeks back someone asked in my group, what happens if a player picks and racks and says Mah Jongg at the same time another player calls the previous discard for Mah Jongg? Since there was no reference to this scenario with two calls for Mah Jongg, I called the League and spoke to Robin who said, wow, I've never been asked this so let me put you on hold with and confer with the rules expert. After doing so, she came back on the phone and said, interesting question, we don't know the answer but please write a letter recapping our conversation and we will take it to the committee.
I know that "Mahj always trumps" and in the case of a simultaneous pick from the wall "and rack," and a call for Mah Jongg, with Mah Jongg trumping all, it might be a tie win. Just my thoughts and maybe the winners split the payout.
Anyhow, once the letter I sent gets reviewed and brought to the committee in September, I'll keep everyone posted.
Have a Mahjful Day!
Warm regards,
Debbie Barnett

Thanks, Debbie! You're right, there is a clash between question and answer. I look forward to learning the answer from the League rules committee. But I doubt the win is split. That would be a departure from the "only one winner" principle.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 9, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

Conflicting claim and pick

On Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at 06:00:48 AM EDT, Kathie D wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
Player to my left discards. Player to my right calls it for MJ. as I've picked a tile and upon looking at it I call MJ.
Who gets the MJ?
Kathie

Hi, Kathie! In the case of simultaneous call for mahj on discard and mahj call on wall pick, it would seem* that the caller gets the tile. See FAQ 19-CL which says if a call for a discard is spoken at the exact precise instant that the next-in-turn racks her picked tile from the wall (or if nobody can tell which came first), the caller gets the tile. This is based on a 2016 letter from the League about "simultaneous rack and call."

It's too bad the League's letter did not include the question that was being answered, since it makes their answer ambiguous. My belief is that the next-in-line should get the mahj, since both claims were mahj claims.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 8, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

Does having a nice custom case made devalue my set?

On Sunday, July 6, 2025 at 04:45:25 PM EDT, Carla Jean Pugh wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
I got my set in the 60’s directly from China. I had a woodworker make a nice case for it and included my four wood racks. Does not having the original case devalue the set?
Thank you.
Carla Jean Pugh

I rather doubt it, Carla Jean. The new custom made case is nice, after all.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 2, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

You have to be quick, you know!

On Saturday, July 5, 2025 at 12:49:37 PM EDT, Maureen M wrote:
Subject: Mah-Jongg Q+A
My mah-jongg question or comment is:
I have been playing Mahjong for a few years with three small groups. But I started with a much larger group this week and they have a curious rule re. picking tiles. For example:

Player A has discarded a tile.. player B quickly picks a new tile from the wall and immediately, even before looking at this tile, taps it loudly a time or two on the tabletop or against her rack so as to declare the most recently discarded tile “dead”, thereby closing the 'window of opportunity’ almost instantly. I argued that her tile should be racked before the window closes, but the ladies all said that they had been taught this way. (And that when they play tournaments, this is part of the play). To me , this almost takes away any chance of another player calling a discard. Their response was, that “you have to be quick, you know!”

Then it carries on, player C picks her tile from the wall, and immediately taps the table or rack also, before she even decides whether to keep or discard her new tile and so on.
I have read your book, The Red dragon and The West Wind back and forth, and cannot see this as a legitimate thing anywhere. I hope I’m right, but can you clarify this for me?

Many thanks, I bought two of your books for myself and my friend, and we love it!
Maureen Mulder,
Delaware, Ontario, Canada.

Hi, Maureen!
1. Your larger group plays with a "tapping" table rule. Tapping is not a feature of the official rules. See rule 8 on page 17 of MJME2024: "Tapping or clicking the rack with the tile is not considered racking."
2. They were taught wrong. Sounds like nobody in that group has, or has read, the official rulebook, Mah Jongg Made Easy.
3. Tapping is not a tournament rule. It was not permitted in any tournament I've attended.

Although the answer to your question is that your new group uses an unofficial table rule, it's likely that if you tell the group and show them the official rule, they won't change, and they might take your words as fighting words.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 5, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

Donation

On Friday, July 4, 2025 at 11:11:07 AM EDT, service@paypal wrote:
Subject: Reference: MJ@Sloperama Sloperama Mah-Jongg Answers - Donation from Melissa S
Hello Thomas Sloper,
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Melissa, thank you very much!
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 4, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

Why wouldn't the computer let me win?

On Friday, July 4, 2025 at 12:13:49 AM EDT, bevd54 wrote:
Subject: Conservative Run #7
Can you tell me why I could not call mahjong on this game.
The 9 dot came up and I needed it for mahjong but the computer gave it to player 3. My next turn I picked up a joker but it still wouldn’t let me call mahjong.
Thank you
Sent from my iPhone

May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 4, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

The origin of the wall game points?

On Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at 08:18:09 PM EDT, Susan D wrote:
Subject: Wall Game
I was taught over twelve years ago that when there is a wall game players receive 10 points. Is that a NMJL rule, or is it a carry-over from tournament play that is now being used in home games? I hate to admit that I have never given it much thought, but now I have reason to research it, and I cannot find it written anywhere.
Thanks, Susan D

Hi, Susan! It's not an NMJL rule. I was going to say it's a table rule, but your suggestion that it's a tournament rule is a forehead-slapper. That's the best guess. A tournament rule that became a table rule.
May the tiles be with you.
Tom Sloper
Rochester, New York, USA
July 1, 2025
Author of "The Red Dragon & The West Wind"

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