FAQ 16. Frequently-Asked Questions about the 2015 National Mah Jongg League card

FF DDDD 2015 DDDD (Kong Any 2 Dragons, 2 or 3 Suits)
(2015 #3)

It says "2 or 3 suits," but the hand is printed in 3 colors. What's up with that?
The parenthetical overrides the color-coding. As the parenthetical says, you can make a three-suit hand or a two-suit hand. See image below. These are all legal ways of making this hand:

Note that the zero is just a zero; zero is suitless, as it says in red text at the top of the card (soap is not regarded as being a suited dragon when it's used as a zero). Also see http://www.nationalmahjonggleague.org/faq.html.

Do I have to use kongs of Green and Soap, with the 2015 in craks?
No. The color-coding is not to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read the back of the card, and read Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and FAQ 19-J.

Can I use a joker in the 2015 since the tiles are bunched together like a kong?
No, of course not. 2015 is not a kong. It's four singles. A kong is four identical tiles. Read FAQ 19E (click here) and read the back of your NMJL card. Look for the word "NEVER" (in all capital letters, bold text, and underlined just like that).

Can I claim a discarded tile to expose the 2015?
Not unless it's for mah-jongg. Read FAQ 19E (click here) or click FAQ 19 in the nav frame at left.

FF 2222 8888 DDDD -or- FF 2222 8888 DDDD
(Evens #3)

There is the option of completing the hand in all one suit or what looks like 3 suits. I'm just not sure it's 3 suits because it doesn't state so in a parenthetical nor does it indicate 2 suits any Dragon. I would appreciate your call on this.
Right: "What if there's no parenthetical"? That's FAQ 19-AJ (click here); you can also click FAQ 19 in the nav frame at left. Since there's no parenthetical saying otherwise, you have no choice but to make the hand as shown (one suit or three suits).

The hand is shown with green twos, red eights, and blue dragons. Does this mean that the twos must be Bams, the eights must be Craks, and the dragons must be soaps?
Read FAQ 19-BY (click here); you can also click FAQ 19 in the nav frame at left.

FFFF 1111 66 7777 -or- FFFF 1111 66 7777
(Sevens)

Each hand has a choice to play with 3 suits. For example, the first hand with 3 suits is listed as 4 flowers, 4 green ones, 2 red sixes, and 4 black sevens. Does this mean that the ones must be Bams, the sixes must be Craks, and the sevens must be Dots?
Read FAQ 19-BY (click here); you can also click FAQ 19 in the nav frame at left.

1123 11111 11111 (Any 3 Consec. Nos; Pr. Any No. in Run; Pr & Quints Match)
(Quints #2)

This hand contains a "run," a rising numerical sequence. It's made up of two singles and a pair.

Do the quints and the pair have to be the first number in the run, as shown on the card?
No. The pair can be the first, second, or third number in the run. You have to read the parenthetical, and read the parenthetical very carefully. The phrase "Any No. in Run" means that the pair can be... wait for it... any number in the run. That means that the pair does not have to be only the first number in the run. The word "any" always means "any." You can read FAQ 19J if you're still confused about what "any" means (or look up the word "any" in... any dictionary). And the quints have to be the same number as the pair (that's what "Pr & Quints Match" means). For more on this hand, see http://www.nationalmahjonggleague.org/faq.html.

Do the quints have to be in craks and dots, since they're red and blue on the card?
No. The colors are symbolic - they are not to be taken literally. Read FAQ 19AK (click here).

1123 11111 11111
4556 55555 55555
7899 99999 99999

Can I use a joker in the 1123 kong? And can I call it for exposure?
It is not a kong! The term "kong" applies only to "like tiles." This "grouping" (the aforementioned "run") is a pair and two singles, not a kong. Read FAQ 19E (click here).

If it's not a kong, why aren't there spaces between the pair and the singles?
How should I know? And what difference does it make? So what if there's no space between obvious pairs and singles? Spaces on the card are usually not significant or meaningful.

NNNNN DDDD 11111 (Quint Any Wind & Any No. in Any Suit; Kong Any Dragon)
(Quints #3)

This hand has to be two suits, right? The number quint has to be a different suit from the dragon kong?
No. The hand can be two suits or it can be one suit. Look in the parenthetical. There's that word "any" again. "Any" always means "any." You can read FAQ 19J for more about this concept.

SSSSS DDDD 33333
EEEEE DDDD 88888

FF 1111 9999 DDDD -or- FF 1111 9999 DDDD
(Odds #3)

There is the option of completing the hand in all one suit or what looks like 3 suits. I'm just not sure it's 3 suits because it doesn't state so in a parenthetical nor does it indicate 2 suits any Dragon. I would appreciate your call on this.
Right: "What if there's no parenthetical"? Since there's no parenthetical, you have to make the hand as shown (one suit or three suits). Read FAQ 19-AJ (click here); you can also click FAQ 19 in the nav frame at left.

NNNN SSSS 111 111 (Pung Any Like Odd No. in One Suit Only) ... x 30
(Winds - Dragons #3)

That must be a mistake, that the two pungs are shown in the same color - that would mean I need six of the same number in the same suit!
It's not a mistake. Don't forget, there are eight jokers in the mah-jongg set. And you may expose a pung (the hand isn't marked c).

What does "like" mean?
Read FAQ 19AU (click here)

What does it mean "Pung Any Like Odd No. in One Suit Only"?
It means the two pungs can be any odd number (1, 3, 5, 7, or 9). You need six identical tiles (all the same number in the same suit), which means you need at least two jokers.

Before, you said that spaces are not meaningful, so "111 111" must be a sextet?
No. In this case, the space definitely is meaningful. The League clearly intends this to be two pungs, not one sextet (see the clue in the parenthetical, where they use the word "pung").

EEEE WWWW 222 222 (Pung Any Like Even No. in One Suit Only) ... x 30
(Winds - Dragons #4)

What does "like" mean?
Read FAQ 19AU (click here)

What does it mean "Pung Any Like Even No. in One Suit Only"?
It means the two pungs can be any even number (2, 4, 6, or 8). You need six identical tiles (all the same number in the same suit), which means you need at least two jokers.

Before, you said that spaces are not meaningful, so "222 222" is a sextet?
No. In this case, the space definitely is meaningful. The League clearly intends this to be two pungs, not one sextet. See the parenthetical.

FFFF DDDD DD DDDD (Any 3 Suits)
(Winds-Dragons #6)

Does the pair have to be red dragons, since it's red?
No. Read the parenthetical. It says "Any 3 Suits." That's the League's way of saying that the pair can be from any suit, and the kongs must be the other two suits.

998 99887 998877 (Any 3 Suits. These Nos. Only)
(Singles And Pairs #6)

Can that be any three descending numbers?
No. Read the parenthetical. "These numbers only," it says.

That's a pung, a quint, and a sextet - so can I use a joker? And can I call for exposure?
No. There is no pung in the hand, no quint, and no sextet. The terms "pung" and "quint" and "sextet" apply only to "like tiles." Those "groupings" are "runs" in League vernacular (perhaps "reverse runs" or "decreasing runs"), made up of singles and pairs. Look at the title of this section of the card. It's called "Singles and Pairs."

In this section of the card, you cannot use jokers, and you cannot make any exposures, not only because all the hands are marked with a C but also because the hands in this section are all made solely of "Singles and Pairs." Read FAQ 19E (click here).
Also: every player should read everything on the NMJL card. Turn it over and look at the back. Left pane, last sentence of the last paragraph before the numbered rules. Look for the word "NEVER" (in all capital letters, bold text, and underlined just like that).

Can I call a discard if it's the tile I need to complete this hand for mah-jongg?
Yes.

Why aren't there spaces between every pair and every single?
How should I know? And what difference does it make? So what if there's no space between obvious pairs and singles?

Wow, you sure are a grump! Why do you answer these questions if you don't like answering questions?
I love answering questions. I just think people should put a little effort into looking for and thinking about the answers.

Didn't find what you were looking for in this FAQ? Check these links...

Commonly Misunderstood Rules of American Mah-Jongg - FAQ 19 (click here).
Looking for an NMJL card? Click here for information about obtaining one.
To get the story straight from the NMJL, go to http://nationalmahjonggleague.org and click the FAQs link.
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