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FAQ 16. Frequently-Asked Questions about the 2017 National Mah Jongg League card |
2017
Can I use a joker in a 2017 since the tiles are bunched together like a kong?
No. 2017 is not a kong. A kong is four identical tiles. 2017 is four singles. 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).
If a 2017 is not a kong, why aren't there spaces between the digits?
I suppose the League thinks it looks more natural without the spaces. It doesn't really matter, does it? Accept that a 2017 is four singles (not a kong), and move on.
Can I claim a discarded tile to expose a 2017?
Not unless it's for mah-jongg. Read FAQ 19-E (click here) or click FAQ 19 in the nav frame at left.
Why are we getting a lot more wall games with the 2017 card?
Read FAQ 19-BT (click here)
222 0000
111 7777
(Any 2 Suits)
(2017 #1)
Do the twos have to be dots, to match the zeroes?
Read the red note above the 2017 section on the card. When used as zero, soap can be used with any suit. The twos don't have to be dots; they can be any suit that isn't used for the ones and sevens. "Any" always means "any." Read
FAQ 19-J and FAQ 19-BY. And see
the NMJL's FAQ.
So I could use bams for the twos and Green Dragons for the zeroes?
No, of course you can't use Greens for the zeroes! Read the top left corner of the card - only Soap/White can be used for zeroes.* When you see a zero on the card, that always means Soap (White Dragon). But yes, you could use bams for the twos (the parenthetical says "any 2 suits").
*You just said that only soaps can be used for zeroes. Does that mean jokers can't be used in a pung or kong of zeroes?
That's not what I meant at all! See the back of the card. The left pane, the paragraph above the numbered rules:
The rule says "any" tile, in "any" set of three or more identical tiles. If I'd said "only Soap/White can be used for zeroes, oh and by the way, that doesn't mean you can't use jokers," would that have been more clear, or would it perhaps have been a bit convoluted? (~_^) ......Boy, it can be hard explaining things sometimes!
Do I have to use craks for the ones and sevens?
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 make the ones the same suit as the twos, or the sevens the same suit as the twos? The parenthetical doesn't say I can't.
No, you can't do that. The color-coding says you can't (the ones and the sevens are shown in the same color, so those two groupings have to be the same suit).
FF
DDDD
2017
DDDD
(2 or 3 Suits)
(2017 #2)
Does the 2017 have to be made in craks?
No. Read the red note above the 2017 section on the card. When used as zero, soap can be used with any suit. That means the 2, the 1, and the 7 can be any suit (they all must be in the same suit, though).
If I make 2017 in craks, do I use Red Dragon for the zero?
No, of course not! Read the top left corner of the card - only Soap/White can be used for zeroes. When you see a zero on the card, that always means Soap (White Dragon).
It says "2 or 3 suits," but the hand is printed in 3 colors. How can the hand be made with just 2 suits?
The parenthetical overrides the color-coding. See image below. These are all legal ways of making this hand:
Some of those are 3 suits, and some of those are 2 suits. 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.
Can I make it so that the two dragon kongs are one suit, and the 2017 is another suit, like FF JJGG 2017 JJGG with 2, 1 & 7 in dots or craks? It may not be in the spirit of Mah Jongg but it seems to meet the requirement.
It does seem to, but I think you would get arguments if you did this at the table, so I would advise against it. Don't forget, you could also reorganize the tiles as FF GGGG 2017 JJJJ, thus avoiding all controversy (unless you have people at the table who wrongly think you shouldn't or can't make a kong that's all jokers).
FF
2017
7777
7777
(Any 3 Suits; Kongs 7's Only)
(2017 #3)
Does the 2017 have to be in bams? With Green Dragon for the zero?
No, and no. Color does not dictate suit. The parenthetical "any 3 suits" means the 2017 can be any suit. And only soap can be used for zero.
Three suits. Can for instance...2017 be cracks, 7777 cracks, 7777 bams?
How do you figure that's three suits? Craks are the same suit as craks. You need to use dots somewhere in there. Craks, dots, bams. Or dots, craks, bams. Or bams, dots, craks. You can't have a kong of sevens that's the same suit as the 2017. And you can't have two kongs of sevens in the same suit.
But there's a soap in the 2017, so I am using dots (since soap goes with dots).
Zero is suitless. Read the red text above the 2017 hands on the card.
The parenthetical says "Kongs 7's Only." Does that mean I can't use jokers?
No. It just means you can't use kongs of any other number (like twos, or ones). Read
FAQ 19-AO.
22 44
444 666
8888 (Any 3 Suits)
(Evens #4)
22 44
666 888
DDDD (Any 3 Suits)
(Evens #5)
Do the pairs have to be bams?
No. It says "Any 3 Suits" in the parenthetical. That means the pairs can be any suit. The color-coding is never to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read
Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and
FAQ 19-J.
LIKE NUMBERS
I'm a new player. The experienced players tell me that I can use other numbers besides ones in this family. Why are they telling me that?
Because in past years, the Like Numbers family has always come with parentheticals saying "Any Like Number." But on this year's card, there was an oversight, and those words were unintentionally omitted from the parentheticals. See
the NMJL's FAQ.
I've been playing for several years, and have seen "Like Numbers" on previous cards. This year there's no parenthetical that says "Any Like Number" as was done in previous years. Do these hands on this card have to be made with ones only?
It was just an oversight (in other words, it should say "any like number" in parentheses, as it has in previous years). See
the NMJL's FAQ.
FF
1111
DDDD
1111 (Any 3 Suits)
(Like Numbers #1)
Do I have to use ones for the number kongs?
No. The League just forgot to say "Any Like Numbers."
Do I have to use Reds for the dragon kong?
No. It says "Any 3 Suits" in the parenthetical, not that it really needs to. The color-coding is never 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.
The hand FF 1111 DDDD 1111 does say ANY three suits. We’ve had conflicts at our table on this. Do the dragons have to be opposing dragons to the like numbers since they are in different colors?
Yes, of course the dragons have to be "opposing," since the hand is 3 colors. If the dragons were not "opposing," then you'd only have 2 suits. It's supposed to be 3 suits.
The like numbers hand with the dragons states any 3 suites but not the word different. 3 colors are used to show hand. Can dragons used match one of the suites used for numbers? For instance, 4 bams of #6, 4 green dragons and 4 cracks of #6.
Apparently, the thing that's causing confusion is the word "any." The word "any" is unnecessary here, in my opinion. The hand is shown in 3 colors, and it doesn't say "2 or 3 suits," so you have to use 3 suits. If you have bams and craks and greens, how many suits is that? IT'S TWO!
FFF
1111
FFF
1111
(Any 2 Suits)
(Like Numbers #2)
Do I have to use bams and craks?
No. Any 2 suits, the parenthetical says. The color-coding is never 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.
Do I have to use ones for the kongs?
No. The League just forgot to say "Any Like Numbers."
If I call a discarded flower to make a flower pung, and I have a complete flower pung in the hand, can I expose both pungs at once?
No! Why on earth would you want to do that?
FFFF 4444 9999 13
-or-
FFFF
4444
9999
13
(Thirteens #1)
There are two versions of this hand. My question is about the one on the left, all in blue: does it have to be made in dots only?
No.
The color-coding is not to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read the back of the card: 1 color = any 1 suit.
"Any 1 suit" does not = "dots." Also read
Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and
FAQ 19-J.
But there's no parenthetical saying "Any 1 Suit"!
There isn't enough room, and that parenthetical is not necessary, since the color-coding is clear. Read the back of the card: 1 color = any 1 suit. It clearly shows a 1-suit version and a 3-suit version of the hand. Also read FAQ 19-AJ.
This question is about the one on the right, in three colors. Does the "13" have to be made in dots only, since it's blue?
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.
NNNNN
DDDD
11111 (Quints; Any Wind & Any No. in Any Suit, Kong Any Dragon)
(Quints #1)
SSSSS
DDDD
33333
Do I have to use Norths and Greens and One Craks?
No. Look in the parenthetical. There's that word "any" again. "Any" always means "any." You can use any one wind (not only Norths.) You can use a quint of any number in any suit. You can use a kong of any dragon (even if it's the same suit as the number quint). In other words, this hand can be made in one or two suits. You can read FAQ 19J for more about this concept. And see
the NMJL's FAQ.
EEEEE
DDDD 88888
CONSECUTIVE RUNS
Can I use zeroes in Consecutive Runs? For instance
000 1111
222 3333
or
777 8888
999 0000?
No. The only place on the card where you are permitted to use zero is where the card shows a numeral "0" (2017 and Singles And Pairs).
Read FAQ 19-BH.
11 22
111 222
3333
(Any 3 Suits; Any 3 Consecutive Nos.)
(Consec #4)
Do the two pairs have to be bams?
No. The color-
coding is never 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.
Do I have to use ones, twos, and threes?
No. See the parenthetical. It says "Any 3 Consec Nos."
Do the pairs have to be the same numbers as the pungs?
Yes. The sequence printed on the card clearly indicates that the two numbers used for the pairs must match the two numbers used for the pungs (but in a different suit).
Does the kong have to be a higher number than the pairs and pungs?
Yes. The sequence printed on the card clearly indicates that the kong must follow "consecutively" after the two numbers used in the pairs and pungs (in the third suit).
11 33
333 555
DDDD
-or-
55 77
777 999
DDDD
(Any 3 Suits)
(Odds #3)
Do the dragons have to be Soaps? Do the pairs have to be bams?
No. The color-
coding is never 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.
1111
33 55 77
9999
(Any 2 Suits)
(Odds #5)
Do the pairs have to be craks?
No. The color-coding is never 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.
11 33
111 333
5555
-or-
55 77
555 777
9999
(Any 3 Suits)
(Odds #3)
Do the pairs have to be bams?
No. The color-
coding is never 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.
11
NNN
11
SSS 1111
(Any Like Odds)
22
EEE
22
WWW 2222
(Any Like Evens)
(Winds - Dragons #3, #4)
Can I play this hand in two suits?
No. It's a three-suit hand. Read the back of the card. Left pane, just beneath where it says "STANDARD BASED ON EIGHT FLOWERS AND EIGHT JOKERS." See the 1st and 2nd lines; the card says, "1 color—any 1 suit; 2 colors—any 2 suits; 3 colors—3 suits." That means that this hand is a three-suit hand. Look at the colors of the numbers. The winds are suitless (or "neutral"), so their color doesn't count.
Do I have to use bams and craks for the number pairs, and dots for the number kong?
No. The color-coding is never 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.
FFF NNNN FFF SSSS -or- FFF EEEE FFF WWWW
(Winds - Dragons #5)
If I call a discarded flower to make a flower pung, and I have a complete flower pung in the hand, can I expose both pungs at once?
No! Why on earth would you want to do that?
33 66
333 666
9999
(Any 3 Suits; Kong 9's Only)
(369 #4)
Does "Kong 9's Only" mean I cannot use a joker in the kong?
No. Read
FAQ 19-AO.
Do the two pairs have to be bams?
No. The color-coding is never 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.
33 66 99
3333
3333
(Kongs; 3's, 6's or 9's)
(369 #5)
Do the pairs have to be bams?
No. The color-coding is never 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.
What does "Kongs; 3's, 6's or 9's" mean?
As it says on the back of the card, a kong is four identical numbers. The parenthetical means that the two kongs can be made of either threes or sixes or nines. For instance:
33 66 99
3333
3333
33 66 99
6666
6666
33 66 99
9999
9999
So can I have, for instance, a kong of sixes and a kong of nines? Or, say, a kong of threes and a kong of nines?
No. The kongs must use like numbers, in different suits. Read
FAQ 19-AU.
336
33669
336699
(Any 3 Suits)
(S&P #3)
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 "identical tiles." These "groupings" in S&P #3 are made up of singles and pairs. Look at the title of this section of the card. It's called "Singles and Pairs..." because it's all singles and, like, you know: 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? Why is it that there are no spaces in 336 33669 336699 but there are spaces in FF 22 4 6 88 22 4 6 88?
I have no idea. You can ask the League; their phone number is on the card.
FF
22 4 6 88
22 4 6 88
(Any 2 suits)
(S&P #4)
Why is there a space between the 4 and the 6?
Why do you think there shouldn't be a space there?
Hey, I'm the one who's supposed to be asking the questions here!
Turnabout is fair play. (~_^) Anyway: This is a two four six eight hand, not a twenty-two forty-six eighty-eight hand.
11 33 55 77 99
11
11
(Any Like Odd Prs. In Opposite 2 Suits)
(S&P #5)
What does "any like odd prs." mean?
It means that for the two pairs at the right, you don't have to use ones. You can use either ones, threes, fives, sevens, or nines.
Could I use a pair of, for instance, threes and a pair of sevens?
No. They have to be "like" (alike). Read
FAQ 19-AU.
What does "opposite 2 suits" mean?
That means that your two same-number pairs cannot be in the same suit as your 11 33 55 77 99.
FF
11 22
11 22
11 22
(Any 2 Consecutive Nos. In 3 Suits)
(S&P #6)
Can I make this with numbers other than 1 and 2? Like for instance 88 99 88 99 88 99?
Sure. The parenthetical says "any" 2 consecutive numbers.
Can I use zeroes, like for instance: 00 11 00 11 00 11?
No. Anyway, have you tried? It's impossible, since only soaps can be used for zeroes and you can't use jokers in Singles & Pairs.
Can it be 33 44 55 66 77 88?
No. Read the parenthetical: it says you can only use 2 consecutive numbers.
Then how about 12 12 12 12 12 12?
That's pretty much the same thing it shows on the card (you have two of each number in each suit).
FF
2017 DD
2017 DD
(Bams & Craks Only)
(S&P #7)
Hey Tom, I thought you said, and I quote: "The color-coding is never to be taken as standing for particular suits." Care to retract that?
No. Look at the parenthetical: it's the words, not the colored ink, that specifies suits in this instance. Because the suits are specific here, the League could have written GG and RR instead of the DDs in this one.
Why do you suppose the League limited this hand to just those two suits (leaving out dots)?
Because if you needed two 2017s and a pair of soaps, you'd have to have four natural soaps, and that ratchets up the difficulty beyond 60¢ worth.
Can I make this hand in one suit (say, all craks)?
No. It's two colors (since the colors of flowers and winds don't count), so it's clearly a two-suit hand. Besides, the parenthetical says bams AND craks, not bams OR craks.
To make it with bams and craks and soaps, doesn't that make it a three-suit hand?
No. Read the upper left corner of the card. The soaps are suitless when used as zeroes.
Can I use a joker in a 2017 since the tiles are bunched together like a kong?
No. 2017 is not a kong. A kong is four identical tiles. 2017 is four singles. 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).
If a 2017 is not a kong, why aren't there spaces between the digits?
I suppose the League thinks it looks more natural without the spaces. It doesn't really matter, does it? Accept that a 2017 is four singles (not a kong), and move on.
Can I claim a discarded tile to expose a 2017?
Not to expose a 2017, no. But if you are waiting for that tile for mah-jongg, then by all means. Shout "mahj!" Read FAQ 19-E3.
Didn't find what you were looking for in this FAQ? Check these links...
Tom Sloper's book, "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," contains the COMPLETE rules for American-style mah-jongg as well as the official Chinese rules used at international competitions.
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