The rules of the game change from time to time. You’ll find the NMJL updates at www.thenationalmahjonggleague.org
What is a Kibitzer? The tile is a Joker, and serves no different function than any other Jokers. The name is based on a Yiddish term for a spectator who makes comments or offers advice, usually unwanted, to people playing a game.
Can I use a Joker in a pair? No, you never can, even if it’s for Mah Jongg.
Can I call a Joker that’s been discarded? No, never. A discarded Joker is no longer viable.
Can I use a Joker to replace a tile I need on someone else’s rack? No, you can’t substitute your Joker for an original tile.
Can I use a Joker in place of a single tile, such a the 3 in 111 3 555 combo on our Card? No, a Joker can never, ever replace a single tile.
Can I pass a Joker in the Charleston? No, you never can, even if you’re really close to a winning Singles and Pairs hand.
Who gets the discarded tile when two of us want it? Usually it’s the next player in line to play, unless someone else has already started to expose her tiles on her rack.
Who gets the discarded tile when I want it for Mah Jongg but someone else wants it for her hand, and she’s next in line? The player needing the tile for Mah Jongg gets the tile.
Where can I play mah jongg on line? Look at the Tab Resources and online play.
How can I learn more about playing the game? Look at the Tab More Instructional Help.
Where can I buy a set or accessories? Look at the Tab marked Resources.
Can any Dragon be used for a Zero in the year hands? No, only the Soap, AKA the White Dragon can be a zero when the year is “spelled out” such as 2022, 2030. But if the hand has a three or more Zeros in a grouping (such as 222 000 222 111) the Soap or Jokers can be used for the Zeros, and even three Jokers can be used there if the player doesn’t have any Soaps.
Do I have to have a natural tile or can I use Jokers? If you’re putting together a grouping of three or more tiles, you don’t have to have any natural tiles-Jokers can stand in.
Barney Galassio’s 2022 card analysis:
THE 2022 NMJL CARD – by Barney Gallassio
March 31, 2022
Apologies in advance for any errors that appear within; hopefully there are not too many!
Let me steal a line from All About Eve. “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.”
Perhaps Margo Channing (played by Bette Davis) was on the card committee this year. Unquestionably the most interesting, and potentially challenging, card I have seen since I started to play 7 years ago.
Before I start, I hope each of you, and your loved ones, are well. 2021 was better than 2020 but not by much. I hope 2022 improves with each passing month. 2020 was like no other and we are all hoping for a much better 2021. Of course, only time will tell, but my initial reaction to this card is VERY positive. Many unique hands, many varying patterns, no complete “give-aways” like last year’s NEWS hand. I’m feeling good. May the card bring you lots of joy in 2022. It’s the year of the TIGER – so ROAR!!
- There are 9 sections of the card this year. All 9 are the same as last year.
- There are 66 different hands that appear on the card this year – down 1 from last year. (NOTE: If there are 2 different hands printed on the same row of the card, I count them as 2 hands.)
- As is always the case, the common patterns of Pung Pung Kong Kong and Pung Kong Pung Kong alternate with years. This is a year of PPKK which is good to keep in mind as it helps you remember the proper patters for some (7) of hands on the card. As I said earlier, this card is filled with many different patterns – but at least there are no PKPK pattens (that would have been truly evil – hehehehe) which was last year’s common pattern.
- My biggest disappointment already – there are no addition or multiplication hands this year. They didn’t appear on last year’s card either, so I was hoping they’d return. Maybe in 2023.
- The League has again positioned all of the concealed hands as the last row(s) within each section. It was not always that way in the past. Many people prefer them listed last. All of the concealed hands this year (not including the Singles & Pairs hands and the Big Hand) are valued at 30 cents, so no need to wonder if the hand is 30 or 35 cents like in years past.
- If you like DRAGONS, this card should make you happy. There are dragons in each and every section of the card. And my hunch tells me many people are already in love with the all-dragon hand – FFF DDDD DDD DDDD. Fun hand for sure.
- MOST INTERESTING HAND ON THE CARD? This is an easy call for me this year. The even Quint hand is definitely going to be one of my go-to hands. You only need a single Joker to win this hand and 2468 hands are typically in our easy-hand wheelhouse. I think we will see many people win this hand over the next year. I would also say that the entire Quint section of the card is better than last year’s Quint section.
- Many people refer to the last hand within the Singles and Pairs section of the card as the Big Hand – probably because it’s the highest value and most difficult of any hand on the card. Well, this year, the “Big Hand” has been moved to the 2022 section of the card. It’s the last hand and pays out 85 cents. I think this is an extremely difficult hand as the odds of getting 9 natural twos is staggering. Note the card also has that special red message above this section. It reminds us that JOKERS MAY NOT BE USED IN A 2022 GROUPING. Good luck with this one!
- Every year the League receives questions from players who are not sure about the hands/notes that appear on the card. There is only so much “real estate” on the card so not every comment/note can be printed. The notations all seem very clear to me. Pay close attention to the 4th hand down in the Winds and Dragons section. The notation points out that odd or even numbers are acceptable for this hand even though we see the odd number 1. Over the next few weeks, we’ll see the common questions that pop up – hopefully very few.
- Any knitters out there? Unfortunately, there are no “knitted hands” this year, again! I was hoping they would return this year. Maybe on the 2023 card. (NOTE: a “knitted hand” is one where the middle part of the hand is the same suit as the dragons at the end of the hand. For example, 333 6666 999 DDDD, or 1111 333 5555 DDD.)
- I was extra curious at first glance of the new card to see how many of these hands are repeat hands. As I suspected, fewer than normal. Only 7 hands (11%) came back from last year’s card and only 29 hands (44%) have appeared on any card from the past 6 years. Both of those percentages are down considerably. Meaning what? New hands and new patterns to get familiar with!
- Every year I enjoy calculating the “average price” of a hand on the card. It’s 29.70 cents this year – down about 2% from last year’s value of 30.22 cents.
- Pay attention to pay-outs this year. There are a number of 30 cent hands (Exposed) that are scattered through their specific section of the card.
- Always good to know if there is single exposure that would make a hand dead. There are two for this year. If someone exposes a Quint of flowers, her/his hand is dead. Same is true for a Pung of any Wind. Those Pungs of Winds appear only in concealed hands.
- Another big year for flowers. 26 hands (39%) call for 2 or more flowers. And with the return of 6 flower hands (2 sets of flower Pongs) we all need to real familiar with the flower count among those 26 hands.
- It’s gone! For the first time is 7 years, FF 3333 6666 9999 is gone. It was the only hand that appear on each of the last 6 cards.
- But 3 of them are out!! How many times have you thrown “the safest tile in the world” – 3 are out and you have the 4th, but someone still calls Mah Jongg when you discard that 4th one? GRRRR That was a big problem last year with the NEWS hand. Since the hand only calls for 1 of each wind, discarding any wind was never truly safe. Some similarities this year. The only truly safe tiles this year are North and South winds and Red and Green dragons. If you can account for 4, you can discard any of them. Unless someone is saving Jokers to call for an exposure, they cannot call Mah Jongg with that single tile.
- I cannot find any changes on the back of the card – so all the basic rules and guidelines remain the same.
Last year, I had a number of people asked me how I get familiar with the new card. Here is what I told them:
- I write this article – preparing to do so really helps!
- I play Siamese with my patient friends
- I play on-line with robots
- I write down on paper every hand from the new card – the act of writing helps me
- I build every hand on the card on a rack with tiles – I am a visual person
- I play the 14 tile game that I have described before. Grab 14 tiles that are a winning Mah Jongg hand. Turn them face down and mix them up. Replace 7 of them with 7 random tiles selected from the rest of the tiles. Now turn up all 14 and see if you can spot the original Mah Jongg among those 14 tiles.
- Start creating a list that shows when 2 exposures can only be one hand. This will take time, but it is so helpful in truly understanding the card.
- Start a second list that shows what your back-up plan is when you A Plan hand goes dead. Nice to have a Plan B for most of your hands.
- (Nerd alert!) I have a photo of each panel of the card on my phone. Whenever I need to kill some time, I look at the 3 photos.
Kudos to the League for creating a truly unique card this year. Can’t wait to play with it! Thank you for all you do!
Until next year,
Barney
Toby’s How to be a Shark in 2022
This class will introduce you to the NEW 2022 NATIONAL MAH JONGG LEAGUE CARD! Set yourself up for the new year in one fun workshop! We will dissect this card AND learn how to save yourself once you think there is no hope.
NOTE: We do not play MJ in this class! This class is only for players. All levels welcome.
$45 per person for ONE class
Payment can be made with PayPal tobysmj@gmail.com, cash or check. These classes will be held on ZOOM and payment is on the honor system. No registration required for these classes.
Toby Salk 1811 McGee Avenue Berkeley, CA 94703
ZOOM LINKS ARE LISTED BELOW
Choose ONE of the following classes! All classes are Pacific Time
Monday April 4 2-3:30 pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81734469158?pwd=eWUydDViZUdpK1RSbVJYWWFDd3dJZz09
Meeting ID: 817 3446 9158
Passcode: 315189
Monday April 4 6-7:30 pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84054105156?pwd=OTFETk5abTZCUHlEdkgzTk5mRUhyZz09
Meeting ID: 840 5410 5156
Passcode: 995707
Thursday April 7 2-3:30 pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85050724204?pwd=NDVFNS95QkZ0UE1lNGRRblhQRUluQT09
Meeting ID: 850 5072 4204
Passcode: 716555
Thursday April 7 6-7:30 pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84481328169?pwd=VHNXeXI0QkdBL2hCcHJOQVdQdXdpZz09
Meeting ID: 844 8132 8169
Passcode: 699506
IF you have a 2021 card you might want to have it in front of you for the workshop. No worries if you did not get one last year, but you MUST have the 2022 card in hand. Pen and paper would be nice.