This is where we provide additional information for all the web icons you see in the book.
CHAPTER 1 HISTORY OF THE GAME
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The pandemic is still with us, but thankfully many of us have gotten vaccinated, so we feel more comfortable playing with others in real life. What was fascinating about the pandemic is that many people thought t Mah Jongg would come to a screeching halt. Well, let us say, Mah Jongg is as relevant as ever. With the need to be social and to stimulate ourselves during those trying times, Mah Jongg online has taken off like never before. There are several sites and typically, there might be as many as 24,000 AMERICAN style Mah Jongg players playing at any given time, on any given site! Craving connection, players who swore they would NEVER play online are seeking out friends, strangers and bots to play with online. In the spirit of Mah Jongg, new friends are still being made! (Check our Resources Tab) This is also a fantastic way for you, a newbie to the game, to practice without fear or intimidation. And if you and your friends are careful and vaccinated, perhaps you’ll think about getting together in person as well as online. ( I doubt we’ll be giving up online play any time soon-those robots are always up for a game, or two, or three!)
CHAPTER 7 OVERVIEW OF PLAY
Errata on the top of page 114: Pay no attention to the word “South” on the top line. Although all play throughout the world plays with seats in East, South, West, and North positions, counter-clockwise at the table, the NMJL was of play, at Tournaments, uses the way we’d see seats on the compass, thus East, North, West, South counter-clockwise around the table.
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Sometimes Mah Jongg does not seem “fair”. The other day, I was playing online with friends. Two of us were playing the exact same hand, with the exact same tiles. We both (unbeknownst to each other) needed one tile. I called for Mah Jongg and won. The only reason I won is because I was to the right of the person who discarded. Had I been across or to the left, the other player would have won. (This happened when playing online. Given the NMJL’s current rules, if we had been playing together at the same actual table, if the other player had exposed her tiles on the rack, she would have gotten Mah Jongg.)
CHAPTER 8 BASIC AND ADVANCED STRATEGY
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Tournament play is mostly the same as social play. One of the major differences is that each game in Tournament play must be completed in under 15 minutes. Many are intimidated by this. You will most likely find that the fear dissipates almost immediately. Once you are a tad seasoned, play moves faster and you will join in easily. Just like learning anything, your skills will improve with practice and time.
Many sites on Facebook list tournaments. Mah Jongg That’s It is a really good place to start.
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Luck versus Skill
I (Toby) played the other day online and won only once with very accomplished players. It was two hours of play. I had never played with bots and thought, hmmm, I haven’t been playing much, let me practice a bit. I won very fast games four times in a row. I asked if this was “normal” and everyone laughed at me. My point is that some days, you are a genius and the next day you are humbled. WE all have had this experience. So, when it comes to luck and skill, stay away from ladders, cracks and black cats and make sure to carry your good luck with you always!
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Learning a new card can be so much fun, once you understand the basic rules and play. To learn the new 2021 NMJL Card, start with our suggested exercise of laying out your tiles in Suits., Winds, Dragons and Flowers. Now, it’s time to study!
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Try making each hand on the card and even make other versions of these hands. For instance, in the 2021 upper left category, play around with all the combinations of hands. You’ll notice there are only to hands where you must have the Soap: line 1 and 4. You can use Jokers for the “0”s in lines 2 and 3, because those are not single tiles, rather they’re groups of four tiles. You will quickly see how important it is to have White Dragons, or in this case, Zero’s and the number “2”. As with anything new, practice is your key to success.
Exercise: Give yourself any random 14 tiles. Now study these tiles and think about which section or hand might be strong for you.
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Let’s talk about Backup hands on the 2021 NMJL Card.
This year there are 14 hands that are POWER hands. A power hand has no singles and no pairs. Jokers galore and you can use them anywhere. Why you can use EIGHT jokers, if you should be so lucky. These hands are your saviors. You might have been playing a hand that you needed a pair, the third tile has just been thrown. You are two tiles from Mah Jongg and cannot call. Do not slump in your chair! This is your chance to use your backups! Maybe you can switch to a power hand in the same category.
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Quiz:
1. See if you can find all 14 hands with no singles or pairs. Our answer is below: No peeking!
2. How many hands have consecutive runs using only one suit?
3. Which is the strongest section for Backup Hands?
Answers:
1. This years’ Power Hands (drum roll please):
2021: line 2
Section 2468 – Lines 2 and 5
Any Like Numbers: Line 3
Quint Section – Lines 1 and 3 (both hands)
Consecutive Run – Line 2
Section 13579 – Line 3 BOTH hands
Winds and Dragons – Line 1
Section 369 – Line 1
Section 369 – Lines 1,2,3
2. There are six consecutive run hands on the 2021 Card that only use one suit. See if you can find all seven. Answer: Quint Line 3, CR lines 1,2,3,4,5. (The two approaches in CR line 1 count as two hands.)
3. The major saviors are the sections Like Numbers, and the 369 category. There’s a lot of fluidity in these two, and you can switch.
CHAPTER 10: ETIQUETTE AND TABLE RULES
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If you choose to play in person, do so carefully. Get vaccinated, and only play with people who are vaccinated. Wear a mask. Play outdoors. Clean your tiles. Don’t have communal bowls of candy or snacks.
Afterword
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See our resource page for where to purchase a set. Make sure there are eight Jokers, numbers and letters on the tiles.
Choosing a set is like choosing an article of clothing. We each have our own style. Choose one that makes you happy!
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When purchasing a Vintage set, it is essential that you have compassion for the tiles. The color of tiles might vary, there might be a chip or a crack. You have to make sure these “imperfections” are something you can live with. The most important thing is to make sure you have 152 tiles that match on the back side.
Vintage sets often come without racks. Be sure to check and if a vintage set without racks “resonates” with you make sure to purchase them. Our Resource Tab can help you with that.