Babcock's Rules for Mah-Jongg/Chapter 10

by Joseph Park Babcock

 

X

MAH-JONGG With the Goofs or Seasons

This is a variation of MAH-JONGG played with a set containing eight extra tiles of special design, known as the

Fig. 38. The Eight Seasons—or Flowers

Seasons. They are also sometimes called Flowers, Flower Gardens, or "Goofs." They are in two series of four each, one series marked 1, 2, 3, and 4 in one color, and the other series marked 1, 2, 3, and 4 in another color. Usually one set is marked in green and the other in red. The design of the seasons varies in different sets. For example, in one very popular set of seasons, one series depicts four styles of Chinese architecture and the other series four methods of transportation in China, as shown in the illustration on the preceding page.

If East Wind draws either of the No. 1 Seasons, he is said to have his own Season; similarly, the No. 2 Seasons are South Wind's own Seasons, the No. 3 Seasons are West Wind's own Seasons, and the No. 4 Seasons are North Wind's own Seasons.

The Seasons cannot be Punged or Chowed from the table, but can be obtained only by drawing from the wall. A Season is never discarded, but is always declared immediately by placing it face up with the exposed part of the hand, and a loose tile drawn from the end of the wall to make up the correct number of tiles in the hand. That is, after declaring a Season the procedure is the same as after declaring four of a kind.

After the original draw and prior to East's first discard, East declares any Season or Seasons that he may have in his hand, drawing a loose tile for each Season declared, to make up the correct number of tiles in his hand. South, West, and North then declare in turn any Seasons which they may have in their hands. Each draws in turn a loose tile for each Season declared so as to give each thirteen tiles in his concealed hand. In doing this, East first declares all of his Seasons, replacing them by loose tiles, then South replaces all of his, then, similarly, West and North in their turn.

All Seasons obtained on the original Draw are thus declared before East makes his first discard, including any Seasons which may be Drawn as loose tiles. East then makes his first discard as described under "The Play," on Page 13.

After East has made his first discard and the play has begun, any Season which is drawn should be declared at once as soon as it is drawn. If, after declaring a Season a player draws another Season, as a loose tile, he should declare this at once on the same turn and draw another loose tile to make up the correct number of tiles in his hand.

The Seasons score as follows:

Each Season Scores	4 points
One of a player's own Season	Double the total score once
Both of a player's own Season	Double the total score twice
All four Seasons of one color	Double the total score three times

These Doubles for the Seasons are in addition to any other doubling combinations the hand may contain. These scores and doubles for the Seasons apply to all hands whether they have been completed for MAH-JONGG or not.

Variation of the above rule commonly played by foreigners in Shanghai is that a player doubles once if he has two Seasons of his own number, but does not double for only one season of his own number. This variation does not affect the above value of a series of four.

A player's own number will of course occur in any series of four that he may hold, but he does not double separately 4 for this number; he doubles only three times for a complete series of four.

The Seasons are usually included with a MAH-JONGG set, but they are not recommended for play. They are seldom used by the Chinese, themselves, and never by Chinese experts, as they are a side issue and add nothing to the game. They unduly complicate the game, frequently causing hands to go dead and at the same time lessen the possibilities for use of skill in the play. Experts in China object to playing with the Seasons because absolutely no skill is required in thus burdening and delaying the play.

Some players prefer the Seasons because they make for higher scores. Where players desire higher scores, it is preferable either to increase the base score for MAH-JONGG to more than 20 points or to increase the Limit or to increase the value of the counters. Any or all of these methods are better than to introduce the Seasons into the Game.

Note that the doubling for the Seasons is in addition to any other doubling to which the hand may be entitled.

If one or more seasons are declared with a hand that contains no score of any kind (see Fig. 39) then ten points are added for "no score" as in the regular game described in Fig, 21.

When the Seasons are played, the scores of the hands run much higher than in the ordinary game, and limit hands are not infrequent if the limit is fixed at 300 points. When playing with the Seasons a higher limit, such as 600 points, is frequently agreed upon. There must be an understanding with regard to the Limit before the play commences.

Examples for Scoring With the Seasons

Exposed

Concealed

Fig. 39

Fig. 39. The above hand was completed by Punging the 3 characters and, when held by South, scores as follows:

For Winning the Hand (MAH-JONGG)	20	points
For no score other than Game	10	points
	30	points
Each Season scores 4 = 2 × 4 =	8	points
	38	points
Doubling once for hand all one suit except for Honor Tiles =	76	points
Doubling once for one No. 2 Season, which is South's own Season =	152	points

Note that in doubling for one-suit hands the Seasons are not considered. "They are classed neither as a part of a-suit nor as Honor Tiles, but as a separate part of the hand. If the hand were entirely of one suit, the score would be doubled three times, regardless of the Seasons. However, the value of the Seasons (4 points each) is added to the score before doubling begins.

If this same hand (Fig. 39) were held by North, the score would be as follows:

For Winning the Hand (MAH-JONGG)	20	points
For no score other than Game	10	points
	30	points
Each Season scores 4 = 2 × 4 =	8	points
	38	points
Doubling once for hand all one suit except for Honor Tiles =	76	points
Doubling once for one No. 4 Season, which is North's own Season =	152	points

If this same hand (Fig. 39) were held by East, the score would be as follows:

For Winning the Hand (MAH-JONGG)	20	points
For no score other than Game	10	points
	30	points
Each Season scores 4 = 2 × 4 =	8	points
	38	points
Doubling once for hand all one suit except for Honor Tiles =	76	points

If this same hand were held by West, the score would be as follows:

For Winning the Hand (MAH-JONGG)	20	points
A pair of player's own Wind	2	points
	22	points
Each Season scores 4 = 2 × 4 =	8	points
	30	points
Doubling once for hand all one suit except for Honor Tiles =	60	points

Exposed

Concealed

Fig. 40

Fig. 40. This is a complete hand which was completed by drawing the one of characters and is held by West. This hand scores as follows:

For Winning the Hand (MAH-JONGG)	20	points
For three fives of dots, exposed	2	points
For three White Dragons, exposed	4	points
For three twos of bamboo, exposed	2	points
For three ones of character, concealed	8	points
Each Season scores 4 = 5 × 4 =	20	points
Winning Tile Drawn (not Punged or Chowed)	2	points
No Runs, exposed or concealed	10	points
	68	points
Doubling for three White Dragons =	136	points
Doubling for one No. 3 Season, which is West Wind's own Season =	272	points
Doubling three times for All Four Seasons of one Color = 272 × 2 × 2 × 2 =	2176	points

This hand would score the Limit.

Exposed

Concealed

Fig. 41

Fig. 41. The above hand was held by North, who was not yet ready to go out when another player declared for MAH-JONGG. This hand scores as follows:

For three North Winds, exposed	4	points
Each Season scores 4 = 3 × 4 =	12	points
For three East Winds, concealed	8	points
	24	points
Doubling for three of player's own Wind	48	points
Doubling twice for two No. 4 Seasons, North's own Season = 48 × 2 × 2 =	192	points

Note that the score is doubled for the Seasons, even though: the hand was not completed for MAH-JONGG.

Each Wall, when playing with the Seasons, consists of eighteen pairs of tiles instead of seventeen, on account of the eight additional tiles used.