Babcock's Rules for Mah-Jongg/Chapter 11
The Set: If a MAH-JONGG set is of good quality and workmanship it should last for many years. The set should not be exposed to extreme or widely fluctuating conditions of heat and cold nor to dampness.
Much of the popularity of the game may be ascribed to the beauty and attractiveness of the one hundred and forty skilfully carved tiles. The Chinese art craftsman has in this MAH-JONGG tile, made a thing of beauty which it is a pleasure to handle in the playing of the game. It is possible to secure sets at a wide range of price, but it is really worth while to secure tiles of superior workmanship, color, and design, as an attractive set adds much to the pleasure of the game. A good MAH-JONGG set lasts indefinitely, and unlike playing cards need not be constantly replaced. The quality and attractiveness of the set should be given first consideration rather than the initial cost.
It is most important that the tiles be kept clean so that they can never be identified from the backs.[1]
It is most important that none of the tiles be lost. This seldom, if ever, happens if the tiles are properly packed away in the box after play is finished.
Each set of tiles is the individual handicraft of Chinese ivory carvers, and no two sets are exactly alike. So it is not possible to duplicate a lost tile. The extra white tiles exactly match the others in size, so that if a tile is lost it is necessary to have the design of the lost tile engraved upon one of the extra white tiles.
It is not a good plan to remove four of the white tiles permanently from the set, as they would probably be mislaid and so not available in case one were needed, and also, if a plain white tile were not used as much as the other tiles, when marked and used to replace a lost tile its newness would be evident and would identify it to the players.
The Table: The most satisfactory table for MAHJONGG is one which is somewhat higher, larger, and steadier than the ordinary card table. A table 32 inches square and 30 inches high is the best size.
A cloth cover should be used on the table and fastened firmly in place. This does away to some extent with the noise in shuffling and discarding the tiles, and also serves to protect the tiles. The cloth should be white, in order to reflect the light upon the players' tiles. Or the usual green cloth covering such as is used on card tables is often used.
A small drawer let into each side of the table and divided into four lateral compartments, one for each denomination of the counters, is a great convenience.
The foregoing is the ideal MAH-JONGG table, but any ordinary card table can be used where a special table is not available.
Building and Opening the Wall: The setting up of the four walls may seem slow at first, but after a few hands it will be an easy matter to build rapidly. Similarly, the formalities for opening the Wall and the Draw may seem complicated to the beginner who is learning the game from the text, but these are really quite simple in actual play.
After the formalities and procedure of MAH-JONGG have been mastered, on first playing the game it appears very simple and without many possibilities. The more one plays, however, the more these possibilities will present themselves and the more it will be realized that MAH-JONGG is a game of skill as well as chance.
Skill in the game of MAH-JONGG can be acquired only by practice, and no attempt is made here to cover all the fine points of the play. It is to be hoped, however, that the few suggestions given below may be found helpful for beginners.
Arrangement of the Hand.
The first thing that should always be done after setting up the hand, is to count the tiles to see that the number held is correct; i. e., fourteen in East's original hand and thirteen for the other players. It is also well to count the tiles at frequent intervals during the play before drawing or discarding, so as to prevent any possibility of a "Dead Hand." Remember that prior to MAH-JONGG, the total of the number of tiles in the concealed and exposed parts of any player's hand should be thirteen (plus one additional tile for any set of fours that has been declared by the hand). The number of tiles in the concealed portion of the hand before drawing and after discarding must be either 1, 4, 7, 10, or 13, and never any other number.
After the Draw, the tiles should be grouped together into suits and given some systematic arrangement in the hand, in order to facilitate rapid play and at the same time prevent mistakes in discarding and the missing of opportunities to Pung, Chow, or MAH-JONGG. A desirable arrangement is to have the Dragons, the player's own Wind and completed or desirable combinations at one end of the hand and the tiles to be discarded at the other end. In this way as the play progresses, any tiles that become undesirable may be shifted to that end of the hand from which the player discards. Care should be taken to indicate one's own Wind by separating it from such other Winds as may be in the hand.
No spaces should be left between the tiles which would give the opponents a clue as to the number of combinations in the hand. It might be mentioned here that many experts, who can read their hands almost at a glance, do not favor any systematic arrangement of their hands into suits, as they feel that where this is done clever players, by watching closely the way opponents handle their draws and their discards, can judge with some accuracy the make-up of their hands. A beginner, however, should always observe some systematic arrangement which may be varied at frequent intervals if found desirable.
Plan of Play: The player should determine at once what his plan of play will be and discard accordingly. A player, however, should always be prepared to change or shift his plan of play. This is often necessary, frequently several times in the play of one hand, depending upon opponents' progress as shown by exposed combinations, depending upon the tiles Drawn and held in the concealed part of the player's own hand, and upon the discards of other players that interfere with his plan of play.
After the Draw, a player should size up his hand to see if it offers good possibilities for MAH-JONGG or for high scoring combinations, or whether the chance for MAH-JONGG or for high scoring combinations are slight. In the first case, he should play on the offensive, i. e., he should discard all tiles which are of no use to him and concentrate on completing his hand for MAH-JONGG. In the second case, he should play on the defensive and try to keep his opponents from completing their hands for MAH-JONGG with a large score.
Sometimes a hand which after the Draw has good offensive possibilities does not improve rapidly enough and the player finds it advisable to shift to defensive play. Similarly a hand which after the Draw appears to have few possibilities may sometimes develop rapidly into a good offensive hand.
Hands with high scoring combinations or possibilities of one suit are usually strong offensive hands.
Offensive Play.
Uncompleted Combinations: A novice will soon learn to recognize as a very useful uncompleted combination a sequence of two in the same suit open at both ends. He will also recognize that an uncompleted combination such as two fours and a five in the same unit is particularly useful, as it may be completed either by Punging for three of a kind or by Chowing for a Run. Less useful uncompleted combinations are sequences of two of the same suit open at only one end or in the middle.
It is most essential that the discards and the exposed tiles on the table in other players' hands be followed carefully. The usefulness of certain uncompleted combinations is obviously diminished as tiles necessary to complete these combinations are discarded or used by others, and in some cases the uncompleted combinations become worthless and should be discarded. For example, if three threes of dots are in sight on the board, there is very little chance of filling the uncompleted Run consisting of the one and two of dots, and if four threes of dots are in sight this is impossible.
Discarding: The least desirable tiles should be discarded first. These are usually single Winds other than the player's own, as these cannot be formed into sequences and are difficult to form into combinations which complete the hand. It is well to discard an opponent's Wind early in the game before he has had many draws to secure a pair and consequently be in a position to Pung for three of his own Wind.
The next tiles to be discarded are usually single ones and nines of a suit, these being more difficult to form into a Run as they can be filled only from one end.
Some players make a practice of retaining single Dragons or their own Wind with the hope of obtaining three of a kind, which would double their total score. The question of how long to retain such tiles depends to a great extent on the rest of the player's hand and the progress the other players seem to be making toward completing their hands. When a player is on the offensive, it is seldom good play to keep one of these tiles after one of the same tile has been discarded, nor is it often advisable to break up a good combination in the hand in order to retain such a tile, unless such a tile is desired in order to keep the hand of one suit for the purpose of doubling the score.
Many players, particularly when East, make it a practice to discard their single Dragons early in the hand or not at all. By discarding early, other players are not likely to be in a position to Pung for three of a kind.
Developing the Hand: Never Chow or Pung a tile discarded by the player to the left unless this discard materially improves the hand, as by so doing a chance is lost to draw a new tile from the wall. After each Chow or Pung the hand should be one step nearer completion (MAH-JONGG).
In Chowing where a choice of combinations exists, the player should always Chow to fill that combination which would be more difficult to complete. For example, holding the 5, 6, 8, 9 of the same suit if the player on the left discards the 7 of that suit, use it with the 8 and 9, as this combination is much more difficult to complete than is the sequence 5, 6. But with, for example, the 2, 2, 3, 4, of the same suit, if the 2 of that suit is discarded by the player at the left, it is usually preferable to Chow instead of Punging, leaving the pair of 2's intact in the hand, especially if the player has no other pair in his hand.
A player can by clever discarding sometimes induce the player at his left to discard a tile which he wishes to Chow. For example, if a player has the 5, 6, 8, 9 of a suit he should first discard the 9 and next the 8; then, if the player ahead of him discards a 7 of that suit, he will be in a position to Chow for a Run of 5, 6, 7. Similarly, if a player has already discarded an 8 from a 6, 8 combination and later draws another 8, he should then keep this 6, 8 combination intact as the player ahead of him is now more likely to discard a 7, having already seen an 8 of this suit played from his hand.
Always look ahead and try to develop the hand so that when it is ready to go out there will be as many chances for completion as possible.
It is not easy to go out by Punging the third to one of two pairs, as frequently a pair of the same kind may be concealed in the hand of an opponent. Going out in this way should be avoided unless the player has a hand with no Runs which scores a bonus, and even then it is doubtful if the extra ten points justifies taking the longer chance to win. It is often preferable to try to go out on a Run open at both ends or even one end or in the middle rather than by Punging to one of two pairs; but of course this plan may be entirely changed by previous discards.
Where the player has in his hand a pair of Dragons or of his own Wind, it is well to shape the hand so as to try to go out by Punging for three of a kind, as in this way he has a chance of Punging the third to the pair of Dragons or to the pair of his own Wind, and so doubles his total score.
Avoid having to wait for the second of a pair for MAH-JONGG, as this kind of a hand is generally most difficult of completion. This can usually be avoided by always keeping a pair in the hand. If necessary, refuse chances to Pung for three of a kind or discard one from three of a kind already concealed in the hand, even at a small sacrifice in the score, so that the pair for the complete hand will be preserved. Where the pair is a pair of Dragons or a pair of the player's own Wind it is, of course, worth while to Pung and take a chance on completing another pair for MAH-JONGG.
_-_illustration_-_page_103_figure_42a.png)
_-_illustration_-_page_103_figure_42b.png)
Fig. 42. In the hand shown in Fig. 42 there are three combinations already on the table and one tile to discard, after which the player will be ready to complete the hand for MAH-JONGG. E should be discarded, keeping A and B for the pair, and waiting for a three or six of dots to complete the sequence C, D for MAH-JONGG.
If C were discarded, keeping the two pairs, A and B and D and E and waiting for another two or five of dots, there would be only four chances of filling, while by keeping C-D to be completed as a sequence, there are eight chances of filling to complete the hand, provided, of course, that tiles in sight on the board do not affect this.
With A, B, C, and D in the hand waiting to go out, if another two of dots is played it should not be Punged—and if Drawn it should be discarded, as in either case it would leave a four or five to be matched for a pair with which there would only be three possible chances of filling, against eight chances with A, B, C, and D.
Sequences of more than three in the same suit are usually useful in completing the hand, as with a long sequence of this sort it is sometimes possible to have three or more ways for MAH-JONGG. (See Figs. 22, 25, and 29.) Such hands should be studied carefully so that no possibility for MAH-JONGG is overlooked.
Where there is no pair in the hand a sequence of four in the same suit is useful, as there are then two possibilities of obtaining pairs to complete the hand for MAH-JONGG. For example, with the sequence 2, 3, 4, 5, either the 2 or 5 will complete the pair for MAH-JONG.
Where a player finds himself in a position where he must complete a pair for MAH-JONGG, if it is still early in the hand, a Wind or Dragon, only one of which has already been played, is a good tile to hold as it may be expected to be more quickly discarded.
High-Score Hands: Other things being equal, always try to go out on the hand which gives the largest score. If a hand nears completion early in the game, more chances can be taken in trying to obtain a large-score hand than if it is late in the game when other players are also probably waiting to go out. Many players when East, and playing for double stakes, prefer to take no chances in playing for a large-score hand, but try to go MAH-JONGG as quickly as possible.
One-Suit Hands: It is seldom possible to complete a one-suit hand unless there are nine of this suit in the hand originally.
The three and the seven are the important tiles in a one-suit hand. If the three or the seven of a suit have been Punged for three or four of a kind, it is most difficult to win on a hand which is entirely of this suit. For this reason a player who is playing for a hand entirely of one suit should not Pung the three himself, except when he has two twos and two ones as well, nor Pung the seven except when he has two eights and two nines as well.
When a player is trying for a one-suit hand it is sometimes necessary to throw away a pair or a sequence of two in another suit. When the two tiles are discarded from the hand in succession, the opponents at once become suspicious that the player is trying for a one-suit hand and will be on their guard to prevent this. Where possible it is better not to discard such tiles in succession. Experienced players can handle their tiles in such a manner that opponents are unable to tell whether the tile discarded was the one just drawn from the wall or a tile from the hand. This is always an advantage to the discarder.
Defensive Play. Beginners at MAH-JONGG usually try to win on every hand and pay little attention to defensive play. It is in the defensive game, however, where most of the skill in MAH-JONGG lies.
It is obvious that a player cannot expect to win all of the hands played, but that a player who wins on the average only four hands in sixteen should break even, and if he can win a few more than four hands out of sixteen he should be a good winner. The experienced player realizes, therefore, that on an average he must lose twelve hands out of sixteen and concentrates his attention on cutting his losses to a minimum on those hands which he cannot win himself.
If in the original hand of thirteen tiles there are six or more single tiles which are not part of any uncompleted combination, the odds are strongly against the completion of the hand for MAH-JONGG, unless the hand improves rapidily on the first few plays. With such a hand the player should play purely a defensive game and should not discard Dragons nor other tiles which are likely to allow an opponent to win with a large score.
In the defensive game it is usually preferable to play for threes of a kind rather than for Runs, as these can be scored and tend to reduce losses. It is frequently preferable to pass up a chance to Chow in order to draw from the wall, but seldom advisable to refuse an opportunity to Pung.
When a player is purely on the defensive and cannot win himself and there appears to be little chance of a Draw Game, it is to his advantage to assist the player with a small score to win rather than to see the player with a large score declare MAH-JONGG. In a case of this sort, where it is evident that a player with a small score wishes to Chow, it is well to sacrifice a Pung in order not to interfere with this player improving his hand.
A player should at all times watch with particular care the discards of the player on his right who follows him, and in playing try not to discard tiles that this player wishes to Chow. For example, if the player on the right has discarded a one, on the next turn give him the one or two of the same suit; and if he has discarded a seven and a nine of a suit, give him the eight of the same suit. Threes and sevens are bad discards, as they frequently allow the next player to Chow to complete a Run of 1, 2, 3 or 7, 8, 9 which would otherwise be difficult to fill.
If, however, a player is on the defensive and the player on his right has a small score, then he should give him such discards as he thinks he may be able to Chow to improve his hand, so as to assist him to complete his hand before another opponent with a large score declares MAH-JONGG.
Care should be taken to watch all plays and discards for any indications that one of the opponents is trying for a one-suit hand. If a player himself has a large number of tiles of the same suit it is not unlikely that one of the opponents is trying for a one-suit hand in another suit.
It is well to discard those tiles one or more of which have already been played and where possible avoid the discard of tiles that have not previously been discarded.
Dragons or Winds, at least one of which has not already been played, should not be discarded late in the game. If, for example, a player is ready to go out with a small score with a pair and a sequence of two open at either end and he draws in a Dragon or Wind, none of which has yet been played, he should discard one of his sequence, hoping to Pung the third to a pair and then to obtain the second to the Dragon or the Wind for MAH-JONGG. This reduces his chances to win, but is the safer play. It sometimes happens that, by doing this, this player is able to take precedence for MAH-JONGG over an opponent with a large score who has a pair of this same Dragon or Wind and is waiting for a third for MAH-JONGG.
When the Live Portion of the wall is nearly exhausted, every player with a low score should be willing to sacrifice his chances to win in order to see a Draw Game declared and so prevent a player with a large hand from scoring. At such a stage in the game and with a large score in an opponent's hand, a player should not play a tile at least one of which has not been played before, but should discard some safe tile even if by so doing he breaks up his hand and his own chances to win.
On the other hand, in the final stages of the game, a player with a large score, seeing that he himself has little chance to complete his hand, might find it advantageous to play a tile which would allow an opponent with a small score to win so that a Draw Game could not be declared and his own large score would count.
General: In general, every player should at all times be thoroughly familiar with his hand, have one or two plays planned in advance, and know just what tiles he requires for improving his hand or for completing it for MAH-JONGG. In this way no opportunities for improving or for completing the hand will be overlooked, and there will be no indecision in Punging or Chowing which tends to disclose the hand.
Expert players seldom need to refer to their own hands, but concentrate almost entirely upon the plays and discards of the other players or upon other clues which tend to disclose the hands of their opponents. Their superiority in the game rests almost entirely upon this defensive play.
Players should draw and discard with despatch and the play should not be allowed to drag. The Chinese play very rapidly and average from an hour and one-quarter to an hour and one-half for four Rounds, or an average of five minutes for a Hand. Experienced foreign players are usually not equal to Chinese experts in speed and will average a somewhat longer time to a Hand. The average score of a winning hand is about 30 to 40 points.
- ↑ Dirt can best be removed by rubbing vigorously with a dry cloth. Water should be avoided. In the case of stains which cannot be removed with a dry cloth, use a cloth slightly moistened with alcohol.