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CHAPTER 3

Cracking the Code

Acard, a card! My kingdom for a card! Well, maybe you wouldn’t trade your kingdom, but you need a mah jongg card. Why? Because in American mah jongg you cannot create your own hands, only the hands specified on a card are acceptable. The hand a player completes must correspond to a hand on a card. The player who is the first to assemble the cor rect combinations of tiles needed to match one of these hands, wins.

The card is made up of nine or ten different categories, each requiring a specific kind of tile. Within each category there are several individual hands, for a total of about 50 to 55 hands on any card. Each hand designates the specific combinations of tiles needed to complete it. New cards are published each year, usually containing the same categories, but within these categories the individual hands vary. Because the hands change annually, you will want to get a new card each year to keep current.

For purposes of learning, we will be referring to the standard card, called the “Official Standard Hands and Rules,” published by the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL). With generous permission from the NMJL, the card published for the year 2004 is reproduced here. It makes no difference in what year the card is printed, because the principles to understand it remain the same.

The card is written in a kind of code or shorthand describing which kinds of tiles and which combinations each hand requires. Before you can play, it’s necessary to learn how to read this shorthand or “crack the code,” because you need to translate what’s printed on the card into the combinations of tiles needed for a hand.

Used with permission. Do not duplicate.

Used with permission. Do not duplicate..

The front and back of the NMJL Card of Hands for 2004.

See the back of the book for a larger copy of the card, which you may cut out and use for reference as you work through this book.

Along with learning to crack the code, you need to become familiar with the individual hands of the card you are using. This is the key to winning in mah jongg! Almost every aspect of the game—choosing a hand, playing your hand, changing your hand, and using strategies—assumes a knowledge and understanding of the hands on the card. Once you master the card and its hands, you’re well on your way to becoming a master (or mistress) of the game. This chapter will show you how.

At first glance, the card looks daunting. What a crazy mishmash of colors, numbers, and letters! But don’t despair! There is method to this madness. We are going to unravel this jumble by separating the card into its individual elements, in order to discover what each means and how it will determine your hand. Once you crack the code, it becomes understandable and logical.

There are four elements of the card we will discuss: Numbers, abbreviations, Sections and colors.

Let’s look at the card. The first thing you notice is rows of numbers, letters, and colors. Each row represents a different hand you can play and each hand has a different combination of numbers, letters, and colors. Also notice that the hands are divided into separate groups I call Sections. And it all looks like it’s in Technicolor. What does all this mean? It’s simple.

Numbers

The numbers correspond to the numbers on the Suit tiles, 1 through 9.

Abbreviations

In some hands you will also see letters. These abbreviations are for certain kinds of tiles. D stands for Dragons, F stands for Flower, and N, E, W, S stand for the Winds: North, East, West and South. X stands for Exposed hands, C stands for Concealed hands (see page 31). There are other abbreviations on the card that will be explained later.

Sections

Notice on the card there are groups of hands or Sections, each with a heading printed in bold type, such as 2468 or Consecutive Run or Winds-Dragons. These headings, which I call the theme, describe the kinds of tiles needed for a mah jongg hand. Within each Section there are several hands and each one is some variation of the Section’s theme. In most Sections, besides the theme, some hands may also require Flower and Dragon tiles. In addition, since the card changes annually, Sections may be added or deleted. The most common ones are listed below.

Follow along with the card and we’ll discover the theme of each Section. Starting at the far right side, they are:

Winds-Dragons requires combinations of Wind tiles and Dragon tiles. Sometimes there are Suit and number requirements as well.

369 requires various combinations of the numbers 3, 6, and 9.

Singles and Pairs requires all the hands to be made up of Pairs and/or combinations of Single tiles. No Jokers are allowed because you can’t use Jokers to complete a Pair or for a Single tile. (Remember?)

Quints have hands that call for at least one combination that uses five matching tiles. In this Section, because there are only 4 of each tile, you need at least 1 Joker.

Consecutive Run requires combinations of ascending consecutively numbered tiles. The 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s printed on the card do not mean that you must only use 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s. It means that the hands require any ascending consecutive numbers. For example, you may use 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s or 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s for your ascending consecutive numbers. (Except in the 1st hand. This hand [1–5 or 5–9] does not allow choice of any other numbers.)

13579 designates specific combinations of odd numbered tiles.

2004 requires tiles that designate the current year (this card is for 2004) and some combination of Flowers, Winds, and Dragons. This Section is sometimes called Year Hands.

2468 calls for different combinations of even numbered tiles.

Like Numbers requires specific combinations of tiles whose numbers are all alike. For example, all 5s, all 7s, all 6s and so on. This Section is not found on all cards.

Addition or Multiplication Hands require designated combinations of number tiles that add up. For example: Fs, 9s + 2s =11. You need Flowers, 9s, 2s and two 1s. Don’t pay attention to the “=,” “+,” or “x” signs. Just pay attention to the Suits and numbers. This Section is not found on all cards.

Now you know that Sections of the card designate what kind of tiles and how many of each is required to complete the hand. In most Sections you must follow these specifics exactly—including the numbers on the tiles. There is no variation. But there are some Sections that allow the player the choice of numbers. First, let’s turn to Sections that do not allow a choice.

SECTIONS THAT DO NOT ALLOW CHOICE

• Winds-Dragons

• 369

• Some Quints

• 13579

• 2468

• 1st hand in Consecutive Run

• Some hands in Singles and Pairs

• Addition or Multiplication

• 2004 (or the current Year)