The New American Code of Rules for Mah Jong

Part II, Giving the Rules for Scoring and for Limit Hands

R. F. FOSTER

IN the first part of the new code of laws for Mah Jong, up to and including Law 88, as given in the September number, the work of the Committee was chiefly confined to such rearrangement and revision as should make the new code equally applicable to any and all of the three popular forms of the game. The second part, which appears in this number, deals with the scoring, limit hands, and rules for varying numbers of players.

There have been no changes in the basic scores for the various sets which are shown in play, pairs, triplets, and kongs; but when it came to the doubles, the Committee thought it advisable to submit to public opinion, as expressed in two large referendum votes, with regard to the Flowers and Seasons and the cleared suit hands.

This necessitated returning to the double for one of the player's own number Flower or Season, instead of for a pair, which carried with it a fourth double for the bouquet. The other important change was refusing any double for a cleared suit, all Terminals, or all Honours, to the non-winning hand in the straight game, which is now called the Mixed Hand Game. Playing the One-double, or the Cleared-suit games, these doubles are still allowed to the non-winning hands. In playing Cleared Suits, some of the former doubles now mean only 10 points bonus.

The Committee would be glad to receive any comments, criticisms, or suggestions, which may be addressed to the Editor of Vanity Fair.

SCORING

89. The score shall be computed according to the following tables of values.

Simples are the suit tiles, from 2 to 8 inclusive. Terminals arc the ones and nines of each suit. Honours arc the Winds and the Dragons.

Sequences have no scoring value.

BASIC COUNTS FOR ALL HANDS

Grounded Concealed

Triplets—Simples . 2 4

" —Terminals . 4 8

" —Honours. 4 8

Fours—Simples . 8 16

" —Terminals . 16 32

" —Honours. 16 32

Pair—Dragons of any colour. 2 2

" —Player's Own Wind. 2 2

" —Prevailing Wind . 2 2

" —Own Wind when Prevailing. 4 4

Each Flower or Season . . 4

DOUBLES FOR ALL HANDS

Three (or four) of the following Honours.

One Double

Red Dragons Green Dragons White Dragons Player's Own Wind Prevailing Wind Player's Own Flower or Season.

As all doubles arc cumulative, Player's Own and Prevailing Wind; or a set of Red and of Green Dragons would be two doubles.

Bouquet of four Flowers or four Seasons.

Four Doubles

© 1924 by John H. Smith Publishing Co. All rights reserved.

BONUS SCORES FOR WINNING HAND ONLY (Except as Noted)

Mixed-Hand Game

One-Double Game

Cleared-Hand Game

W o o (Completed Hand) 20 points 20 points 20 points

Drawing the Winning Tile 2 " 2 " 2 "

Filling Only Place to Woo 2 " 2 "

Winning with Last Available Tile or subsequent Discard 1 Double 1 Double 10 "

Winning with Loose Tile drawn after Kong 1 " 1 " 10 "

Robbing a Kong. 1 " 1 " 10 "

All Sequences, and a Worthless Pair 1 " 1 " 10 "

No Sequences 1 " 1 " 10 "

All One Suit, with Honours 1 " *1 " *1 Double

All Terminals, with Honours 1 " *1 " *1 "

All One Suit, no Honours. 3 Doubles *3 Doubles *3 Doubles

All Terminals Limit † Limit † Limit

All Honours Limit † Limit † Limit

*These doubles are also allowed to non-winning hands.

† These hands score 3 doubles for non-winners, in addition to any other doubles the hand may contain.

ROBBING A KONG

90. If a player is within one tile of Woo and the requisite tile is drawn by an opponent who adds it to a grounded Set to make a Kong, the first player may claim it to complete his hand.

ALL-SEQUENCE HAND

91. A Woo hand which is all Sequences and a worthless Pair shall still be entitled to the double (or in the Cleared-Hand game to the 10 point bonus), even if the player drew the winning tile, or filled the only place.

SPECIAL BONUS HANDS

92. The following hands are entitled to special bonuses:

Delayed Call: Any player other than East, may, after East's first discard, turn his entire hand face down and announce that he requires but one tile to complete his hand. If the player draws, chows, or pungs this tile, provided his hand remains unaltered, he scores one double.

Three Small Scholars: Any completed hand which contains two sets of Dragons and a pair of the third Dragon scores one double (10 points in the Cleared-Hand game) in addition to the other doubles the hand contains.

Four Small Blessings: Any completed hand which contains three Sets of Winds and a pair of the fourth Wind scores one double (10 points in the Cleared-Hand game) in addition to the other doubles the hand contains.

THE LIMIT

93. In the absence of any agreement to the contrary, the limit shall be 500 points; 1000 points for East.

THE EAST POSITION

94. The East player retains his position until some other player woos. In case of a drawn game or a false call of Woo made by another player, East retains his position. If a player incorrectly assumes the East position, the error cannot be corrected after the wall is broken.

THE ROUND

95. A round ends when each of the four players has once held and lost the East position. When East Joses his position, the player who was South becomes East, he who was West becomes South, North becomes West, and East becomes North. The players do not change their seats.

PREVAILING WIND

96. During the first round East is the Prevailing Wind; during the second round, South prevails; during the third, West; and during the fourth round, North.

ROUND OF THE WINDS

97. Four complete rounds make a Round of the Winds.

98. At the end of a Round of the Winds, if play is continued, positions at the table arc again drawn for.

MARKERS

99. The player who is East in each game shall retain the dice, to indicate his position. A marker may be used to show which Wind is Prevailing.

LIMIT HANDS

100. A player may woo who can show a Limit Hand conforming to any of the sixteen specifications listed below. When a Limit Hand is shown it scores 500 (or 1000 for or against East). When playing without a limit, a fixed value must be agreed upon for these hands.

I. The Hidden Treasure (Four Triplets and a Pair)

A Hand consisting of four concealed Triplets (or Fours) and a Pair (all tiles must be drawn from the wall).

II. All Honours (All Winds and Dragons) Four Triplets (or Fours) and a Pair; the hand being composed exclusively of Winds and Dragons.

III. All Terminals (All Ones and Nines) Four Triplets (or Fours) and a Pair; the hand being composed exclusively of Terminals.

IV. All Green

Four Sets and a Pair; made up from any of the following tiles: Green Dragons; twos, threes, fours, sixes and eights of Bamboos.

V. The Three Great Scholars (Three Sets of Dragons)

Triplets (or Fours) of each of the three Dragons—Red, White and Green; any Set and Pair complete the hand.

VI. The Four Large Blessings

Triplets (or Fours) of all four Winds, and a Pair of any sort.

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(Continued from page 72)

VII. All Kongs

Four Fours of a Kind, and any Pair.

VIII. Nine United. Sons (Calling Nine Tiles)

A concealed hand of all one suit in the following formation:— 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 9,—when completed by any tile of the suit, either by draw or discard.

IX. The Thirteen Unique Wonders A hand consisting of one of each Wind, one of each Dragon, one 1 and one 9 of each of the three suits, with a tile which pairs with any one of the above.

X. Heavenly Peace

When East woos before discarding.

XI. Earthly Peace

When a player, other than East, woos with East's first discard.

XII. The Moon from the Bottom ofthe Sea

When a hand is completed by drawing the last available tile in the wall, and this tile is the one of Circles.

XIII. Plum Blossom on the Roof When a hand is completed by a loose-tile draw after a Kong, and this tile is the five of Circles.

XIV. Scratching a Carrying-Pole When a hand is completed by Robbing a Kong; and the tile taken is the two of Bamboos.

XV. Kong on Kong

When a player draws a loose tile after showing Four of a Kind, and the loose tile completes a second Four of a Kind, he must take another loose tile. If the second loose tile completes his hand, he scores the limit.

XVI. The Heavenly Twins

A hand consisting of seven different pairs of honours (one pair of each Wind and one pair of each Dragon), or seven different pairs all of one suit. The final tile may be drawn, or a discard may be taken.

LAWS FOR MORE OR FEWER THAN FOUR PLAYERS

TWO HAND GAME

With the following modifications, the laws of Mah Jong govern the play and scoring.

The two players sit opposite each other, and are alternately East and West, the positions changing after each game, regardless of which player wins.

The original East position may be determined by shuffling and drawing two Wind tiles, or by a throw of two dice.

Each player builds the section of the wall in front of him and also the section on his right.

In throwing the dice to determine which player shall break the wall, an odd number selects East; and an even number West.

A discard cannot be chowed.

The non-winner pays the winner the full amount of his score. East does not pay or receive double.

THREE HAND GAME

With the following modifications, the laws of Mah Jong govern the play and scoring.

The West Wind tile is omitted in the preliminary shuffle and draw for seats.

The position of the players and the order of play for the first game is East, South, North, and there is no West player. When the first East loses his position, there is no South player for the second game; when the second East loses his position, there is no North player for the third game.

Each player builds the section of the wall in front of him and draws at random twelve tiles from the thirty-six tiles remaining on the table.

East then throws the dice to determine who shall break the wall, counting the actual players. He takes the first two tiles, so that he holds fourteen, and the other players take one each.

GAME WITH FIVE PLAYERS

With the following modifications, the laws of Mah Jong govern the play and scoring.

A suit tile is shuffled with the four Wind tiles before drawing for seats. The player drawing the suit tile sits out until East loses his position.

At the end of each game, whether won or drawn, East retires, and the player sitting out takes his place and becomes North in the second game.

GAME WITH SIX PLAYERS

With the following modifications, the laws of Mah Jong govern the play and scoring.

Two suits tiles (a one and a nine) are shuffled with the four Wind tiles before drawing for seats.

The players drawing the two suit tiles sit out. At the end of the first game, whether won or drawn, East retires; the player who drew the one takes his place and is North for the second game. At the end of the second game, the second East retires and the player who drew the nine takes his place and becomes North. Thereafter, East retires at the end of each game and the player who has sat out the longer re-enters the game.