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MAH JONGG CRUTCHES (ARTICLE 220)

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A crutch is something that someone depends on for help and support. In mah jongg, it’s a mechanism for helping someone when playing the game. Crutches may seem helpful temporarily, but they can have a wider impact than one might think because they can have negative effects on the game and all the players.

Tail on the Wall

Each player turns the last stack of tiles perpendicular to their rack when building the walls. When it’s time to pick tiles from their wall, they push it out to a 45-degree angle, and the last stack of tiles in the wall is turned as a reminder to pick from the other end. Most groups call this a tail, which is also known in some circles as a caboose.

Ramifications:

This can become a crutch that someone relies on. When someone plays with a group that does not allow it (i.e., experienced players, tournament), they may be confused about which end of the wall to pick from because they have not trained their mind to pick the tile closest to the center of the table.

Also, experienced players who see it as unnecessary could scrutinize anyone who relies on a tail.

Dead Jokers

During the game, players may have exposures with jokers. Any player with the natural tile can exchange it for the joker. When all the natural tiles used for exchange are visible (i.e., discarded, other exposures), the joker is no longer eligible for exchange, so it’s turned upside down.

Ramifications:

One benefit of playing mah jongg is that it allows you to practice critical thinking when surveying the discards for tiles. However, this opportunity is waived when using this mechanism.

Discard Formations

During the game, players discard in a formation by lining them up chronologically or grouping the same tiles together (e.g., all 1 Dots together, all Red Dragons together).

Ramifications:

This mechanism takes time to maintain and can impact the speed of the game.

Anyone who relies on a discard formation or grouping tiles could be scrutinized by experienced players who consider it unnecessary.

When playing American mah jongg, discards are traditionally placed randomly on the table. Incidently, one benefit of playing mah jongg is that it allows you to practice critical thinking when surveying the randomly placed discards for needed tiles or when reading hands.

Hand Highlighters

Anyone learning how to navigate the card or who has trouble with short-term memory may find it helpful to mark potential hands with a ruler, sticky highlighter, or post-it tab.

Sticky Highlighters:

Ramifications:

This mechanism can be exploited by other players if used in person. Consider using a card cover or turning it over when it is unnecessary to block wandering eyes.

Shout-out to Shawn Martin for inspiring this wiki article. Shawn is a member of the Mahj Life Instructor Guild serving the Greater Atlanta area. You can learn more about her by visiting her instructor profile: https://mahjlife.com/instructor-guild-directory/name/shawn-martin/

MAH JONGG CRUTCHES (ARTICLE 220)