PLAYING WITH FUTURES (Article 185)

Two house rules apply when players have 14 tiles on their racks: “Picking Ahead” and “Playing with Futures.”

Playing with Futures

After completing the deal, players 2, 3, and 4 pick another tile from the wall and place it in their hand. After the Charleston, East discards the first tile, picks a tile from the wall, and places it in their rack. At this point, everyone plays with 14 tiles. The player to the right of East discards, then picks a tile from the wall, and places it in their rack. This continues until the tiles in the wall are depleted or someone declares mah jongg. When a player is ready to win, they can declare mah jongg if their tile is discarded. However, if the player draws their winning tile, they must wait until their next turn to declare mah jongg. After a player picks the last tile from the wall and discards, a win is honored if one of the players has a complete hand. After declaring mah jongg, a player will have an extra tile in their rack. This is also known as a “14-tile game.“

This rule was abolished in 1947, and it has been included as a rule on the back of the card since 1956.

Picking Ahead

After each discard, a player takes their next pick from the wall and they place it upside down on their rack. In their turn they rack the tile. After they discard, the process repeats. If someone claims a discard, the pending picks must be redistributed to the correct player depending on who makes the exposure. This is also known as “throw-and-pick.”

The NMJL says, “our cardinal rule is no picking or looking ahead” and also, “there is no game in which the player is entitled to an advanced knowledge of what he is picking in order to make a choice.”

Source: National Mah Jongg League Bulletin (1967 page 4, 1967 page 5, 1968 page 4, 1969 page 5, 1971 page 4, 1973 page 4, 1974 page 4, 1975 page 4, 1976 page 4, 1981 page 4, 1982 page 3, 1983 page 3, 1985, 1996 page 5, 1997 page 5, 1998 page 5, 1999 page 5, 2000 page 5, 1985, 1987 page 5, 1988 page 5, 1989 page 5, 1991 page 12, 1993 page 5, 1990 page 5, 1991 page 12, 1995 page 4, 1998 page 5, 2002, 2001, 2014, 2005) https://www.nationalmahjonggleague.org

NOTICE:
When a group chooses to play with house rules, its members are responsible for establishing the specific logistics, rules, and penalties that apply. Because these can vary widely from one group to another, players should always ask about the group culture before joining a game for the first time.