April 25, 2011 | 12:56 am

A FATAL DECLARATION

Posted by Elaine Sandberg

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A FATAL DECLARATION

The holidays, family visits and cooking special meals are over and the kids are heading back to school.  It’s back to the normal routine for most of us.  And back to playing Mahj for lots of us.
But I did manage to get in a game over the holiday break.  And of course something happened I realized many players, experienced and otherwise, do.
The card is new, out since the 1st of April (I always wonder why they come out on April Fool’s Day) and many of you are just getting comfortable with the new hands. I noticed this year’s card has many more Pairs hands than last year’s, the odd Section has Dragon hands and my favorite Consecutive Run hand is gone but some of the same hands remain.  I think this year’s card is a little more challenging than last’s.
Anyway, let’s get back to the game I was playing.  Since it was the first time playing the new card, we all were a little tentative, but still,  a couple of Mahjs were declared.
In one of the games, my friend Linda exposed a Pung of 3 Dot.  A Pung of 3 Dots doesn’t reveal Linda’s hand. The game continued and she then exposed a Kong of 4 Dots, clearly a Consecutive Run hand.  Nobody noticed anything, but then Linda looked at the card and realized she made a mistake because there is no consecutive hand that requires a Pung of 3Dots and a Kong of 4Dots..
“Oh, I made a mistake!” she blurts out.  “I was playing last year’s hand. I’m dead!”
Well, Linda, you made more than one mistake.  You declared yourself “Dead!” 
I was a little surprised because it was not like Linda, who likes to win—a lot. And is a stickler for the rules.  Although there’s no actual rule about calling yourself Dead, it’s not a wise practice. Clearly she gave the rest of us the advantage of being able to pick and/or call 25% more tiles and 25% more chances to win. It’s the responsibility of the other players to determine your hand from the Exposures and declare the hand Dead—not yours.
So if you find yourself in the same situation, button your lip.  There is an expression used during WWII, “Loose Lips Sink Ships”.  Hopefully, your “lips” won’t sink your hand.

Til the next time……
MAY THE TILES BE WITH YOU!

April 20, 2011 | 11:01 am

STRATEGY CLASS FOR NOVICE PLAYERS IN L. A.

Posted by Elaine Sandberg

                                                        ATTENTION NOVICE PLAYERS IN L. A.!!!!!!!!!!!   

HAVING TROUBLE WITH

•  FINDING A HAND,  QUICKLY AND EASILY??

•  DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT TO KEEP, WHAT TO PASS, WHAT NOT TO KEEP, ??

•  EXPOSING AND EXPOSURES,?????

•  WHEN AND IF TO CHANGE YOUR HAND,?????

•  DEFENSIVE PLAYING,???????

•  HOT TILES?????

                                                    COME TO THE   STRATEGY CLASS

                                                      AT AMERICAN JEWISH UNIVERSITY

                                          3 Fridays ——-  MAY 13,  20 ,  27 ——FROM 1-2:30 PM
 
                                                    TO SIGN UP—-CALL 310-440-1246

A LITTLE PREVIEW

Here’s a preview of one of the situations we will be discussing :

An opponent has made two Exposures and you think you know what she needs to Mahj.  You are also waiting for one tile to declare Mahj.  There are three picks left in the Wall and you pick the opponent’s Mahj tile. 

What do you do???

We’ll be resolving this and many other issues.  And much more…
Join the class and your game will improve by leaps and bounds!
       
And you’ll have FUN!
See you there….

ELAINE SANDBERG

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April 18, 2011 | 12:02 am

IN A RUT???????

Posted by Elaine Sandberg

                            IN A RUT??????
I received a call from a former student the other day and we caught up on the news—mostly good, I’m happy to say. 
She soon got around to the purpose of her call—she wanted some advice about a problem she was having.  It turned out it was a problem I’d been aware that some newer players have, as well as some more experienced ones.  I’ll call it the “Being Stuck” syndrome. 
“I seem to play the same hands over and over,” she said. “I don’t play lots of different ones. It makes me nervous”.
Mah Jongg is supposed to be fun, not anxiety-producing.  But it seems that for some, it is. But it doesn’t have to be.
Playing unfamiliar hands, like doing anything unfamiliar , results in a feeling of discomfort —it’s only natural.  But the more you do the unfamiliar thing , the less anxious you become. And avoiding it,  just prolongs the anxiety.
So it is with Mah Jongg hands that are outside your comfort zone. I know for me, the first time I try one of them can be really uncomfortable, the second time, a little less, by the third time, it’s OK . The more you try new hands, the easier it gets. And winning with a new hand is even more fun.
Another one of the benefits of having a wider repertoire of hands at your command is the more hands you are familiar with, the easier it is to find a hand to play when you first look at your tiles.. Another is it’s easier to find a hand to switch to, when necessary.  And when there are Exposures,  it will be easier to spot the hand opponents may be playing. And more rewarding, because you become a better, stronger , more versatile player. 
So hopefully I have convinced those afflicted with Being Stuck Syndrome that the benefits to overcome it more than justifies the effort.  Be persistent and You Shall Overcome!
Til next time,,,
,MAY THE TILES BE WITH YOU!

.

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April 10, 2011 | 4:29 pm

THE NEW CARD

Posted by Elaine Sandberg

                                      THE NEW CARD!

At last the new card has arrived…..And I am curious to know What’s your reaction?…

Better?  Worse?  Easier?  Harder? 
Let me know……

Til the next time….
MAY THE TILES BE WITH YOU!

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April 4, 2011 | 12:13 am

TEN COMMANDMENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Posted by Elaine Sandberg

THE “TEN COMMANDMENTS” WERE PRESENTED—COMPLIMENTS OF SPECIALTY CRUISES INTERNATIONAL.

  Their business is arranging and conducting mah jongg tournaments and mah jongg cruises.

CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE…...MAHJONGGMADNESS.ORG

MANY THANKS…...
AND MAY THE TILES BE WITH YOU…...

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April 2, 2011 | 9:50 pm

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Posted by Elaine Sandberg

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