Pung Chow Part 4

[Ill.u.s.tration: Example No. 16]

PLAYER IS EAST WIND

Mah-Jongg 20 ---- 3 fours (concealed) 20 3 dragons (concealed) 4 8 ---- 32 Total Score Double 3 times for winning on Original hand 64 128 256 Double once for red dragons 512 Collects double because is East wind and won 1024 Final Score from each player

[Ill.u.s.tration: Example No. 17]

PLAYER IS SOUTH WIND

Mah-Jongg 20 Drawing winning piece 2 Filling only place to win 2 ---- 24 3 ones (concealed) 8 3 fours (concealed) 4 4 winds (concealed) 32 2 own wind 2 ---- 70 Total Score Double once for all one suit except winds or dragons 140 Final Score

Collects double, or 280, from East wind; 140 from North and South respectively.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Example No. 18]

PLAYER IS NORTH WIND

Mah-Jongg 20 No sequence 10 ---- 30 4 ones (concealed) 32 4 nines (exposed) 16 4 nines (concealed) 32 3 dragons (concealed) 8 ---- 118 Total Score Double once for green dragons 236 Final Score

Collects double, or 472, from East wind: 236 from West and South winds respectively.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Example No. 19]

PLAYER IS WEST WIND

Mah-Jongg 20 ---- 20 3 winds (concealed) 8 3 dragons (exposed) 4 ---- 32 Double once for all one suit except winds or dragons 64 Double once for white dragons 128 Double once for own wind 256

Collects 512 from East wind, 256 from North and South, respectively.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Example No. 20]

PLAYER IS EAST WIND

Mah-Jongg 20 No sequence 10 Winning on loose tile draw 10 Drawing winning piece 2 Filling only place to win 2 ---- 44 4 dragons (concealed) 32 4 dragons (concealed) 32 4 dragons (concealed) 32 4 winds (concealed) 32 ---- 172 Total Score Double 3 times for all of one suit (honor) 344 688 1376 Double once for green dragons 2752 Double once for white dragons 5504 Double once for red dragons 11008 Double once for own wind 22016 Double once because everyone must pay East wind double when he wins 44032 Final Score

East wind collects this amount from each of the other three players, making a total of 132,096 points that East may win in one hand. This is the highest hand which is probable. There is a hand composed of sets of 3 of a kind, similar to this, which, if drawn on the original draw, will yield more points than this, but it is highly improbable that the hand will ever actually be drawn by any given player.

ILl.u.s.tRATIONS OF SCORE SETTLING

In the four layouts following, the ill.u.s.trations represent all the hands together as they are laid down after one of the players wins. They serve to clear up "settling" of the scores and also bring out important points in the playing of the hands. In each case the score of the four players is given in total and practice in the calculating of scores can be obtained by beginners by scoring these hands and comparing their results with the given scores.

West Wind 400 +-----------+ | | North Wind | | South Wind 16 | | 64 | | +-----------+ East Wind 608

[Ill.u.s.tration:

West Wind 400

South Wind 64

East Wind 608

North Wind 16]

East Wind "Mah-Jongged" with a total score of 608 points. He collects double this amount from each of the other three winds because he is East Wind, and winning, collects double. This makes 1216 from each player or a total of 3648. He then throws his hand into the discard and the other three players settle, the high hand collecting the difference between his hand and the remaining two. In the ill.u.s.tration, West Wind is the high hand and he collects 336 from South Wind and 484 from North Wind, the difference between his hand and those of South and North Winds, respectively. He then discards his hand and leaves the South and North Winds to settle. They do this by South Wind collecting 48 points from North; both discard their tiles, and the scores are settled. It might be best here to a.n.a.lyze the above layout to see how the play went. East Wind's hand appeared harmless enough because he had most of it concealed, only exposing two sets. On this account, none of the other opponents would hesitate about discarding the eight of bamboo which allowed him to Mah-Jongg. North and South Winds having poor hands themselves might have held the eight of bamboo and not have taken a chance on it "putting him out" if they had been warned how near he was to winning, for West Wind had an exceptionally fine hand with the best part of it concealed and he won back from North and South Winds more than half of his payment to East, the winner.

North and South Winds fell in a conflict of suits, one of the most frequent occurrences of the game and one which spoils a great many otherwise good hands. They were both attempting to complete "all dot"

hands and each has two conflicting pairs, namely, 5 and 6 of dots.

Either of them to win can only have one pair in their hand, and each was holding the other from any chance of winning.

When two players play for the same suit, it is best for both to give up any idea of obtaining all of one suit, and fill in the hand with one or two sets of winds or dragons. Very often one can get three doubles in this way when it would be impossible to complete a hand of all one suit.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

West Wind 2816

South Wind 8

East Wind 4

North Wind 22]

NORTH WIND MAH-JONGGS

North Wind Mah-Jonggs with 22 points as his total score. He collects 22 points apiece from North Wind and South Wind. East, however, must pay him double or 44, being banker and losing. This gives North Wind a total of 88. The other three then settle West Wind with a total of 2816; collects the difference between his hand and East Wind's which is 2814, doubled because he won from East Wind and East Wind must pay double when he loses. This gives West Wind 5628 from East Wind, and just the difference in their hands from South Wind which is 2808. Then South Wind in settling with East Wind collects the difference, 4, double or 8. This layout demonstrates the point that it is not always necessary to Mah-Jongg or win, in order to take in the highest number of points.

North Wind "Mah-Jongged" and collected only 88 points, whereas West Wind collected a total of 8,436 points. What evidently took place in this hand goes as follows: West Wind was exceptionally fortunate in the draw and soon had three sets of winds and dragons exposed, or on the table.

The other three players seeing in this a dangerous hand, "ran for cover," this consisting of gathering all the sequences possible together, and mixing the suits. By doing this a player can very quickly complete his hand and win, although his score will be low when he does win. However, the one who does "Mah-Jongg," no matter how low his score may be, collects that amount, and escapes any exceptionally high scoring hands which the other players may hold. In this case it was North Wind who won out and avoided paying many points to West Wind by doing so.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

West Wind 64

South Wind 10

East Wind 56

North Wind 416]