Won't Get Fooled Again?

Greetings and salutations from your locked-down Bubbe, who is—by every imaginable standard—ready for change.

Evidently, I’m not the only person who feels that way. I recently found out about the unique and inventive “2020 Card for Change.” It is reminiscent of the style of the American Mah Jongg Association (AMJA), with a very different feel from our annual National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) card. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the AMJA, its rules are similar to NMJL: they both use a card that lists specific hands, with assigned values; no one can use a joker to complete a pair; and some hands are concealed, versus exposed. However, a big difference between them is that AMJA hands can include both words and numeric patterns. 

How do you make mah jongg tiles into words? Obviously, we are used to seeing “NEWS” representing the four Winds, as well as “F” for Flower, “G” a green dragon, “R” a red dragon, and “0” (zero) a soap/white dragon. AMJL card designers go further. For example, they use a “7” to depict the letter “L”, and a “1” for the letter “I”—and the soap can be used as either that zero or the letter “O”. 

Having seen this convention, I was familiar with the words vs. numbers idea...but the 2020 Card for Change is special for more than just using words, per se. The meanings of most of the hands reflect the theme of the card which is, like its designers Deb Love and Lisa Gelber, unabashedly partisan. There are names of political figures from both parties (McConnell; Obama, Pelosi, Schiff), and phrases that reinforce Democratic goals and values. For instance, there is a hand that reads:

DEMS 444 AMERICA

This would be represented by any Dragon, an East, a West (upside down!) and a South; a pung of 4’s in any suit; Any tile, another upside-down West, an East, a Red dragon, a 1 in any suit, any number tile as long as it’s a Crak, and Any tile. Technically, it’s an exposed hand, but the only part you could call for exposure would be the pung of 4’s. 

Only clever minds could come up with so intricate a card. They have reimagined sections that we traditionally expect from the NMJL, with titles like “CAN’T EVEN” (2468), “ODD MEN OUT” (13579), “THREE’S NOT A CROWD” (369), “NO MORE OF THE SAME, PLEASE” (Like Numbers), and “RUN FOR SOMETHING” (Consecutive Runs). There are also categories of “DEM HEROES,” “DEM VALUES,” and the purely election-related “VOTE FOR DEMS.”

The 2020 Card for Change uses a lot of political slogans and icons, but there are some more traditional NMJL-type hands. All of the combinations in the “20 IS OUR LUCKY NUMBER” section include kongs of three numbers that add up to 20. No Flowers are required; just a kong of 9’s plus two other kongs that add to 11 (3+8, 4+7, 5+6), in either one suit or three. Obviously, this is a year when “2” tiles are at a premium, so 11+9 was a good way to utilize the other numbers.

Strangely, and purely by coincidence, several hands are identical to the 2020 NMJL card. Since Deb and Lisa’s card came out in February, there is no way that they “copied” these hands. The happy result is that some players may find comfort seeing a few familiar ways to use their tiles.

On the other hand, experimenting with the unfamiliar is the whole point of using a non-traditional card. If and when you and your friends get in a rut (what, it’s only mid-April?!)—or if you are sympathetic to Democratic causes—it’s worth taking a look! 

The card is available by contacting mahjongsocialclub@gmail.com or finding the Mah Jong Social Club page on Facebook. While there is no actual “price” for the card, Deb and Lisa ask that you consider making a donation to the Democratic/Progressive organization of your choice. They provide some suggestions including the ACLU, Democratic National Committee, Planned Parenthood, Emily’s List, Fair Fight, and MoveOn.org.

Another great thing to remember during this time of social distancing/quarantine is that the 2020 Card for Change, like several other alternative cards, can be used on some online versions of mahj. If four friends play together on myjongg.net, they can select the “bring your own card” option. Deb has been asking the designer at Realmahjongg.com to allow the same opportunity; if you’re a Realmahjongg user and would like to be able to use non-traditional cards, join this grassroots effort and try to convince Ronnie, the designer, to add such a feature.

When I learned about the 2020 Card for Change, I found the whole concept so interesting—from designing an original and passionately partisan group of hands, to encouraging contributions to left-leaning organizations—that I contacted Deb and asked her if she would grant me an interview. Luckily, she said yes—my next column will spotlight her passion for mah jongg, political activism, philanthropy, and a few other creative “lives” that she has led.

If you have any questions or comments about Deb and Lisa’s card, or just want to check in with me, I’m always happy to hear from you—email me at bubbefischer@gmail.com

Talk to you soon!

Bubbe