Greetings and salutations from your dedicated Bubbe, who is happy to spend time with you going over some new hands.
Yesterday we went over the left panel of the card, so obviously today is all about the center panel!
Again I will remind you of my shorthand convention: The Quint section will be referred to as Q, Consecutive Runs will be listed as CR, and the 13579 section, which I call Odds, will be abbreviated as O. When a hand has suit variations there will be a suffix, e.g. a single and three-suited hand will have suffixes of .1 and .3. If a hand falls in the upper and lower ends of the number line, it will have suffixes of a and b.
QUINTS
A quick reminder that you must have at least two jokers to make any of this year's Quint hands. This means there's no way to make the hand jokerless, so no opportunity to get a bonus for making a jokerless hand. This is part of the reason why these hands are valued at 40 and 45, rather than 25 or 30.
Q1: This is a super-size LN hand. It's about as straightforward as they come: quints of the same number in suits A and B, plus a kong of that number in suit C. I don't recommend trying to make this with 6s, this year.
Backup options: Once you've exposed a quint, you're tied to this section: either Q2 or Q3. If you only expose the kong you have a lot more flexibility; you could switch to nearly anything. Two exposures? Zero options.
Q2: a super-size CR hand. Three consecutive numbers in the same suit, with the first and third ones being quints and the middle one a pair. For your remaining two tiles, you will need a pair of Flowers. Needless to say, getting the two pairs is the hardest part, which merits that extra 5. Backup options: even if you make both exposures, you can very easily switch to Q3, which doesn't require any pairs.
Q3: Another super-sizer. Like Q1, this hand doesn't require any pairs (such a relief!). You just need to amass quints of any two numbers in the same suit; they could be consecutive, but they don't have to be. To complete your hand, you will need a kong of dragons in either of the other suits.
Backup options: Stick with Q3; you can certainly go for dragons in the other other suit. This hand doesn't require any pairs, so you really don't need to worry about your hand being called dead.
CONSECUTIVE RUNS
Boy, there are a lot of hands in this section, and there's a lot of fine print. Bubbe will spell it out for you. Don't forget that only the first hands, CR1a and CR1b, must be the exact numbers, while the other hands have more variability; I will be explicit about any limitations. Also, no getting cute, saying, “The Soap is a 0 so I can do a run of 012.” Not on MY watch!
CR1a and CR1b: these are each the very definition of a Consecutive Run hand: the number line 1 through 5 or 5 through 9, all in the same suit. This year the combinations are in the ascending order: pair, pung, pair, pung, kong so that CR1a is a pair of 1s through a kong of of 5s, and CR1b is a pair of 5s through a kong of 9s. Remember that it must be exactly these numbers, and you can't call for a discard to complete a pair until your very final tile.
Backup options: Even with two exposures, CR1a has backup options including E1.1, E1.2, and CR4.1. CR1b is a little trickier for backup hands because of the nature of the "pung pung kong kong" format for 2026: the only double exposure that can be "repurposed" is pung of 6, kong of 9 in CR4.1.
CR2.1 and CR2.2 both include a natural chow (run of three single numbers of the same suit) that falls between two kongs, in consecutive order. You have flexibility in which number you start with; the entire group of numbers can run from 1-5, 2-6, 3-7, 4-8 or 5-9. CR2.1 is the one-suited version, while CR2.2 has two suits: the kongs are in suit A, and the chow in the middle is in suit B. This adds up to 11 tiles, so to complete the full 14 you will need a pung of Flowers! The chow must be achieved on your own, you can't call to complete that meld unless it's for your final mah jongg tile.
Backup options: CR2.1 and CR2.2 are backups for one another, and a third option would be to do the chow in the third suit. Other possibilities, if you start with either 1 or 5, would be O3a or O3b.
CR3: This hand always uses three suits. It's similar to one of our traditional CR1 patterns, the stair steps: pair, pair, pung, pung, kong–except that the numbers themselves are pairs of two consecutive numbers in suit A; pungs of those same two consecutive numbers in suit B, and finally a kong of the third consecutive number in suit C. Again, you have flexibility; the numbers can fall anywhere in the number line, 1-3 all the way up to 7-9. Make sure you remember that you can't call to complete a pair except as your final tile.
Backup option: CR4.2 for any series that starts between 1 and 6.
CR4.1 and CR4.2: four consecutive numbers, in one suit or two. This year the pattern is pung pung kong kong; When playing it in two suits, the kongs, which are the higher numbers, are of a different suit than the pungs. Another flexible hand: the tiles can begin anywhere on the number line starting between 1 and 6. I said previously, pung & kong hands are my favorites in terms of simplicity, as you can call for exposure and/or use a joker for any meld.
Backup options: Because it has no pairs, the hand theoretically cannot go dead, but you might use CR4.2 as a good backup for CR4.1, and vice versa, or use CR4.2 with the third suit. You might also consider CR3 as a backup but frankly that's a harder hand to make.
CR5.1 and CR5.2: first of all, I think those of us who have been waiting for the return of the old reliable “Flowers, two consecutive numbers and matching dragons” hand are just going to have to go another year without the standard. The current card crafters are not taking the easy way out, they're trying new things every year.
This year's version involved a one- or two-suited hand. Let me start with the single-suit one, which is significantly more straightforward. There are two pairs, two pungs, and a kong: The pairs and one of the pungs are the three consecutive numbers, all in one suit. The other pung is a group of Flowers, and the kong is of matching dragons. Obviously the pairs are the hardest part to make, and the choice of numbers itself is flexible: the three numbers can fall anywhere in the number line beginning between 1 and 7.
Backup options for CR5.1: There are three other hands this year that MIGHT be backups for CR5.1, even with three exposures: O5a, O5b, and 369 #3.1. In those cases, it works if the exposed pung is a 5, 6, or 9.
The two-suited version, CR5.2, is as close as we've gotten to a knit hand in a while. (Click on the link if you're unfamiliar with that term). Like CR5.1 it's flexible on the number line and again it's two pairs and a pung, in consecutive order, but the second pair is in suit B. The first pair and the pung are in suit A, and that kong of dragons is in the same suit B as that middle pair. In other words, the suits alternate. This is definitely a tricky hand to make, and I recommend forming it with your own tiles, a few times, to help with visualizing it.
Backup option: the only hand on this year's card that could possibly serve as a backup is if your pung is a 6: 369 #3.2 .
CR6: Oh boy, much more straightforward: two consecutive kongs in the same suit, completely flexible on the number line. As with yesterday's LN1, the tricky part is getting the sextet of flowers. Remember that you can use as many jokers and/or Flowers as you need, but you cannot call for a discarded Flower until you've amassed a combined total of five. This is not two pungs of Flowers, this is six Flowers together.
Backup options: CR4.1, CR4.2, or CR7.1 are all very simple backups.
CR7.1 and CR7.3: great hands, the trickiest part is the pair of Flowers. It's combined with three consecutive kongs, in one suit or three. One of the reasons I like this hand is because it's flexible, especially if you go toward the middle of the number line. Say you've got the 4s and 5s, you can wait and see whether you get more 3s or 6s for your third consecutive number. Likewise, you can just collect tiles in the same part of the number line even if they're in three different suits. It definitely helps to have a few jokers!
Backup options: you can modify (per above) within either hand, deciding on a "prequel" or "sequel" kong. For CR7.1 ONLY, depending on the numbers other options may include E1.1, E1.2, CR4.1, CR4.2, O2a and O2b.
CR8: This is a three-suited concealed hand, but it's flexible, starting anywhere between 1 and 6 on the number line. Consecutive single, pair, and pung of the same three numbers in suits A and B, completed by a pair of the fourth number in suit C. Since it's a concealed hand, you don't have to worry about anyone calling your hand dead. However, if you find that the hand isn't viable, you might want to switch to something more simple.
Backup options: CR3, CR4.2 or even possibly CR 7.3.
ODDS
This section is a lot less flexible than CR. Expect to make the hands almost exactly as they appear on the card.
O1.1 and O1.3: just like CR1, we have this stutter step pattern of pair, pung, pair, pung, kong. The numbers must be pairs of 1s and 5s, pungs of 3 and 7, and kongs of 9. Obviously the hardest thing is to get the pairs, but getting representation of all three suits is also difficult.
Backup option: O7.1 is an interesting backup for O1.1, depending on where your single-suited odd tiles fall.
O2a and O2b: another beautiful pung pung kong kong hand in two suits. Remember that the first two are the pungs and the higher ones are the kongs. You can use jokers and/or call for exposure for any meld. You must use these numbers: choose either the 135 group or the 579 group.
Backup options: CR4.2, O6a and O6b are excellent choices
O3a and O3b: similar to E3, following the E/O rule, we are now seeing what happens when the NOrth and SOuth winds sneak over to the Odd numbers section! Remember that you'll need a pair of each of these Winds, and then chose whether you're going with the upper or lower part of the odd number line. Your third pair will be the middle number, whether 3s or 7s, between two kongs in the same suit.
Backup options: CR2.1 or CR2.2 could work.
O4: The return of the floating pair, this time in the Odd section. You need kongs of the same ODD number in suits A and B, with a matching pair of that number in suit C, but you do get to CHOOSE which number so it's slightly flexible. The remainder of that meld includes a single of each of the other four odd numbers, all in suit C.
This is another hand where it's good to map it out with your own tiles to get familiar with it. Backup hands: Remember that the only exposures will be the two kongs, and there are EIGHT different hands this year with two kongs of a like number. Specifically, LN3 has the two kongs and the pair, all of the same number. It's very unlikely that your hand would be called dead, and there are plenty of options for backup.
O5a and O5b: This hand, on the 1-5 or 5-9 section of the number line, is very similar to CR5.1: pairs of the two lower numbers, pung of the third number in the sequence, pung of Flowers and kong of matching dragons, all in one suit.
Backup option: Since the pungs of Flowers and high number and kong of dragons are the only exposed parts of the hand, you could always use CR5.1
O6a and O6b: a three-suited hand, with these exact numbers on either the low or high part of the odd number line. It's the same pattern as CR3, the three-suited ascending staircase of pair, pair in suit A; pung, pung in suit B; and kong in suit C.
Backup options: You could consider the respective O2 versions.
O7.1 and O7.2: The two suited version, O7.2, is particularly reminiscent of E2 without the Flowers. It's a “sandwich” hand, with the kongs of 1 and 9 as the two pieces of bread. The sandwich filling is the three intermediate odd pairs (3,5,7) in either the same suit as the kongs (O7.1), or all in suit B (O7.2).
Backup options: O7.1 and O7.2 can serve as each other's backups, as well as using suit C for O7.2.
O8a and O8b: these are concealed hands, meaning that you have to build the entire hand on your rack except for perhaps the final tile. You have the option of using the lower or upper part of the odd number line, in all three suits. It's a little bit of a Like Numbers hand: You have pairs of Flowers and the three odd numbers in suit A. According to the card it's “these numbers only” so they are very serious that it is pungs of 1s (O8a) or 5s (O8b) in the other two suits.
Backup option: Since it's a concealed head you don't really have to worry about your hand being called dead, but if you do choose to switch, you might consider O4.O9: a two suited hand, also concealed. You may not call for ANY tile, including the 7, 9 or dragon pungs, except as your final mah jongg tile. It feels familiar yet it is different from all the other hands on the card. There's a pseudo chow (135), as well as pungs of 7 and 9 in suit A, and an opposing pung of dragons in suit B, completed with a pair of Flowers.
Backup option: O1.1, O5's and O7.1. If you're collecting Odd tiles in one suit, and you somehow also pick up Flowers and opposite dragons, then O9 is the hand for you!
Bubbe knows that you may not have your card quite yet, but it's on its way. Feel free to use these descriptions with your own set of tiles to try to create something you can visualize. Then, when you actually do get your card you can go back and read these articles again.
If you have any questions or comments, or better ideas for backup hands, you can always contact me at bubbefischer@gmail.com.
I'll check in next time with the third panel of the card!!
Bubbe
No comments:
Post a Comment