Keeping an Open Mind

Greetings and salutations from your ever-vigilant Bubbe, always looking for a teachable moment.

If you've ever seen an Improv show, you know that the #1 rule is: "Just go with it"--if something is said during an improvisational scene, the next person builds on it by saying, "Yes, and..." You have to keep an open, attentive mind.

Yesterday, I had such a situation come up during the Charleston. I was sure after one or two passes that I was going with a hand--but by keeping my mind open, as new tiles came in, I suddenly realized there was a better opportunity. 

Here's the scene: after first left, I had 

            FF 7 12244  33   D W J

Those of you who have been reading my articles this year know how much I love CR5--both the one- and two-suited versions. With a pair of Flowers, "skipping" pairs of 2 and 4 crak and a middle pair of 3 dot, plus a white dragon and a joker, my mind immediately went to CR5b. I had 10 of the necessary tiles: I would be able to call for the third Flower, the third 4 crak, and all I needed was another Soap or Joker to call for the kong of White dragons.  

I decided to keep going with the Charleston, because nothing is set in stone, and to my surprise after second across I had

            FF 2244 335 DD D J 

I now also had 10 tiles toward a second variation of CR5b: two Flowers (ready to call for pung), pairs of 3 dot and 4 crak, and one 5 dot toward my pung; plus two of the necessary kong of Red dragons (to match the 4 crak pair), plus a joker with which to call for the full dragon kong. 

One might argue that either hand was good, and to see which came in first--but I thought about probability. Two Red dragons had already come to me in two passes; no one seemed to want them, so it was much more likely that I was going to see another Red dragon discarded, and because I had a joker I would be ready to call for it. Going from a single to a kong of Soaps was a pretty daunting prospect. I felt more confident about turning a single 5 dot into a pung if/when I got another 5 dot or a joker. In other words, turning 1 to 4 and 2 to 3 seemed harder than 2 to 4 and 1 to 3, especially based on the tiles in question. I decided I could pass away the pair of 2 craks.

Rather than pass my Soap in the final right, I got rid of a single 2 crak with a blind steal (I got a 9 dot and a West), and then exchanged the other 2 crak, the 9 dot, and the West on the optional. I had no intention of "just giving away" my Soap.

Confirming my concerns, a Soap came out early when I would have been totally unable to call for it. A second Soap was immediately thrown, and then I discarded mine, as well---three in a row. I was all-in for the 3-4-5 version of CR5.2. 

Fairly quickly, I drew another Red dragon, freeing up my joker to call for the pung when (if?) a 5 dot was discarded. I was able to call for the third Flower, the fourth Red dragon, and, thanks to my single Joker, the 5 dot--winning by the very beginning of the third wall.

That new hand wasn't too far from my original plan, but when faced with the prospect of a more robust showing of Dragons, it seemed like the wise choice to switch. I'm very happy with the results.

 

*Note: I have to say that in a real "human" game I doubt it would have been so easy to get those Red dragons during the Charleston. Most players have been warned not to pass dragons in the Charleston. Yentas--I mean, teachers like me--keep reminding you that when you have several options of what to pass, it's a good strategy to hold onto dragons and then throw them early--but those darned Bots don't always listen to Bubbe! 

 

How about you? Are you getting more confident with switching hands, and taking advantage of new situations?  I'd love to hear about your adventures at the table. You can email me at bubbefischer@gmail.com

Stay cool--and talk to you soon!

 

Bubbe