Fallbrook Mah Jong Rules

1. (Page 16) We don’t use the optional tiles (cat, rat, cock, worm, old man, bag of gold).

2. (Page 17) Each player begins with a stake of 7,500 points per person, not 10,000 and our counters look slightly different.

3. (Page 28) A player is not required to expose two of the four tiles of a concealed Kong, even after declaring a suit.

4. (Page 29) A player can form a chow from two tiles even if the two tiles are not sequential, as long as the result is a sequence. For example, a player may pick up a 3 bamboo to form a chow if the player has a 2 bamboo and a 4 bamboo in hand.

5. (Page 33) We do not use a kitty as described in the book. Instead, each player contributes eight quarters at the door. The winner of each hand claims a quarter in addition to the counting sticks due. The individual with the highest number of points of all tables wins an additional eight quarters, and the balance of the quarters goes to AAUW’s Education Foundation.

6. (Page 37) We do not double payments for double dice.

7. (Page 37 and Pages 40-41) The score is doubled for the player who Mah-jongs and has no chow.

Ms. Strauser’s book is readily available by request from the county library, or for less than $10 on amazon.com or occasionally Ebay. We’ve found no differences among various printings, although there is a typographical error on page 39.

Rules in Strauser that we do follow, but that other social clubs in Fallbrook do not:

We do not play “NEWS” except for special hands. In other words, four different wind tiles cannot form a kong as part of an ordinary hand.
As there are literally hundreds of special hands, only the special hands listed in the Strauser book are recognized, and for the point totals listed in that book.
We do not award 2 extra points for Mah Jong in the only place.
We do not double the score for a hand without any terminals or honors.