I have often had conversations with my MJ friends how much of the game of MahJongg is Luck versus Skill?  The percentage has been bandied about – one will say, it’s all luck; well not many agree with that.  Some will say, it’s 50/50.  Others lean toward, a higher percentage to the better player.  If it was 50/50 skill versus luck, why would better players consistently win?  So I thought I would come up with an interesting idea for us to debate:  seeing the following hand, how many of you would choose a different direction to go?  How many of you would pass the same tiles as I did here?  How many of you can see that a better way may have been to do something else?  I would welcome your feedback.  As you watch the hand progress, any “ah – ha! moments” are encouraged to let us know!  Add comments, email us or better yet, add your opinion on Facebook!

So, here’s the progression of the hand in order of the Charleston.

This is my Beginning Hand – the Tiles I was dealt.

I am now waiting for my First Right – do you see what I am passing?  What would you have passed???

In my First Pass I decided to pass the 7 Bam, the 8 Bam, and the 3 Dot. What would you do?

First Right Received – what do you deduce?

I’ve now received my First Right. Hmmm, tells me some: Player who passed it isn’t saving winds or low odds it seems…

I decide to keep the East I received so maybe I should be saving what they are passing???

First Over – passing the 3 Krak, 1Krak, and the 6 Dot

I received back:

Here’s what I received from the player across from me – 8 Krak, 9 Krak and a 4 Dot

I decided to keep the 4 dot, and see how the Easts and Wests and the 4’s treat me!  I know it’s a closed hand, but I’ll also position myself to keep more of the winds and 2014 so I can have options.  My two jokers certainly also give me options… a bit of the luck factor.

So I decided to send over to my left a bunch of Kraks. Probably not a good move to send all of one suit..

So now, the player who sent me kraks last time, sent me over a couple more.  More tell tale info.

So I received back from the player on my right 2 more kraks and a 7 dot.

More decisions, hmmm.  Should I stay with the low dots? Not too many winds coming my way, but at least one more. And, I have another 4 now, so the 4s with the Easts and Wests are still viable, and since I have both the pairs I need for that hand (the 4 Dots and the pair of Easts),  even though it is closed, that certainly helps.  What would you do?

The player across from me sends me over a 4Krak, a 5 Dot, and a South.

I need to make a decision it seems.

So I sent the 5 Dot, the 2 Dot, and even the South. I’m going for the East/West/4s! Decision made!

. I am hoping for more help.  And usually I don’t want to send pairs together but… c’est la vie!

Second left – 9Krak, 9Krak and South.

Next pass…

I received back for my last right a 2 Bam, a 7 Krak, and a 9 Dot. No help. Oh well.

Maybe I could have kept that South just to be safe to have a fall back.  But no second guessing …

I received my final pass for my Last Right, still no help.

….I am pretty happy to give this hand a try.  Closed, yes, but I have those 2 jokers to help me and there’s some of the “luck” part!  Wish me luck for the rest.