The 2015 Card

 Here it is!

I often bemoan the fact that I live in New York - things are so expensive, the 1% are destroying all my favorite buildings and restaurants, but there is one consolation.  I get the card early!  The card was mailed 3/25 from zip code 11801.  I received it 3/26 in zip code 11375, approximately 20 miles away.  I don't know how or why, but I am not complaining today.  So let's get down to facts!!  As you know, I cannot publish the card, but I can talk about it and let you know what to expect.  It's easier if you use your 2014 card to follow along and envision the changes.

The card, as always, has changed in subtle ways, ways that we can only learn by playing it.  Like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there is only room for so many pieces to be exhibited - some must be warehoused and others brought out of storage on a rotating basis for us to enjoy.  So I have tried to note which are gone, which are back and which are new, in the hopes that it will whet your appetite for what is to come.

One note- The pattern this year looks consistent; pung, kong, pung, kong can be found throughout the categories and for the first hands in evens, consecutive and odds the pattern is pair, pung, kong, pung, pair.  If this doesn't make sense to you, read on.  I always look at patterns first.

2015

This category has changed in subtle ways.  

The first wind hand is the same but 2014 is now 2015.  

The hand with pung of  2s, pung of soaps, kong of 1s and kong of 4s  is gone.  

The hand with the four soaps is the same, with the exception of 14 is now 15.  (But you expected that, didn't you?)  

The hand with two flowers, 2014 in one suit, ones in the second and fours in the third is the same except the fours are now fives. 

The closed hand with the year surrounded by dragons is changed: Now open, two flowers, kongs of dragons, year 2015.  Well done, League!  

New: A closed hand has been added; pair of flowers, pungs of 2,0,1,5 all in one suit.  Interesting!  I'm liking it already.

2468

Hand with kong of dragons - gone.  

Returning: Kong of flowers surrounded by pungs of 4 and 6, pair of 2 and 8 - one suit.  

Kong of 2s, pair of 4s, kong of 6s with pairs of 8s - gone. 

Pairs of 2s and 4s, pungs of 4 and 6, kong of 8 - unchanged.  

Pung of 2s and 4s, kongs of 6s and 8s changed to pung of 2s, kong of 4s, pung of 6s, kongs of 8s.   

(Pattern in 2014 was pung, pung, kong, kong - now pung, kong, pung, kong) 

2s and 8s with dragons changed to a pair of flowers, kong of 2s, kong of 8s with kong of matching dragon in one suit or three.  

Returning:  My old favorite - pair of flowers, matching kongs of 2s and 8s with pair of 4s and 6s in the middle.  Yay!  

Closed hand changed to a pair of matching dragons on the end instead of a pair of flowers at the beginning.  It's still worth 30 but seems harder to me.

Like Numbers

Changed to pair of flowers and kongs of like numbers.  

Addition hands:

Changed to seven hands:  Kong of flowers - kong of numbers (1s, 2s or 3s), pair of numbers (6s, 5s or 4s) and a kong of sevens.  One suit or three.

Quints

Run from 2 to five is unchanged.

Run in three suits is gone. 

Returning:  Like number quint hand: 1123 with quints in pair.

Flower, any wind, any number is changed to  any wind,  any dragon,  any number with dragon being the kong. This is worth 45, while the one with flowers was worth 40.  

Numbers with dragons gone - and it doesn't look as though it shows up anywhere else.  :-(

New: four flowers with quints of any two consecutive in one suit.  I don't remember that one although I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't new. - Value 45.   I wonder why?

Consecutive run:

Standard runs - pattern is changed to pair, pung, kong, pung, pair.

The any four consecutive numbers is unchanged.

The "sandwich" or "bookend" hand with the pairs in the middle is gone.

The run with three pairs and two like ascending kongs changed to closed hand; three pairs, and instead of like kongs, the kongs are ascending; i.e., 4444 5555 as opposed to 4444 4444.  

Four flowers, two consecutive numbers and pair of dragons is changed to pair of flowers, and kong of matching dragons.

1-2, 1-2, 3 is gone.  But wait!  

Returning:  Old favorite pair of flowers any three suits, any three consecutive numbers is back!  Yay!!  The gods have heard our plea!

Closed hand run with pungs of opposite dragons is gone. 

Returning:  Knitted hand.  Any three consecutive numbers; any two suits, kongs match and dragons match.  So if its 1, 2, 3, dragon, the 1s and 3s are kongs and they match and the 2s match the dragons.  I've never been very good with those hands.
There are no closed hands in consecutive run.

Odds

1,3,5,7,9 changed pattern to pair, pung, kong, pung, pair.

1,3,3,5 and 5,7,7,9 unchanged.

Four flowers with 1,3,5 or 5,7,9, unchanged.

Pair of flowers, kong of one, nine, dragon - unchanged.  (But moved down on the card)

The odds hands in three suits with pairs, pungs and kong, gone.

New: interesting - three suits:  pair of 1s, 3s and 5s, kong of seven in second suit and nine in third.  30 point open hand.  I'll give it a try.  (This may be returning.  If it is, I've forgotten it)

New:  (Possibly returning) Two closed hands in odds.  One in 1,3,5 and one in 5,7,9.  These hands have five pairs.  Pair of 1s, 3s in one suit, 1s, 3s, 5s in second suit and kong of 1, 3, or 5 in third suit.  Change the 1, 3, 5, to 5, 7, 9 and you have the second hand.  These looks very challenging, especially when fives are in high demand.  Well, Ms. Unger always said they had to make the card easy enough for beginners and challenging enough for the experienced.  I think they have here.

Wind hands

Old favorite kongs of N, E, W and pair of S - unchanged.

Winds and dragons - gone

Returning - kongs of N,S with two like pungs of odds or E,W with two like pungs of evens replaces the winds with numbers hand.  Of course they are open, worht 30.

New:  Two wind and flower hands:  Pair of flowers, kong of N,S, pair of E,W - similar to 2,4,6,8 hand.  Open hand, 25 points.  Also kong of flowers, single N, pair of E, pung of W, kong of S.  Closed, 30 points.  So if you see someone expose a pung of Wests - you know what to say.

Flower and dragon hand unchanged.

369

This section is the most changed.

369 dragon has changed to one suit, kong of 3s, kong of 9s, pung of 6s, pung of dragons.  Everything matches, unlike the knitted hand in consecutive run.

3-6-6-9 pattern has changed to pung, kong, pung, kong.

Pairs of 3,6,9 with like kongs - gone.

Pair of flowers, 3,6,9 in three suits can now be done in one suit as well.

The hand with the like pungs - gone

The closed hand with pungs of 3s and 9s with a single 6 - gone.

Returning:  Pair of 3s and 6s, pung of 3s and 6s, kong of 9s in three suits.  Matches with 2,4,6,8 hand.

New:  Pair of flowers, pairs of 3,6,9 in one suit, pungs of opposite dragons.  Open hand, 30 points, so three dragons is OK to expose this year.

New:  Closed hand:  Pairs of 3s and 6s, pairs of 3s,6s,9s, kong of 3, 6 or 9.  Matches with closed hand in odds.  But, again, five pairs.

Singles and pairs:

Wind hand the same.  Pairs of winds with like numbers.

Consecutive run changed: Now any one suit, any seven numbers.

Evens hand is now pair of flowers, pairs of 2,4,6,8 and even pair in other two suits.  Different.

Pairs hand in odds is returning to pair of flowers, pairs of 1,3,5,7,9 and pair of dragons.

Returning: My favorites!  112 11223 112233 and its counterpart with 987!  Look out!

And, of course, the "big" hand - now 2015 instead of 2014.

So there you have a cursory first look at the new card.  If I made an error in my haste, please let me know and I will correct it.  I hope it tides you over until your card comes!  Can't wait to start a game!