Wait...am I supposed to hand her the joker?
Back in 2012 I wrote a post about joker swapping strategy; i. e., determining when and if to make the exchange. This post focuses on the process by which a joker is taken, in other words, how to make the exchange. I've received many questions from players, beginner and experienced alike, who are unsure about the process.
The National Mah Jongg League states on the back of the card, "Jokers may be used to replace any tiles in any Pung, Kong, Quint or Sextet only. Jokers may be replaced in any exposure with like tile or tiles by any player, whether picked from wall or in player's hand, when it is player's turn. Let's look more closely at what that means:
The first rule is that it must be your turn in order to replace. This means that you must wait (which is sometimes hard to do) until you have either (a) picked a tile from the wall, or, (b) called a tile from the table and made a complete exposure.
(a) When a player picks from the wall, there is no requirement to rack. If the tile that was picked can be used to redeem a joker, you may make the exchange immediately. If the tile to be exchanged is in your rack with the rest of your hand, you must place the tile you picked in your rack, then take the tile to be exchanged out of your rack.
(b) When a player calls a discarded tile, the call must be completed before an exchange is allowed. You cannot call a tile unless you have the requisite number needed to make a complete exposure. Once you have exposed the entire pung, kong or quint, then you may take the tile you wish to exchange out of your rack. The League has ruled this constitutes two separate moves. In other words, once the exposure is made and the tile to be exchanged has left the rack, the exposure cannot be altered.
While you are holding the tile to be exchanged, it is important to announce your intention to exchange. You may say "exchange," or "may I" or "replacing," or in some way (hopefully politely) state or indicate that you wish to use the tile you are holding to make a swap. After the intent has been declared, you may make the exchange.
It is recommended by the League that you not touch another player's rack, but rather hold the tile to be exchanged in your outstretched palm, and wait for the player to hand you the joker and take your tile. This is a recommendation, however, and not a rule. Once the intention has been announced, it is also allowable to place the tile to be exchanged on the table close to the rack that has the joker. The verbalization of the intent ensures that your tile will not be considered discarded. Simply placing your tile on the table and pushing it over to the rack may negate your claim as the rules state when a tile touches the table it is discarded. Be sure your intention is clear, and always be observant as to where and when jokers are available.
Disputes may arise over intention if someone has started to name a tile to discard and then realized they could use the tile to exchange. The rules state that a tile is discarded when it is fully named, so saying "four...I'll take your joker," is allowable, but "four bam...I'll take your joker" is not. Be mindful.
(b) When a player calls a discarded tile, the call must be completed before an exchange is allowed. You cannot call a tile unless you have the requisite number needed to make a complete exposure. Once you have exposed the entire pung, kong or quint, then you may take the tile you wish to exchange out of your rack. The League has ruled this constitutes two separate moves. In other words, once the exposure is made and the tile to be exchanged has left the rack, the exposure cannot be altered.
While you are holding the tile to be exchanged, it is important to announce your intention to exchange. You may say "exchange," or "may I" or "replacing," or in some way (hopefully politely) state or indicate that you wish to use the tile you are holding to make a swap. After the intent has been declared, you may make the exchange.
It is recommended by the League that you not touch another player's rack, but rather hold the tile to be exchanged in your outstretched palm, and wait for the player to hand you the joker and take your tile. This is a recommendation, however, and not a rule. Once the intention has been announced, it is also allowable to place the tile to be exchanged on the table close to the rack that has the joker. The verbalization of the intent ensures that your tile will not be considered discarded. Simply placing your tile on the table and pushing it over to the rack may negate your claim as the rules state when a tile touches the table it is discarded. Be sure your intention is clear, and always be observant as to where and when jokers are available.
Disputes may arise over intention if someone has started to name a tile to discard and then realized they could use the tile to exchange. The rules state that a tile is discarded when it is fully named, so saying "four...I'll take your joker," is allowable, but "four bam...I'll take your joker" is not. Be mindful.
If you are replacing a joker on your own rack, you may do so silently, since there will be no issue of considering the tile discarded, and you don't have to put others on alert that you now have a joker.
You may also make multiple exchanges in the same turn. If you wish to exchange for more than one joker in single exposure, hold out the tiles you wish to exchange. If you wish to exchange for a joker in more than one exposure, exchange them one at a time.
You may make an exchange if your hand is concealed, as it does not require you to expose.
After the joker or jokers are placed in your rack, you must discard (or declare mahjongg) and your turn ends.
If an exchanged joker gives you mahjongg, you may declare mahjongg and it is treated as self-picked.
Thank you... very clear and helpful.
ReplyDeleteHi, we had a player discard a soap during her turn. One of the other players had 2 soaps and 2 jokers. She couldn't use the joker, so she threw the soap. Can someone else call the soap, then exchange for the joker?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
No. A tile can only be called from the table to create a new exposure or declare mahjongg. Jokers may only be exchanged by a tile picked from the wall or in player's hand, when it is player's turn.
DeleteWe had a player who had two jokers and a 7 dot. She needed another 7 dot for a pung. She called the 7 dot and exposed the two 7 dots and two jokers. At that point another player took the two 7 dots for her hand and left two more jokers on the exposed hand. I raised the issue that she couldnt do this because that left four jokers expossed and we needed at least one identifying tile on the exposure. Who is correct?
ReplyDeleteA player can never take a symbol tile in exchange for a joker, only the other way around. The player made an illegal move by putting her two jokers in the other player's exposure and taking the 7 dots. She could only have put two 7 dots in the exposure and taken the two jokers, not the other way around. Also, a pung is three of a kind. If the exposure is four identical tiles (even if some are jokers) it's a kong.
DeleteThanks, Linda, for the review. As a matter of strategy, it should be pointed out that you do not have to immediately take the available joker, but could wait for an appropriate time, say as a self picked tile for Mah Jongg to double your score. And this would depend if possibly someone else had another natural tile and who get's it first. Judy
ReplyDeleteRight you are! Thanks for pointing this out.
DeleteHi Aunt Sally! I am a bit confused on your wording here and need clarification as I am publishing a new book on Mahj and this new rule can be confusing: "When a player calls a discarded tile, the call must be completed before an exchange is allowed. You cannot call a tile unless you have the requisite number needed to make a complete exposure. Once you have exposed the entire pung, kong or quint, then you may take the tile you wish to exchange out of your rack. The League has ruled this constitutes two separate moves. In other words, once the exposure is made and the tile to be exchanged has left the rack, the exposure cannot be altered." Just to be sure, what you are saying here is once you've called for a Tile and exposed, you can do a Joker Exchange but cannot add that Joker to what you've already Exposed, correct? And reason is because Exchanging the Joker is a separate action. Thanks for confirming! Love your Blogs!
ReplyDeleteHi, Debbie. Please be advised this is not a new rule. It has always been the rule. You cannot expose unless you have enough tiles to complete a pung or kong or to declare mahjongg. After you have exposed, you may make an exchange. You cannot then add the joker you just received to the new exposure. It is two separate moves, with the exchange being tantamount to a discard.
DeleteHope this helps - and good luck with your book!
Linda
If a player discards a tile and it is my turn. Can I pick up tile and replace for a joker on my own pong or Kong which is displayed on my rack
ReplyDeleteA tile can only be called to make a new exposure or declare mahjongg. You cannot call a tile to replace a joker on your rack.
DeleteCan you call a discarded tile when it’s not your turn so you can replace a joker with the new tile on someone else’s rack
DeleteYou cannot call a tile from the table in order to make a joker exchange. You must use the tile you call on your own rack in a valid exposure. You may make a joker exchange only *after* you have made the valid exposure, using a tile you already had in your hand, not the discard that you called for.
DeleteI don’t understand why we can’t use a joker in the NEWS set or in the 2021 set. If a joker is used as a wild card, if should be considered so in any hand that has a triplet or more.
ReplyDeleteNEWS is not a triplet. A triplet, also called a pung, is three identical tiles. Four identical tiles is a kong. NEWS consists of four single tiles, and is neither a pung or a kong, so a joker is not permitted.
DeleteToday, I had exposed three tiles and a joker for a kong. Then the person whose turn it was prior to mine discarded the fourth tile. Could I take that tile to complete the kong and remove my joker to use for another pung?
ReplyDeleteNo - you may only claim a discard to make a new exposure or to declare mahjongg. You cannot claim a discard to make a joker exchange.
DeleteCan I use an exchanged joker to call mahjongg immediately or do I have to wait til my next turn?
ReplyDeleteOnce you have completed the exchange and put the joker in your hand, instead of discarding you can decalre mahjongg. It will be considered a self-picked mahjongg.
DeleteIf someone asks for my exposed joker, do I have to surrender it?
ReplyDeleteYes, you do. "Asking" for the joker (for example, saying "may I?" or "Can I have your joker," is seen as the polite way to make the exchange. A player does not have to *ask,* but does need to verbalize that the exchange is being made. If the tile offered is a valid replacement, the joker must be handed over. Sorry!
DeleteCan you take two exposed jokers at one turn?
ReplyDeleteToday I was working on a hand that called for an 8 dot kong I picked up a discarded 8 dot and exposed two jokers and one 8 dot that was already in my rack. After my turn, I realized I only needed to use one of my jokers, as I had another 8 dot in my rack that I had overlooked. On my next turn, I swapped out the 8 dot on my rack for one of the jokers I had exposed on my previous turn. Is that allowed?
ReplyDeleteYes, as long as it is your turn, you may exchange for a joker on your own rack or anyone else's rack. Nobody has to know that it was an oversight, just make the swap and you can take the joker back.
DeletePlayer 1 has 3 jokers. Player 2 throws down a 4 dot. Player 1 calls the 4 dot to make a set of 4 dots with her 3 jokers. Is that legal?!
ReplyDeleteYes. You do not have to have the natural tile in your hand to call for the exposure, as long as you have enough jokers to substitute.
DeleteI have a friend who insists I say 'Please' when exchanging. This seems unnecessary. Although I always say thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe League says that "The player should first announce that a Joker exchange is to be made." (Mahjongg Made Easy 2020 pg. 23). There is no mention of any specific way to do that. In my group we hold out the joker and say, "Exchange," but I have heard many other expressions of intent.
DeleteI needed one tile for mahjongg. I picked a tile and was able to exchange it for a joker that someone else had exposed. I racked the joker and then announced "mahjong" and exposed my hand and was told that my hand was dead because I had racked the joker. Is there a rule about this?
ReplyDeleteThere is no rule about putting a *picked* tile in your hand. The League's new rule applies to a *called" tile, which must be placed on top of the rack and not in the rack. However, even if you place a called tile in your rack, your hand IS NOT dead. There is a rule in tournaments that your hand is dead if you place a CALLED tile in your rack, but it does not apply to a PICKED tile. In this case you exchanged for a joker, which would not be considered a called tile under any circumstances. Unfortunately, people have been misinterpreting the rule, which was implemented by tournaments to prevent cheating, as someone once was caught picking up a tile other than the named tile and quickly hiding it in his hand. Now we all must pay by putting the called tile on top of the rack so everyone knows we are not cheating. You had a valid mahjongg and should have been paid.
DeleteIf you are playing a line with only singles and pairs and you have a joker can you swap it for a specific tile you need in an exposure? (Essentially the opposite of a traditional joker swap)
ReplyDeleteSorry - you may only exchange a natural tile for a joker, not the other way around.
DeleteIf a player sets down a Kong, with 2 dots and 2 jokers, can another player pick up both jokers (in the same turn) if they have the 2 dots to complete the 4 dots in the Kong? Or can you only replace one joker per turn (even if you have both)
ReplyDeleteYes, you may exchange for multiple jokers in the sam e turn.
DeleteA player discard a tile that could have been used for a joker exchange. The next player called picked up the discarded tile and replaced the joker and used joker to call mahjong. Is this allowed?
ReplyDeleteYou may not pick up a discard to make a joker exchange. You can only pick up a discard to make a valid exposure or to declare mahjongg.
DeleteIf I pick a tile in which I can make a joker swap, can I then use that joker for a pair to make Mahjong?
ReplyDeleteYou can NEVER use a joker in a pair, so the answer is no.
DeleteI thought you could ONLY to make mahj?
DeleteYou can NEVER use a joker in a pair. This is stated on the back of the card. You may, however, CALL a single tile (not a joker) to make a pair if it gives you mahjongg. This is also on the back of the card. These two rules are often confused.
DeleteThank you!
DeleteToday a joker exchange was made then that joker was discarded " so no one else could redeem it". Fair play?
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a strategy which is well within the rules.
Delete