Chapter 12 of 12 · Section 1 of 3
All 15 steps of this section, written out on one page. The pictures and activities aren’t included: to see them, open a step in the lesson.
Your goal: Sort what you can see from what you guess, then base your own decisions on what you can see.
In Chapter 11, Section 2: Defense & Wall Awareness, you read the table to choose safer discards. The same evidence helps you pick lines you can really finish, and spot chances to exchange for a Joker. You can watch what players do; you can’t see what they intend.
Use 3 phrases: “I can see…”, “This could mean…” and “I still don’t know…”. Keeping them apart stops a fair guess from turning into something you wrongly feel sure about.
I can see: Left has exposed a pung of 5 Dots.
This could mean: a line with 5s, or a line with Dots.
I still don’t know: Left’s other 10 tiles, or how close Left is.
The 3 phrases, used on one exposure.
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Watch 4 things: Charleston passes, discards, exposures and calls. They don’t all prove the same amount. An exposure sets firm limits; a pass or a discard is a weaker clue that can go out of date.
An exposure: a firm fact. That player’s final line must hold a pung of 5 Dots, at exactly this size.
A discard: a weak clue. They let go of this copy at that moment. Their plan can change.
A pass: a short-lived clue. These didn’t fit Left’s plan then, or, on the Last Right, went on blind.
No exposures: unknown. X or C, close to winning or far from it.
From the strongest clue to the weakest. A call shows up as an exposure; a player who hasn’t called shows nothing yet (step 9).
For example, an exposed 5 Dot pung must be part of that player’s final X line. A discarded 5 Dot only tells you they let go of that copy, at that moment.
On the First Right and the Last Right, everyone passes to their right, so the 3 tiles you get come from Left. They show what Left let go of at that moment, not Left’s whole plan, and Left may switch lines later.
First Right, from Left. Blind passing isn’t allowed on this pass, so Left saw these 3 Craks and let them go, for now.
Last Right, from Left. Blind passing is allowed on this pass, so Left may have sent these on without looking at them.
Chapter 5’s pass names. Blind passing is allowed only on the First Left and the Last Right, so on the Last Right, Left may not have looked at the tiles at all.
As Chapter 6, Section 2, step 13 showed, the tiles you receive are clues, not proof. Use a pass as one small part of a decision, not a lasting label for that player.
As in Chapter 11, Section 2, step 5: Discards tell only part of the story, a run of discards in one suit shows only that the suit was less useful to that player then. A later switch, a different number or another group can change that.
Left’s last 3 discards: 2 Crak, 5 Crak and 8 Crak. Left’s 13 hidden tiles may still hold other Craks.
Left let 3 Craks go. Left’s 13 hidden tiles may still hold other Craks.
A suit nobody discards proves even less (step 6 there: no Dot discards). If few Dots have been discarded, the missing Dots could be in players’ hands or in the wall; you can’t tell which. Their absence alone doesn’t point to a dangerous tile, a particular hand or a safe choice.
Right’s discards so far: 3 Bam, 7 Crak, North, 2 Crak and 9 Bam. None is a Dot.
Right hasn’t discarded a Dot yet. That alone doesn’t say where the Dots are.
Right’s discards so far: none is a Dot.
Right hasn’t discarded a single Dot, and few Dots are in the discards at all. What should you do?
Suppose Right has exposed a pung of 5 Dots and a pung of 5 Bams. Any Like Numbers is a sensible category to start with, but other lines may fit too. A line fits only if it holds every exposed group at its exact size.
Right’s exposures: a pung of 5 Dots and a pung of 5 Bams
3 × 5 Bam
4 × 5 Crak
3 × 5 Dot
4 × Flower
Fits: it holds a 5 Bam pung and a 5 Dot pung, both groups of 3.
2 × 1 Bam
3 × 3 Bam
3 × 5 Bam
3 × 5 Dot
3 × 7 Dot
Fits too: not a like-number line, but it holds both pungs.
4 × 5 Bam
4 × 5 Crak
4 × 5 Dot
2 × Red Dragon
Can’t fit: it needs kongs, and an exposed pung can’t become a kong.
Three teaching lines checked against Right’s 2 pungs. Green outlines mark the groups each line shares with them.
Find every line on your card that fits. Their unfilled places show which tiles could matter to Right.
For each table situation, choose your answer and the fact that decides it. Nothing is marked until you check both, and your first answer to each situation is kept.
Situation 1 of 2
An opponent has exposed 2 Bam and 4 Bam pungs. Here are two teaching lines.
A teaching example, not a line from the current NMJL card. X means exposures are allowed. You need all 14 tiles.
3 × 2 Bam
3 × 4 Bam
3 × 6 Bam
3 × 8 Bam
2 × Green Dragon
A teaching example, not a line from the current NMJL card. X means exposures are allowed. You need all 14 tiles.
3 × 2 Bam
3 × 3 Bam
3 × 4 Bam
3 × 5 Bam
2 × Green Dragon
Again: the exposures to check each line against
Which lines can this player still be playing?
Which fact decides it?
Right’s exposures
Right’s 2 exposed pungs.
Right has exposed a pung of 6 Dots and a pung of 6 Bams. What is certain?
A player with no exposures could be playing a C line, which must stay concealed until the win, or keeping an X line concealed for now, or still choosing a line. A player who called once and then went quiet might be close to winning, or might need several tiles.
Across: no exposures. Maybe a C line, maybe an X line kept concealed, maybe still choosing. Close to winning, or far from it.
Left: one call, then quiet. Left can’t be on a C line now. One tile from winning, or several: the exposure doesn’t say.
What no calls, and one call, can and can’t tell you.
An ordinary exposure means that hand can’t be C (Chapter 6, Section 1, step 10: Check for X or C). It doesn’t show how close the player is, how many Jokers they hold or which X line they chose.
A pung of 5 Bam, 5 Bam and a Joker is already complete. It shows 2 natural 5 Bams, so the other 2 natural copies are somewhere else, unless you can see them too. The Joker isn’t a fifth natural copy.
Left’s exposure: a complete pung of 5 Bams. The Joker stands in for a 5 Bam; it isn’t a fifth copy.
The other 2 natural 5 Bams: not shown. In a hand, maybe yours, or in the wall; the exposure doesn’t say.
If one is yours: on your turn, after you draw or finish a call, and before you discard, you may exchange it for that Joker.
Count the natural tiles, not the Joker.
A Joker in an exposure doesn’t prove the real tile is hard to find. On your turn, after you draw or finish a call, and before you discard, you may exchange a matching natural tile for that exposed Joker. Think about how that Joker could help one of your own groups of 3 or more.
Before: Left’s exposure holds a Joker, and you hold a natural 5 Bam.
After: your 5 Bam takes the Joker’s place. Left’s pung is still complete.
The Joker joins your concealed tiles. Then you discard, as on any turn.
The exchange, before and after. You give your natural 5 Bam and take the Joker.
Across’s exposure.
Across’s exposed pung.
Across has exposed 2 Norths and a Joker. What do you know for certain?
It’s your turn: you have drawn, so you hold 14 tiles. Right shows a 7 Crak pung and earlier let go of Bams and Dots. Across has no exposures. Left shows pungs of 4 Dots and 8 Dots. Before you check, say one fact and one unknown for each player, using the 3 phrases from step 1. Then look at every exposure for a Joker you could take.
The table from your chair. Right’s old discards are faded.
One of your 14 tiles: a 4 Dot that your line doesn’t use.
A tile you hold.
Right. I can see: a 7 Crak pung, and earlier Bam and Dot discards. This could mean: a line with 7s or odd Craks. I still don’t know: the other 10 tiles.
Across. I can see: nothing exposed. This could mean: a C line, or an X line kept concealed. I still don’t know: which, or how close Across is.
Left. I can see: pungs of 4 and 8 Dots, and a Joker in the 4 Dot pung. This could mean: a line of even Dots. I still don’t know: which line, or how close Left is.
Your chance: on this turn, before you discard, you may exchange your 4 Dot for Left’s Joker (step 10). Left’s pung stays complete, and the Joker joins your concealed tiles.
Each player, in the 3 phrases, and the exchange you can make.
Right’s line must hold the 7 Crak pung, and Left’s both Dot pungs; the old discards don’t prove the rest. Across could be on any line. Look at every line that fits before you guess which tiles are missing.
Left’s 4 Dot pung holds a Joker, and your spare 4 Dot matches it. Exchange before you discard: the Joker can fill a place in one of your groups of 3 or more.
Your 3 spare tiles are shown, not your whole rack. The whole teaching card is included so you have enough evidence to compare.
Question 1 of 1
This small teaching card has 3 lines: 2 X lines and a C line. Right and Left have exposures, so neither can be on the C line. Right’s 7 Crak pung fits only Line A; Left’s 4 Dot and 8 Dot pungs fit only Line B. Across has no exposures and could be on any line.
A teaching example, not a line from the current NMJL card. X means exposures are allowed. You need all 14 tiles.
3 × 5 Crak
3 × 7 Crak
3 × 9 Crak
3 × Flower
2 × Red Dragon
A teaching example, not a line from the current NMJL card. X means exposures are allowed. You need all 14 tiles.
3 × 2 Dot
3 × 4 Dot
3 × 6 Dot
3 × 8 Dot
2 × White Dragon
A teaching example, not a line from the current NMJL card. C means concealed. You need all 14 tiles.
2 × 1 Bam
2 × 3 Bam
2 × 5 Bam
2 × 7 Bam
2 × 9 Bam
2 × Red Dragon
2 × Flower
Your 3 tiles · shown in rows to fit the screen
Of your 3 spare tiles, which is in neither Right’s line nor Left’s?
Answer without looking back at the examples first. Each answer comes with an explanation, and you can revisit a lesson or practice the questions you missed.
Question 1 of 6
Passed to you by Left.
The 3 tiles Left passed you.
On the First Right, where blind passing isn’t allowed, three Craks came to you from Left. What can you fairly conclude?
Try a search that narrows, on this small teaching card. First, Right exposes a pung of 5 Dots: which lines can Right still be playing? Then Right exposes a pung of 5 Bams: which lines now? Say which facts narrowed the search and what is still hidden, then check below. Try it again with an agreed card if you have one. The next section uses these reads when it covers switching your own line.
3 × 5 Dot
3 × 5 Bam
3 × 5 Crak
3 × Flower
2 × White Dragon
3 × 1 Dot
3 × 3 Dot
3 × 5 Dot
3 × 7 Dot
2 × 9 Dot
2 × 1 Dot
2 × 3 Dot
2 × 5 Dot
2 × 7 Dot
2 × 9 Dot
2 × Flower
2 × Red Dragon
A small teaching card: 2 X lines that share a 5 Dot pung, and a C line.
Right exposes a pung of 5 Dots. Lines D and E each hold one. Line F is a C line, so any exposure rules it out. 2 lines are left.
Then a pung of 5 Bams. Only Line D holds both; Line E has no 5 Bams. 1 line is left.
Still hidden: Right’s other 7 tiles. You can’t tell how close Right is, or how many Jokers Right holds. On a full card, more lines may hold both pungs.
Check: each exposure narrows the search, and Right’s hidden tiles stay unknown.
Opening this recap doesn’t complete exercises you haven’t tried. A quiz score is feedback on your practice, not proof that you’re ready for a real table.
Chapter 11 · Hand Strategy & Defense
Start Section 2 · When to Switch Hands