mah jong - Page 5 - ZEFRANK.COM

craig johnston · 04-13-2007, 05:04 AM

got any tips on tactics dc?

should you go for the top and bottom lines first? or is it better to concentrate on the pile? what to do when three tiles are open but the fourth is nowhere to be seen? etc etc.....

dickieC · 04-13-2007, 06:33 AM

I don't really think that hard about it. The best tactic I've found is something like this:

Opening: eliminate the four 'blockers' asap. Then shorten the top and bottom rows by at least removing the four 'corners'. Then shorten the middle pair of rows. These are the four longest rows, after all. But the top and bottom rows are useful as they're completely visible and so you can plan how to use them.

Mid-game: ignore the 'three-out-of-four' problem for as long as possible, play around it. Best tactic is to maintain the ratio of 'height of central pile' to 'width of base surface area'. Pair off blocks on top of the pile with blocks on the periphery.

End-game: if you have the choice, leave blocks which are just in a twosome and remove ones still in multiples. But there's no getting away from the fact that every so often you're left with the very last two blocks piled one on top of the other. Can't legislate for that.

Any thoughts?

Hyakujo's Fox · 04-13-2007, 07:28 AM

If you see a pair near the end of a line make sure you use the other two matching tiles to get rid of the pair one at a time otherwise you will have a 'dead' end, and have to eliminate the row from the other end to get rid of the pair. i.e. the top two X's should not be used together even if exposed first, unless you must.

..X...........
.........X...
..........
............
..........X.X.

(If you see a triple or quadruple, say .........X.XX, then you probably need to give priority to clearing that row (and any row on top of it) from the other end so you can access the inner X or you'll risk getting stuck later)

Similarly for the dreaded ..X..Y..X..Y... pattern, anywhere you can identify this either the other Xs or Ys must be kept in play to break this up when you have the chance, and not paired against each other.

I pretty much agree with dickie on the blockers as top priority - but I might be willing to keep one a little while for the reasons above.

craig johnston · 04-13-2007, 08:08 AM

aha, glad to see that i am in tune with the masters.
i hate that three free/one unavailable situation though.
drives me nuts!

i only get about 1 clearance in 10 and have taken to the rather
cowardly tactic of choosing promising set-ups and rejecting those
that look tricky from the off

btw, does anyone know the correct terminology? surely they aren't called 'blockers' but something more esoteric like 'evil spirits' or something.

Jack Flanders · 04-16-2007, 03:50 PM

9480!!!! My best SO FAR!!!!!

craig johnston · 04-19-2007, 05:14 PM

oh no! they've changed it!

dickieC · 04-23-2007, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craig johnston

oh no! they've changed it!

Eh? Looks exactly the same from here...

craig johnston · 04-23-2007, 06:22 PM

Are you still playing the Polish one? I've moved on to the
Wrigley's version. It may lack the charm, but the pieces
are easier to identify.

dickieC · 04-23-2007, 06:23 PM

Polish, the original and best. And one day I WILL win that tea.

Jack Flanders · 04-23-2007, 10:02 PM

^^^ Me too, me too!!!!

craig johnston · 04-28-2007, 09:43 AM

i dunno. i got fed up with the incomprehensible pop ups
and found the pieces difficult to differentiate.

think i'll get a real set soon.

and i've stopped cheating now.

Jack Flanders · 05-02-2007, 03:23 PM

WAAAAAAH!!! I can't access it!

Jack Flanders · 05-02-2007, 07:48 PM

My son plugged his IPOD into the computer earlier this afternoon to recharge the battery and didn't let me know that he had. I couldn't access the Posti (Ya, I panicked just like a junky) and a few other sites. I also couldn't post any images or change the fonts, color. size.... in any of my posts here. Weird. I even tried restoring my computer to an earlier date - that didn't work either. That was was two hours of my life wasted on worrying about this stupid machine.

Well, anyway, back to Posti!!! Because of my addictive behavior, I found another Mahjong site at: http://www.freegames.ws/games/boardg...ng/mahjong.htm

It's a little easier to solve but the graphics are interesting. Enjoy!!

l'azizza · 05-03-2007, 02:08 AM

After the gong that sounds when a game is started, does anyone else have a habit of saying "get down, get down?"

Jack Flanders · 05-03-2007, 02:20 AM

I have the sound off. The gong sound makes me hungry for chinese food.

04-13-2007, 05:04 AM	#61
craig johnston dalai clique Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: tea leaf towers - home of fine musical entertainment Posts: 5,609	got any tips on tactics dc? should you go for the top and bottom lines first? or is it better to concentrate on the pile? what to do when three tiles are open but the fourth is nowhere to be seen? etc etc..... __________________ the tea leaf family

04-13-2007, 06:33 AM	#62
dickieC Professional ZeMonkey Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Back in Oxford Posts: 1,841	I don't really think that hard about it. The best tactic I've found is something like this: Opening: eliminate the four 'blockers' asap. Then shorten the top and bottom rows by at least removing the four 'corners'. Then shorten the middle pair of rows. These are the four longest rows, after all. But the top and bottom rows are useful as they're completely visible and so you can plan how to use them. Mid-game: ignore the 'three-out-of-four' problem for as long as possible, play around it. Best tactic is to maintain the ratio of 'height of central pile' to 'width of base surface area'. Pair off blocks on top of the pile with blocks on the periphery. End-game: if you have the choice, leave blocks which are just in a twosome and remove ones still in multiples. But there's no getting away from the fact that every so often you're left with the very last two blocks piled one on top of the other. Can't legislate for that. Any thoughts? __________________ "Why do I keep falling in love with every woman who shows me the slightest attention?" Joel, ESSM

04-13-2007, 08:08 AM	#64
craig johnston dalai clique Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: tea leaf towers - home of fine musical entertainment Posts: 5,609	aha, glad to see that i am in tune with the masters. i hate that three free/one unavailable situation though. drives me nuts! i only get about 1 clearance in 10 and have taken to the rather cowardly tactic of choosing promising set-ups and rejecting those that look tricky from the off btw, does anyone know the correct terminology? surely they aren't called 'blockers' but something more esoteric like 'evil spirits' or something. __________________ the tea leaf family

04-19-2007, 05:14 PM	#66
craig johnston dalai clique Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: tea leaf towers - home of fine musical entertainment Posts: 5,609	oh no! they've changed it! __________________ the tea leaf family

04-23-2007, 06:22 PM	#68
craig johnston dalai clique Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: tea leaf towers - home of fine musical entertainment Posts: 5,609	Are you still playing the Polish one? I've moved on to the Wrigley's version. It may lack the charm, but the pieces are easier to identify. __________________ the tea leaf family

04-13-2007, 07:28 AM	#63
Hyakujo's Fox left hanging Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: between the click of the light and the start of the dream Posts: 10,071	If you see a pair near the end of a line make sure you use the other two matching tiles to get rid of the pair one at a time otherwise you will have a 'dead' end, and have to eliminate the row from the other end to get rid of the pair. i.e. the top two X's should not be used together even if exposed first, unless you must. ..X........... .........X... .......... ............ ..........X.X. (If you see a triple or quadruple, say .........X.XX, then you probably need to give priority to clearing that row (and any row on top of it) from the other end so you can access the inner X or you'll risk getting stuck later) Similarly for the dreaded ..X..Y..X..Y... pattern, anywhere you can identify this either the other Xs or Ys must be kept in play to break this up when you have the chance, and not paired against each other. I pretty much agree with dickie on the blockers as top priority - but I might be willing to keep one a little while for the reasons above.

04-16-2007, 03:50 PM	#65
Jack Flanders landscaping is fun Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: up river and down river Posts: 4,815	9480!!!! My best SO FAR!!!!!

04-23-2007, 06:23 PM	#69
dickieC Professional ZeMonkey Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Back in Oxford Posts: 1,841	Polish, the original and best. And one day I WILL win that tea. __________________ "Why do I keep falling in love with every woman who shows me the slightest attention?" Joel, ESSM

04-23-2007, 10:02 PM	#70
Jack Flanders landscaping is fun Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: up river and down river Posts: 4,815	^^^ Me too, me too!!!!

04-28-2007, 09:43 AM	#71
craig johnston dalai clique Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: tea leaf towers - home of fine musical entertainment Posts: 5,609	i dunno. i got fed up with the incomprehensible pop ups and found the pieces difficult to differentiate. think i'll get a real set soon. and i've stopped cheating now. __________________ the tea leaf family

05-02-2007, 03:23 PM	#72
Jack Flanders landscaping is fun Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: up river and down river Posts: 4,815	WAAAAAAH!!! I can't access it!

05-02-2007, 07:48 PM	#73
Jack Flanders landscaping is fun Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: up river and down river Posts: 4,815	My son plugged his IPOD into the computer earlier this afternoon to recharge the battery and didn't let me know that he had. I couldn't access the Posti (Ya, I panicked just like a junky) and a few other sites. I also couldn't post any images or change the fonts, color. size.... in any of my posts here. Weird. I even tried restoring my computer to an earlier date - that didn't work either. That was was two hours of my life wasted on worrying about this stupid machine. Well, anyway, back to Posti!!! Because of my addictive behavior, I found another Mahjong site at: http://www.freegames.ws/games/boardg...ng/mahjong.htm It's a little easier to solve but the graphics are interesting. Enjoy!!

05-03-2007, 02:08 AM	#74
l'azizza 98.4% monkey Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: bummed out city Posts: 634	After the gong that sounds when a game is started, does anyone else have a habit of saying "get down, get down?"

05-03-2007, 02:20 AM	#75
Jack Flanders landscaping is fun Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: up river and down river Posts: 4,815	I have the sound off. The gong sound makes me hungry for chinese food.

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