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Can anybody help me with a question from one of my customers about one of the sets I sell...?

It is a \"Hikari\" set, and its special feature is that one of the \"Red Fives\" has been replaced by a \"Sparkling Diamond\" tile.

Question: How would you use this in play? Would you replace a 5-Coin with this tile and if so, how would you use it if you drew it? What benefit does it give you?

Does this tile appear as an option in any of the online or computer versions of Japanese mj that you play?

Thanks!

David H

Is that \"sparkling diamond\" the same as the tile Adam Wright asked me about on 30 Sep 2005 at http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq/special.htm?
It could always be used as a joker, of course.

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the link. Yes, it is a similar design.

I suggested that it could be used as a Red 5-Coin with a double bonus.

As a Joker, would you set it to one side and draw a tile from the back of the wall, and count it as an extra \"yaku\" when scoring (as we do in the 3-player game with the North tiles)?

DH

No. As a joker, you could use it to stand in for whatever tile you please, which makes it extremely valuable.

Hi Robert,

Thanks. I\'ve never played with Jokers in that case. I\'ve heard the term \"Joker\" used in American mj, but have never played American mj or mj in America. Are Jokers used in any Japanese mj games, or are they an option in online Japanese mj games?

DH

hirohurl wrote:Are Jokers used in any Japanese mj games

If that\'s the way these tiles are used.
Robert\'s description of how "wild tiles" (jokers) are used is correct. This is how jokers ("wild cards")* are used in playing-card games as well.
But we are only offering possible hypothetical uses for the sparkling diamond tile. IF the tile is used as a joker, then the answer to the quoted question is yes, but only by players who use the tile.

*(the winkyface is a quote mark plus a close-paren)

I tried googling this (diamond tiles) but ended up getting your website, David!

From what I´ve seen of American MJ (in books) the sets with Joker tiles usually have eight of them and the rules are rewritten to make full use of these including the creation of the \"quint\" and sextet sets (\"superkongs\" of five or six identical tiles, using one or more Jokers).

You could play with one (diamond) Joker tile and normal rules though I guess.

I keep having visions of a sharp cut diamond destroying a tabletop when you shuffle the tiles but I assume it´s set flush into the tile!

Barticle wrote:I keep having visions of a sharp cut diamond destroying a tabletop when you shuffle the tiles but I assume it´s set flush into the tile!

Yes. I have a set with "diamonds" in it. There\'s no danger. :P

Phew! :laugh:

Do you play any special rules with them, or do you just break them out when you want to impress company? ;)

Hi Barticle,

Thanks for trying to find out some more info.

In my case I think this kind of tile is ideal for party-mahjong where you throw in a couple of \"house rules\" to add some spice to the game and slightly favour luck over skill, just to add to the fun.

Yeah, I like your idea of a \"double dora\" - you get two Fan rather than one ...and have to down your drink too. :lol:

My guess is that the manufacturer has made this set especially for those players who would rather only have the option of 3 red fives.

Suppose it could also be useful for marking the dealer, as the dealer token is, at least in some few Japanese rules I\'ve seen, is supposed to be the Last Dealer Marker and does not move around the table and is supposed to denote when the deal moves across the tile the tile is flipped to South. Thus indicating who the first and last dealer of the round are.

Personally, I\'ve always uses the dealer token as an indicator of who the dealer is and leave it to the players to remember who started out as dealer.

Well, it turns out that this set is no longer available.

What happens, I think, is that the manufacturers change designs every so often to stimulate sales or refresh the market. Right now the sparkling diamond is old hat!

Great... so now we´ll never know for certain! heh. :laugh:

Any new trends to look out for?

I´m hoping it´s chocolate! Mmmm edible tiles. :P

Those choco tiles look tasty. Any ideas about playing mj with choco tiles...?

The latest trend... a \"Saki\" mahjong set with cute \"Saki-chan\" animation characters all over it, and of course, cute pink tile backs!

See this thread:

http://www.reachmahjong.com/home/index. ... 0214#50214