Winning a Hard One

There is nothing I love more than brilliant dedicated students. When I teach people more than one class I get a chance to know them, know how they think, what their likes and dislikes are and where they might be able to learn to think differently.

In Beyond Beginner the students learn not just from me, but also from each other as they discuss options and choices. This week’s class included a group of friends who play regularly together so they know each other’s favorite hands and neighborhoods.

Michelle likes to play closed hands which are notoriously more difficult than non-closed hands. It frustrates her friends that she not only plays them, but wins with them too. As this group is experienced I did not mind attempting more difficult closed hands with them.

Michelle pointed out a closed hand potential right from the deal and as the Charleston went on that hand became stronger and stronger, ending the Charleston with 11 of fourteen tiles. We only needed one flower and two different threes which could also have been jokers. We quickly drew a flower. Then one joker followed by another, winning the hand as a self picked Mah Jongg with 72 tiles still left in the wall.

I gave Michelle .60¢ for the win! It was exciting for the less experienced players to see how much fun trying for a harder hand and winning can be.