Rule variations

Special tiles – Jokers

Jokers are often used in the modern American Mah Jong and sometimes also in the modern Chinese Mah Jong. Usually the number of jokers is four and they can be used to replace any regular tile, though often the use of jokers is restricted in certain ways.

To include the Jokers in the game:

1. Choose Preferences on the File menu.
2. From the Rule Presets list, choose a customized rule preset.
3. Choose General under the Rules section of the category tree.
4. Check the Jokers box.
5. To specify options for the use of jokers, click the Options button.

In addition to the Number of jokers (4 or 8), Four Winds lets you specify the following options in the Jokers dialog box:

• Allow jokers in Chows. If checked, allows jokers in Chows (besides Pungs and Kongs). In some rules jokers are allowed in Pungs and Kongs only, in which case you should disable this option. Most rules using jokers allow jokers to represent any tile, but some American rules may apply restrictions to use of jokers.
  Note: Suit series in irregular hands are not considered as Chows, but as a series of single tiles. So if you allow jokers in Chows, but do not allow them as single tiles and as part of pairs, you cannot use jokers in irregular hands like Wriggling Snake, Peking Garden, Royal Chows, etc.
• Allow jokers in pairs and as single tiles. If checked, allows jokers in pairs and as substitutes of any single tiles (e.g., in irregular hands like Thirteen Orphans). In some rules jokers are allowed in Pungs and Kongs only, in which case you should disable this option. Most rules using jokers allow jokers to represent any tile, but some American rules may apply restrictions to use of jokers.
• Allow maximum of 4 identical tiles in hand. If checked, does not let players to go out on a hand that has more than four identical tiles. Declaration of sets is prohibited, as well, if a player already has more than 4 identical tiles in hand (e.g., if a player has melded a Chow of Bamboo 6-7-8 and a Pung of Bamboo 6's where one of the tiles is a joker, and he has Bamboo 4 and 5 in hand, he is not allowed to claim a discarded Bamboo 6).
• Deal jokers between players in dealt hand. If checked, deals jokers to each of the players in the dealt hand. E.g., if 4 jokers are used, each player will receive one joker in the dealt hand. When this option is enabled, the jokers cannot be discarded.
• Accept melded jokers in completing combination only. If checked, allows the use of jokers in melded combinations only if the melded set completes the hand. This means that jokers cannot be used in Kongs (since Kong can never complete the hand). This option is often used together with the Deal jokers between players in dealt hand option.
• Auto-assign value of a discarded joker. If checked, the computer automatically gives a discarded joker the value of the last discarded tile (or Bamboo 1 in the case a joker is the first discard). Four Winds will change the value automatically (even if the discarded joker already has a tile value). If not checked, you must assign a tile value to the joker before discarding it. You can do that by pressing down the ALT key and selecting the desired tile from the tile palette (if you use keyboard, first lift up the tile whose value you want to specify, then press and hold down the ALT and specify the value for the tile by using the arrow keys). You can display the joker palette also by clicking and holding down on the lower right corner of a joker tile.
  Note: The option cannot be used with pre-dealt jokers, since pre-dealt jokers cannot be discarded.
• Allow replacing melded jokers with regular tiles. If checked, allows a player to replace a joker that appears amongst another player's melded tiles with an equivalent regular tile in his hand. E.g., if player A has a melded Pung of Red Dragons, one of the tiles being a joker, another player can use the Red Dragon in his hand to replace it with the melded joker. This rule is used by default in American Modern rule preset, and forces you to consider carefully whether it is wise to use jokers in melded sets. To grab a joker, place your mouse cursor over a melded joker (the shape of the cursor changes to indicate that the tile can be replaced), then click the tile. On keyboard, you must first lift a regular tile that matches another player's melded joker and then press J.
  Note: The option cannot be used if melded jokers are allowed only on going out. Note too that grabbing a joker is not allowed during the Charleston or Ding Dong.  
• Auto-assign unspecified jokers in loser’s hand. If checked, the unspecified jokers in loser’s hand are evaluated automatically at the time of point calculation (the jokers that appear in melded sets and the jokers in the hand which have been assigned a tile value are not re-evaluated). If disabled, the program waits for losers to specify their jokers before starting the point calculation. Though this makes the game (especially a multi-player game) slower, it may be a good idea to use this option in order to guarantee the best possible scoring.
  Note: When the automatic joker evaluation is turned off, the program displays a message box asking you to specify your jokers. After closing the message box, you have approximately 60 seconds time to specify the jokers. If you are ready earlier, click the Done button on the Status bar (the same button as Out, but the label is changed).

Scoring for jokers

Four Winds has two scoring items specific to jokers. In the Winning category of the Scoring list (on the Sets and Patterns option page under the Scoring section of the category tree) you can specify the points the winner receives for No jokers (i.e., no jokers appear in the hand nor in the melded sets).

Assigning a value to a joker

You can assign a value to a joker tile appearing in the hand by pressing and holding down the ALT key and pointing the desired tile in the tile palette. If you prefer to use the keyboard, first lift up the tile whose value you wish to specify, then press and hold down the ALT key and use the arrow keys to specify the tile. When a joker tile has been assigned a tile value, it has a triangle mark on the bottom right corner.

Note: If you want to declare a Kong and you have jokers in hand, you must have jokers specified before being able to make the declaration. This does not apply to claimed Kongs, since in this case it is obvious, which tile is used for the Kong.

Related topics:
Flowers and Seasons
Dora tiles
Omit Bamboo tiles