I would like to see in this website answers to the questions we face when playing Mah Jong.

I asked this question of Google:  mahjong choose tile discard

The answer (with some AI)

In Mahjong, discarding a tile is a crucial part of the game, as it helps you build towards a winning hand while also revealing information about your hand to other players. When it’s your turn, you draw a tile (either from the wall or a discarded pile) and then discard one from your hand, placing it face up in the center of the table. This discarded tile then becomes available for other players to potentially claim to complete their own hands. 

Here’s a breakdown of the process:

1. Drawing a Tile:

• Each player takes a turn drawing a tile, either from the wall (the stack of face-down tiles) or by claiming a discarded tile. 
• If a player claims a discarded tile, they must announce it and take the tile, potentially completing a set (like a Chow, Pong, or Kong) or winning the game. 

2. Discarding a Tile:

• After drawing, the player must discard one tile from their hand. 
• The discarded tile is placed face up in the center of the table, becoming part of the discard pile. 
• This discard ends the player’s turn, and the next player begins their turn. 

3. Choosing a Tile to Discard: 

• When selecting which tile to discard, players consider several factors:
  • Completing sets: Does discarding this tile make it easier for you to form a set (Chow, Pong, or Kong)?
  • Avoiding dangerous tiles: Are there any tiles that other players are likely to want? Honors tiles (winds and dragons) can be risky to discard, especially late in the game.
  • Keeping an eye on discards: Pay attention to what other players have discarded. This can give you clues about their potential hands and what tiles might be safe or risky to discard.
  • Using the 1-4-7 rule (in some variants): If a player to your right discards a 4, you might consider discarding a 1 or 7, as these can form a sequence with the 4.

4. The Importance of Discards:

Discarding strategically is crucial for both building your own hand and hindering your opponents. 

Discarded tiles are visible to all players and can be claimed for specific purposes (like completing a hand or winning the game). 

If a discarded tile isn’t claimed, it remains visible for the rest of the hand, becoming part of the public information. 

Mah Jong in a nutshell

In my sometimes idiosyncratic way, I wrote the following to clarify things in a simple way for my self:’The objective of Mah Jong is to assemble 14 tiles in a defined way. Towards that aim, the players select and discard tiles, one by one and in turn, keeping a number of 13 tiles. On the brink of achieving 14 tiles, the player declares they are ‘fishing’. The 14 tiles, once in the targeted organisation, are a Mah Jong. A Mah Jong contains tiles in 3s(pungs) or 4s(kongs) and a pair. A hand of tiles typically contains 4 pungs or 3 kongs and a pair.”