PLAYING WITH A LIMIT

Pung-Chow, as it has been described in the foregoing pages, represents the game as it is played with unlimited hands, that is where no limits are set on the number of points permissible in the score of a hand. It is impractical, however, to play with unlimited hands in a game where a stake has been set due to the inconsistencies of the winning hand scores; one may win with a hand of 200,000 points, whereas the ordinary or average winning hand numbers approximately only 500 to 1,000.

On this account the Chinese use a lower scoring system and set limits on the hands whenever placing stakes on the game, with a view of limiting losses between all players.

This setting of a limit changes the game considerably, for while the procedure of the play is similar to that of the unlimited hand, the scoring is almost totally different and the actual playing of the hand is changed.

A player in a limited hand gains nothing by completing a hand scoring high in the thousands when held down to the limit which is comparatively low. This changes entirely the playing of hands, making each player's object no longer to score as high a hand as possible and win, but to score as closely to the limit as possible and win, which in practice amounts to completing the hand as quickly as possible, mixing sequences and sets of all suits and taking all good scoring sets as they come, planning for none.

It can be seen that there is a larger element of fortune or "luck" in this method of playing than there is in playing the unlimited hand, though in either case the best player will win consistently.

THE PROCEDURE OF PLAY

In playing this sort of a game the wind indicators in their container, the Cheung Huen or wind box, are always used, and their use changes the method of commencing the game.

To start the game when using the wind markers the seats are preliminarily chosen and any one of the four players throws the two dice once, the result of this throw deciding which player is to throw again for playing position. Counting of players being done in a counter-clockwise direction as previously explained.

The players thus designated will shuffle the wind indicators thoroughly face downward and places any one of them still face downward on top of wind box. He then arranges the whole lot in a perpendicular straight line in front of them all face downward, placing the box with the wind indicator still on top of it in any order he pleases. (See Illustration No. 1.)

Illustration No. 1

In this illustration, C first threw the dice; the number was seven, deciding A as the player who was to throw again for playing position or seat. A has shuffled the markers and arranged them perpendicularly in front of him, placing the wind box in second position. He had the privilege of placing it in 1st, 3rd or 4th position if he had chosen. He then throws with the dice, an 8; this designates D as the player to take the first indicator; A the second (also the wind box), B the third, and C the fourth.

He then throws the two dice and the number thrown will decide which player is to pick up the indicator farthest from him (or the first indicator in the accompanying illustration) counting in the usual manner one player at a time in counter-clockwise direction, starting with himself as 1. The player indicated will pick up the first indicator, the player on his right the second indicator, the player opposite the third and the player to his left the east.

The wind box goes to the player picking up the indicator on top of it who then places it in front of him to mark the seat of East Wind. The players then look at their indicators; the one drawing the East Wind indicator becomes East Wind, and occupies the seat marked by the wind box. The remaining three players seat themselves about the table according to their draw or wind marker, i.e., draw of West Wind indicator opposite to East, North Wind to the left and South Wind to the right of him (East).

East Wind now takes charge of the wind box and the four indicators which are placed in the wind box face up with East Wind on top. The East Wind player retains the box until he loses a hand. When this occurs the box goes to the right to the player who was South, but now becomes East Wind. The East Wind indicator, however, still remaining on top as this designates that the East Wind round is being played. The East Wind round is over as soon as the fourth player to be East Wind in turn loses. He is the one to take charge of the East Wind indicator and placing the South Wind indicator on top to indicate the South Wind round, hands the box to the original East Wind who now becomes the first East Wind of the South Wind round. It will now be seen that four games make up a round and four rounds make up a set. In every case the new wind-round must commence from the original East Wind player and the box is for the purpose of indicating which round of the wind is being played and who is the East Wind in that particular hand.

It should be decided before starting how many sets are to be played. Chinese players generally play from 4 to 8 sets in an evening.

The seats having been chosen and winds positioned, the procedure of play continues exactly as has been described before. The wall is broken and the tiles drawn in the same manner, "Chowing," "Punging" and filling four of a kind are processes gone about in the same manner as they are in the other type of game.

Mah-Jongg also is attained in the same way, i.e., completing four sets and a pair.

Almost the entire difference in the two ways of playing the game is found in the scoring.

In the scoring many new combinations have been added, scoring values have been changed, and special bonuses, limit hands and new doubling honors have been introduced which must now be taken, one at a time, and explained in detail. The most important change is that the last 14 tiles in the wall are never drawn and the game ends and is a draw if it reaches this point without conclusion.

Loose tiles may be drawn of course during the play, but even a loose tile cannot be drawn if there are only 14 tiles left in the wall including the loose tiles. These last 14 tiles are usually separated a little from the rest of the wall to indicate the end.