The Red Dragon & the West Wind could be the name of another action movie, with Jack Nicholson as the private investigator who tries to prevent Jackie Chan and his Hong Kong triad from taking over town.

In fact, it is the title of Tom Sloper’s first book – and since we all know that Tom is the American mahjong guru, it is very clear to us at once, even though it is not explained in the book itself, that the Red Dragon stands for China, i.e. Chinese mahjong, more specifically: the new Mahjong Competition Rules, and that the West Wind stands for the United States, i.e. American mah-jongg, a.k.a. maajh.

Tom admits that he is not the greatest mahjong player on the planet (‘I should have had the chance to learn it when I was much younger’, he sighs somewhere in the book) but it is hard to meet someone who knows more about the history, the background and the rules of the game. Besides, on his website Sloperama.com, he maintains a weekly column about the strategy of the game, with hints and wise advice, esp. about American NMJL maajh and Chinese Official mahjong, but sometimes also about Japanese riichi mahjong and Hong Kong mahjong. No wonder that I was very curious about this first book.
Well, if you are interested in the American game, this book surely is worth buying it. You will find everything you always wanted to ask about how to set up a game, about the Charleston, about betting and about the NMJL card – the yearly changing list of special hands, which are prescribed by the National Mah Jong League ‘to keep the game fresh and updated’. Of course, the part of the book which deals with this variant, is called The West Wind.
It also is worth its 15,95 US bucks if you want to learn the new Chinese Official rules, a.k.a. Mahjong Competition Rules. The rules were not translated into proper English until recently – and, unfortunately, the official translation is anything but flawless and still leaves room for discussion. Tom has tried to fill in the gaps which were lost in translation, and clearly explains the simple and yet so complicated ins and outs of the new rules.
And, finally, on page 203, he also gives strategy hints – but not more than a fistful of these precious dollars. Personally, I would have liked to read lots more of those. But then again, Tom may not be the number one player to make you the next world champion. On the other hand, he surely can give you the first helping hands on the long road to get there. Because here is someone who knows how to write, and what to write about the game – and he does so with a touch of humor which almost any other mahjong book lacks.

The Red Dragon & The West Wind – the winning guide to Official Chinese and American Mah-Jongg. By Tom Sloper. Publ.: HarperCollins. 272 pages, 8-page color insert. $15,95 (USA)