Today we put a new computer player at our tables. Her name is Lin. When you choose the Strong players, Lin is who you sit down against, and when you ask the Coach for help, Lin is the one answering.
She is a master of the joker
We trained Lin on advanced joker play. She knows when to use a joker, when to hold on to one, and when to take one back from a set on the table.
That last move is one good players watch for. When another player has a set face up with a joker in it, and you hold the real tile the joker stands for, you can trade your tile for that joker on your turn. A joker can fill any set of three or more, so it is often worth more to you than the tile you give up. Lin knows when that trade is worth making, and when it is not. Keep an eye on the jokers in your face-up sets.
A set of 7 Craks face up with a joker in it. Anyone holding a 7 Crak can trade it for that joker on their turn.
How we know she plays well
We don't take a new player's word for it. Before Lin went live, we played her against every computer player we have, thousands of the same deals each, with the seats swapped so nobody had the better seat. She beat Rosa, the player before her, and Tran before that.
Sit down with her
Choose the Strong players and Lin is at your table. Ask the Coach, and you are asking Lin. And watch your jokers.
Rosa is still on the list of players, and you can choose her by name whenever you like.
Jeff Estes, Dean, Mahjongg School