Cold Wall
Cold wall is a house rule some American Mahjong tables use near the end of the wall. It is not in the official NMJL rules, and tables define it differently.
Definition
"Cold wall," like "hot wall," is a table rule (a house rule) that some American Mahjong groups use for the last part of the wall. It is not part of the official National Mah Jongg League rules. Under the official rules the wall has no "temperature," and the rules do not change just because the wall is getting short.
Groups that use the term define it in different ways. The versions players describe limit calling discards near the end of the game. There is no single standard version.
How It Works in Gameplay
If your group plays a cold wall rule, agree on exactly what it means before the first hand: where the cold part of the wall begins, and what may or may not be called there. If your group plays by the official rules, there is no cold wall, and calling works the same from the first tile to the last.
Example
A visiting player says, "We're in the cold wall, so you can't call that." Your group plays by the official NMJL rules, which have no cold wall, so the call stands. Settling the question before the game starts saves an argument later.
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