What are the different versions of Mah Jongg?

Which version of mahjong should I learn?

In my opinion, two absolutely the best Mahjong variants are Mahjong Competition Rules (MCR, a.k.a. Chinese Official) and Japanese “Riichi”, but they both are fairly complex. As the best variant for the beginners, I suggest Sichuan Bloody Rules (SBR). American Mahjong is also pretty good.

What is the difference between National mah-jongg and the American Mah Jongg?

Traditional Chinese mahjong sets have 144 tiles, while American version is played with eight additional joker tiles and different score cards. In the American game, the first person to match a hand of 14 tiles and thus "call mahjong" ends the game, whereupon tiles are scored and a winner is declared.

What are the five types of mahjong?

A hand containing these five types: characters tile, circles tile, bamboos tile, wind tile and dragon tile.

How do I choose a mah-jongg set?

You should base your selection on: (1) the type of Mah-Jongg you wish to play; (2) whether or not you can read the Chinese characters of the Craks suit without Arabic numerals; (3) what looks and feels nice to you. If you buy a beautiful set but can't use it to play, that's probably not the best set for you.

Learn how to play mahjong in 2.5 minutes

What is the difference between 144 and 166 Mahjong set?

There are a couple of key differences between the two versions: American mahjong sets have 166 tiles, which includes all the tiles included in 144-tile Chinese mahjong sets, but also has additional joker tiles and features Roman letters and Arabic numerals for those who can't read Chinese characters.

What is the easiest version of Mahjong to learn?

The simplest ruleset is Hong Kong Old Style (HKOS). It has simple scoring and very few special hands. Other forms may have few special hands but complex scoring - or simple scoring but many special hands to learn - or complex scoring and many special hands to learn (like American Mahjong).

What version of mahjong is most popular?

Hong Kong: This is also known as the Cantonese version, and it is believed to be the most popular version of mahjong.

What is the most popular type of mahjong?

Hong Kong Mahjong (also Cantonese Mahjong) – most common form of Mahjong; very similar to the Chinese Traditional.

Should I learn American or Chinese mahjong?

The Chinese version has similarities to the card game of rummy, while the American version uses a play card of hands that changes each year. I find the American version more challenging and I enjoy it more. Whatever version you prefer to play, spending time with friends is the best feature of the game.

Are there two types of mahjong?

This game features jokers, the Charleston, and five-tile melds. American Mahjong is therefore considered a separate game by purists. Mahjongg and mah-jongg (with two Gs) are other game variations that are only slightly different in their scoring.

What is American version mahjong?

American mahjong is played with four players using mah jongg tiles. The goal of the game is to be the first, by picking and discarding, to match one's tiles to a specific hand from the annually distributed scorecard published by the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) and American Mah-Jongg Association (AMJA).

How long does a game of mahjong take?

This depends on the level of experience of the players (newbies tend to need more time to think). With experienced players, a game typically takes around 10 minutes. When playing online against computer bots, games can be significantly faster and will typically take around 6 minutes on average.

What is the hardest mahjong style?

American Mah Jongg is considered the most difficult style because only the hands listed on a card are considered valid. This requires players to memorize the card (or at least have a good grasp of it).

What is the best combination in mahjong?

Mahjong Combination: All Chows without any animal or bonus tiles (平和) and Mixed Suit (混一色) All Chows without any animal or bonus tiles (平和) and Mixed Suit (混一色) the more common winning hands in a game of Mahjong. These two combinations have a 1 in 16 chance of happening throughout a round of mahjong.

Is there a secret to mahjong?

Have a clear plan of attack – Think about the direction you want to take your hand and stick with it, while also remaining flexible. Picking up tiles for the sake of it won't work, and patience will always win out in the end. If your strategy isn't working, change tactics and look for other winning possibilities.

What are the three main suits in mah-jongg?

Bamboo, Character, and Dots are the three main suits. Each suit contains four sets of tiles numbered 1-9, making 36 tiles total for the distinct categories. The Honor tiles have two classifications: Dragon and Wind. There are three sets of four Dragon tiles (12 total) and four sets of four wind tiles (16 total).

What does mahjong mean in English?

or mah-jongg (ˌmɑːˈdʒɒŋ ) noun. a game of Chinese origin, usually played by four people, in which tiles bearing various designs are drawn and discarded until one player has an entire hand of winning combinations. Word origin. from Chinese, literally: sparrows.

Is mahjong a skill or luck?

Mahjong game is dependent on skills , not luck. Although sometimes , getting a wrong card can also result to winning a game. There are instances where a player have very poor basic cards but good skills, thus they utilized rigorous card control to prevent other players from winning.

Can you play mahjong alone?

Mahjong solitaire can be played either solo or with a partner, in which case the aim is to accumulate the most pairs, to be the last one to match a pair, or to score the most points.

What is the 1 4 7 rule in mahjong?

o The "1-4-7 rule" is a good playing strategy (for all forms of Mah-Jongg except American (style similar to NMJL) in which there are no "chows"). If the player to your right discards a 4, and you don't have another of those to discard, you /might/ be all right if you discard a 1 or a 7.

Is American Mahjong hard to learn?

In general, the rules of Mahjong are not that difficult to learn. However, American Mah Jongg requires players to familiarize themselves with the valid hands, and these hands change on a regular basis (generally annually).

What does Dora mean in mahjong?

Dora (ドラ) are bonus tiles that add han value to a winning hand. Every kind of tile can become a dora tile. A dora tile adds the same number of han value as the amount of its corresponding "dora indicator" tiles.

What is the best size table for mah-jongg?

The table surface should be no smaller than 31.75" (81cm) square. 33" (84cm) or 34" (86cm) are also good sizes. The smaller size is best if you use small tiles and/or play with fewer tiles (Japanese style, for instance) - the larger size is best if you use larger tiles and/or use racks.