What does the bamboo tile mean in mahjong?

索子 Bamboo: Bamboo is known to have the meaning of peace. There's a proverb, 竹步平安 ("juk bo ping on" in Cantonese), which means to announce peace and safety. The bamboo tile is also said to represent the strings of copper coins that people use to string together 100 coins at a time.

What do the symbols on mahjong tiles represent?

Both the circles and bamboo represent ancient Chinese currency. The former represents a tong, a coin with a square hole in the middle, and the latter, strings of such coins.

Why is one bamboo a bird in mahjong?

According to one of the historic stories, mahjong was invented during a time in China when sparrows (meaning of mahjong in chinese) were a problem (too many).

What are the different tiles in Mah Jongg?

A mahjong game may contain 136, 144, 148 or 152 tiles, the most common being 136 and 144. The tiles are grouped into Suits (consisting of Dot- or Circle tiles, Bamboo tiles and Character tiles) Honour (consisting of Wind tiles and Dragon Tiles) and Flower (consisting of Flower tiles and Seasonal tiles).

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.

Learn how to play mahjong in 2.5 minutes

What do the middle tiles mean in mahjong?

One tile features a red 中 (zhōng, center). The Chinese character represents 紅中 (hóng zhōng), which connotes passing the imperial exam, a hit in archery, and the Confucian virtue of benevolence. Another tile features a green 發 (fā, wealth). This character is a part of the saying, 發財 (fā cái).

What is the rarest win in mahjong?

No prize for guessing, but the Big Four Winds/Big Four Blessings winning hand has the lowest probability in a game of mahjong. With a rare 1 in 57,856 chance of happening, this combination definitely needs to go onto your Instastory!

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 is it called when no one wins in mahjong?

Within each round, the winds / seating position will rotate as follows: East, South, West, North (counterclockwise). This also happens in the event of a dead hand (where nobody wins).

What do dragons mean in mahjong?

There are three "dragons": the red dragon (chun), symbolizing the middle or animal order (including humans), the green dragon (fa), symbolizing the lower or plant order of life, the white dragon (pai pan – white tile), symbolizing the higher or spirutual order of beings.

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.

What are the four flowers in mahjong?

Depending on the Mahjong set, the flowers are commonly the Plum Blossom, Iris, Bamboo, and the Chrysanthemum. These four flowers/plants represent the Four Confucian Gentlemen/women.

What does Pung and Kong mean in mahjong?

A Pung - a set of 3 identical tiles e.g. 3 x Red Dragons, 3 x Two circles. A Kong - a set of 4 identical tiles. e.g. 4 x Eight of Bamboos or 4 x North Winds. A Chow - a run of 3 tiles in the same suit. A Chow does not score and so is only helpful because it can contribute to a hand that allows a player to call Mah Jong ...

Why was mahjong banned?

Ironically, mahjong was outlawed under his rule. The early communists viewed it as an unnecessary distraction for the masses, and disliked its links to gambling and capitalism. It was not until 1985 the ban was lifted. Today the game is as popular as ever.

What do you say when you win mahjong?

It is traditional when you win a game of mahjong to say: "Sik wu." In Western circles sometimes winners will instead announce "mahjong."

Is mahjong skill or luck based?

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 mahjong help your brain?

Playing mahjong has also been found effective in improving short-term memory, attention, and logical thinking in both middle-aged and elderly people (9).

What does Kong mean in mahjong?

There are three main types of melds: a Pong (three identical tiles), a Kong (four identical tiles), and a Chow (three suited tiles of the same suit in numerical sequence).

What are the hardest mahjong hands?

Big Four Blessings (大四喜) is the hardest winning hand, with a probability of only 1 in 57,856 Mahjong rounds.

What is a heavenly hand in mahjong?

> Explanation: A Heavenly Hand is when East goes out on the initial deal. > Earthly Hand: Depending on what rules you play, South, West or North. > make an Earthly Hand either on Easts first discard, or on their first. > self-drawn tile, or on any discarded tile in the first round.

What does soap go with in mahjong?

It is important to remember that Green Dragons go with Bams, Red Dragons go with Craks and the White Dragons [Soaps] go with Dots (see Help Sheet).

Why does my mahjong set have 16 flowers?

The set above has just the standard count of exactly eight flowers, but it is not unusual for sets to come with 16 or more flowers. Flower tiles might represent flowers, seasons, trades (occupations), virtues, historical scenes, games, or animals.

What happens with a dead hand in mahjong?

Admit that the hand is dead – The player stops playing and does not pick up or discard and pays the winner the full value of the hand at the end of the game. Tiles should be placed back into the slope of the rack except for any exposures made ​PRIOR​to being declared dead since any jokers may be exchanged.

Why is it called crack in mahjong?

“There are Dots, which represent coins, there are Bams, or bamboos, which represent strings of coins, and then there are Cracks, the Chinese word for character, which represents lots of money.