What is the difference between Hong Kong and Chinese mahjong?

Hong Kong mahjong or Cantonese mahjong is possibly the most common form of mahjong, differing in minor scoring details from the Chinese Classical variety. It does not allow multiple players to win from a single discard. Do Japanese play mahjong like the Chinese?

Is Hong Kong Mahjong different?

Although the game play in general is similar in all of the versions of mahjong, the game pieces and scoring, however, slightly differ depending on the regional variations. Almost similar to gin rummy, the object of mahjong is to build sets, as well as get the highest point value.

What is the difference between American and Hong Kong mahjong?

What is the difference between American and Chinese mahjong? Traditional Chinese mahjong sets have 144 tiles, while American version is played with eight additional joker tiles and different score cards.

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.

How are Chinese and American mahjong different?

American mahjong sets have 166 tiles (Chinese sets only have 144) and include a set of racks to hold the tiles. More tiles, the addition of racks, and a larger box makes the entire set more expensive.

HONG KONG'S FAVOURITE GAME｜Mahjong in Hong Kong

Should I get American or Chinese mahjong?

The set you buy will vary in the number of tiles and other game elements based on the rules of the particular version. When in doubt, buy an American mahjong set since they usually contain all the tiles used in Chinese mahjong and can be converted with some substitutions.

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.

Which 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.

Which mahjong is easiest?

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 is the most common form of mahjong?

Hong Kong Mahjong (also Cantonese Mahjong) – most common form of Mahjong; very similar to the Chinese Traditional. Japanese Mahjong – most common Mahjong found in Japan, and can also be seen in video/arcade games; Japanese Mahjong uses riichi and dora rules.

Which is harder American or Chinese mahjong?

A: There are around forty known mah-jongg variants - and more than a dozen Chinese variants! Those other variants are not harder to learn than American mah-jongg. American is the hardest to learn of them all.

Can you use an American mahjong set to play Chinese mahjong?

NOTE: If you buy an American set, you can use it to play Chinese mah-jongg as well (there are more than the required number of tiles present). But Chinese sets cannot be used to play American mah-jongg (not enough tiles).

Do you need to speak Chinese to play mahjong?

There's no way around this, HSK haters: in order to play, you need to be able to read some Chinese and pronounce numbers in Mandarin, plus a few extra words to name the suits and announce your actions.

How do you play HK style mahjong?

Gameplay. The objective of the game is to put together a complete hand consisting of four sets of threes, plus a pair. A complete hand consists of 14 tiles, not counting any bonus tiles you might have. The game ends when someone achieves a winning hand, or there are no more tiles to draw.

What is Hong Kong version of Chinese?

Cantonese. The principal language of Hong Kong is standard Cantonese (粵語, 廣州話, 廣東話, 廣府話, 白話, 本地話), spoken by 88.9% of the population at home daily.

What direction does Hong Kong Mahjong go?

In Hong Kong Mahjong, There are 4 rounds: East, South, West and North Round. Within each round, the winds / seating position will rotate as follows: East, South, West, North (counterclockwise). The wind / seat won't rotate if: East is the winner OR dead hand (nobody wins) OR wrong mahjong declared.

What is the strongest hand in mahjong?

Mahjong Combination: All Honours (字一色)

If you have a hand made up of either the four Winds or three Dragons, you have an All Honours winning hand. This combination only appears once every 5,200 round.

What is the secret to winning 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 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 is the American version of 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).

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.

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).

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).

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.