Before we retired, we never thought we would learn mah-jongg. Both of our mothers played and offered to teach us. We said no numerous times. Then we retired and found ourselves sitting by the beach playing mah-jongg with our neighbors. We fell in love with the game – so much so that we learned both the American and Singapore versions. By then, both of our mothers had passed away, so neither one had the chance to say, “I told you so.”
Thinking about taking up mah-jongg? Enchanted by the mah-jongg scene in the movie Crazy Rich Asians?
Mah-jongg looks very complicated, but it’s easy to learn the basics. Here’s are some tips to get you started.
What Is Mah-Jongg?
Developed in China in the 1800s, the game of mahjong, or mah-jongg as it came to be known in the United States, is a game played with tiles. Players create a winning hand by discarding and picking up tiles to complete one of the hands listed on the official mah-jongg card. It has a slight similarity to gin rummy.
A social game of skill, strategy, and a little bit of luck, mah-jongg is very popular among retirees. Today, the game is so widely accessible you can even play it online.
How Mah-Jongg Started
Modern mah-jongg was created in China in the 1800s, though there were variations of it more than 3,000 years ago. It was first introduced into the United States in 1920 and quickly became very popular. In 1937, the National Mah Jongg League was founded and the American rules were standardized.
What Is In A Mah-Jongg Set?
A mah-jongg set has 152 tiles. There are three suits (dot, bamboo, and crack) numbered 1-9. In addition, there are winds: North, South, East, and West, and dragons: White, Red, and Green. There are four sets of each of these tiles. Finally, there are flower tiles and eight jokers (only in the U.S. version).
It’s not necessary to know Chinese to play. On each tile, Arabic numbers appear in addition to the Chinese numbers. Generally, you need four players, though it can be adapted for three players.
Mah-Jongg Rules
The game begins with the tiles turned down in the center of the table. Everyone participates in the shuffling of tiles that are faced down (called “dry swimming” in Asia). Each player then “builds a wall” of 19 double stacked tiles.
Next comes the Charleston, which is a way to discard unwanted tiles. Each player picks three tiles to discard to another player (alternating left, right, and across). Once the Charleston is over, players chose a hand to play by comparing their tiles to the official hands for the year.
Play then rotates with players picking up a tile and either keeping or discarding. Players can also take a discarded tile, but only if it enables them to complete a specific segment of their hand.
The winner is the first person to complete their hand. If there is betting in the game, each losing player pays the winner the amount listed on the official card.
The National Mah Jongg League publishes an official standard hands and rules card annually. The hands, or patterns with which the game is played, change yearly. The card is also used to score, guide, and determine how the game is to be played.
Where Can You Play Mah-Jongg Online?
Mah-jongg online is very popular and there are good websites and applications that enable you to learn to play. There are also sites that are more like playing solitaire with mah-jongg tiles. Those might be helpful in a limited way.
When we first started playing, we practiced on MyJongg.net. This site allows you to play against bots or live players. We found it helpful to play the bots first as we could take our time as beginners. You can also have private tables and invite friends to join your table. Another very popular site is ILoveMahj which has online games as well as tutorials and instructional videos. In addition, it has a function for locating in-person groups and games in your area.
Both are reasonably priced for the year, and you can try them out before committing. MyJongg allows you to play a set number of free games per day while ILoveMahJ gives a free trial period.
Mah-Jongg Online Vs Mah-Jongg In Person
Mah-jongg is a social game. It’s also highly competitive and strategic. Playing online and in-person are both very helpful when learning. Online we could practice and learn the card. In person, we could ask questions, make mistakes, and enjoy the process of learning in a friendly and social setting.
Some online games can be very fast and harder to play as a beginner. They don’t offer the opportunity to ask questions midstream. That said, we play both and they can be a good way to meet other players.
Mah-Jongg And Travel
Mah-jongg is played all over the world, often with differing rules in each country. If you are traveling and want to play, ask about the rules before embarking on a game.
In Asian countries, they do not use jokers and have some different tiles (animal and others). They also do not use a mah-jongg card to determine winning hands. The tiles may be in Chinese with no Arabic numbers on them (you can learn the pattern or create a cheat sheet). We’ve also learned betting can be more serious (and costly) in Singapore than the friendly game at our beach. While in Singapore, learning the local rules has kept us on our toes.
If you are looking for a social game that makes you think, mah-jongg is a great choice during your retirement (or earlier). It’s a wonderful way to meet people, challenge your mind, and have fun.
