Mahjong, Mah Jongg, Majiang. Regardless of the spelling, it’s an ancient Chinese tile game of skill and strategy similar to Rummy or Bridge. The name of the game roughly translates to “sparrow”. Some say that the game was invented around 500 BC but the earliest archeological evidence dates to the 1880’s. There are many theories about who invented the game including Taiping Rebellion soldiers, a Chinese princess, a Shanghai aristocrat, two Ningpo brothers and even Confucius himself. Regardless, it is an intriguing game of skill, strategy and luck that has lasted through the ages. In the beginning, the game was played only by royalty. It was actually illegal for commoners to play. In the 1900’s the restriction was lifted and the game gained popularity throughout Asia and eventually made its way to European countries in 1920. In 1923, the game was brought to the United States by a man named Joseph Babcock who simplified the game and standardized the rules for Americans. Today, there are approximately 47 rule-sets being played worldwide.
Most styles use 136 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols. The tiles consist of 4 suits with 4 of each tile including Dots, Bamboos and Characters all numbered 1 through 9 and Honor tiles consisting of Winds and Dragons. Some styles also use jokers, flowers and animal tiles in addition. Players start with thirteen tiles and the object of the game is to be the first player to complete a valid hand by drawing or melding discarded tiles. Valid hands are determined by the rule-set. It’s much like building a puzzle with three opponents vying for the same pieces. Following are the styles most commonly played in the United States:
| STYLE DESCRIPTIONS | BUYERS GUIDE |
| American/National Mah Jongg League: This style was created by the National Mahjong League (NMJL) in the late 1930s. Each player uses a card that describes approximately 30 pattern-based hands. The card is published with new patterns every April and can be purchased at the NMJL website. The hands are arranged in categories like 2468, 369, 13579, and consecutive numbers. This style requires the player to gather singles, pairs, pungs (3 of a kind), kongs (4 of a kind), quints and/or sextets to match one of the hands on the card. Flower tiles are used in many of the hands and there are eight joker tiles that can be used for anything but singles and pairs. One of the elements that makes this game unique is the exchange of tiles called the Charleston where unwanted tiles are passed multiple times before the first discard. This style is probably the most common way to play in the United States especially amongst Senior Citizens and the Jewish Community. In my opinion, it is the most challenging to learn but well worth the effort. | Player’s Reference Card White Swan Set Design-Your-Set Coins Chips and Dice Pushers Racks Table Covers MahjTops Tile sets can purchased locally at: Judaica Corner 2185 Briarcliff Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 404-636-2473  404-636-2473HoursMonday – Thursday 10-5Friday 10-2 Sunday 11-4 |
| Wright-Patterson: This style was created by the Officer’s Wives Club at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the early 1920s. It has elements of Cantonese and NMJL styles but uses Classic Chinese scoring. This style is typically played by Air Force dependents so many people have never heard of it. It is equally as challenging to learn as the American style and is also worth the effort. | Player’s Reference Booklet White Swan Set Design-Your-Set Coins Chips and Dice Pushers Racks Table Covers MahjTops |
| Cantonese/Hong Kong Mahjong: This style requires each player to gather four sets (three in a sequence [chow] and/or three of a kind [pung] or four of a kind [kong]) and a pair to win. There are exceptions to this rule with pair hands and, of course, 13 Orphans. House rules may vary slightly and there is typically a 4-6 point minimum required to win. This style is the closest to the original way to play and is the most widely known. It is a fast and flexible way to play and it’s the easiest style to learn . | Typical Chinese Set Ivory Sticks Black Sticks Wind of the Round Indicator Junk Mat |
| Japanese/Riichi Mahjong: This style requires each player to gather four sets (three in a sequence [chi] and/or three of a kind [pon] or four of a kind [kan]) and a pair to win. There are exceptions to this rule with pair hands and, of course, 13 Orphans. One of the things that makes this game unique is the use of red 5’s and Dora tiles that can add point multipliers (hans) to the winning hand. Another differentiator is being able to declare ready to win (riichi) which raises the value of the hand and allows an additional wager. House rules may vary slightly and there is typically a 1-2 yaku (valued set or combination) minimum required to win. This style has surprise and strategic elements that make it exciting and it is quickly gaining worldwide popularity. | Basic White Set Yakitori Markers Ivory Sticks Black Sticks Junk Mat |
| Mahjong Competition Rules (MCR): This style, also known as Chinese Official, was created to support international tournaments. It is a lot like Hong Kong Mahjong but there are many more scoring elements adopted from several popular variations (i.e., Riichi, Hong Kong, Chinese Classical, Western). |