Games around the world
Mahjong
Mahjong is a tile game that developed in China in the 19th century and spread across East and Southeast Asia and then to the West. It is usually played by four people, and it is as much a social game as a competitive one: in many families a table is set up whenever relatives visit.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Players | Usually four |
| Tiles | 144 in a full Chinese set; some versions use fewer |
| Suits | Dots (circles), bamboos and characters, numbered 1 to 9 |
| Honour tiles | Four winds and three dragons, plus flowers and seasons in many sets |
| Aim | Complete a hand, usually four sets and a pair |
How a hand is played
Players take turns drawing a tile and discarding one, building sets of three identical tiles (pungs), runs of three in the same suit (chows) and sometimes sets of four (kongs). A player can claim another player's discard to complete a set. The first to complete a winning hand calls out and scores.
Why the rules differ
Rules and scoring vary a great deal between regions. Hong Kong mahjong uses a simple point system and is quick to learn. Taiwanese mahjong uses 16-tile hands. Japanese riichi mahjong has its own rules on declaring a ready hand and a large set of scoring patterns. American mahjong, played with a card of allowed hands that changes every year, is different again. In practice these are different games that share the same tiles, so before you join a table, ask which rules it plays.