Rules of American Style MAHJONG

Mahjong is a skill game originated from China, where four players can be involved in a game. Generally, the gameplay, pieces of game and scoring are similar like all other versions of Mahjong. However, there can be some differences as per the regional variations of Mahjong.

The game is almost similar to the gin rummy game. The object of the game depends upon the building of sets along with the highest value in terms of points. For this, every player has to choose as well as discard tiles till the making of all sets of combinations. Tiles consisted of game pieces in the behavior of different designs.

Here covered, the Mahjong game in American style that were standardized by the National Mah Jongg League in the year 1937 in New York.

The game starts with the rolling of the ball (dice can be there in this case), and the Mahjong game begins.

Set-up:

There include 136 pieces in the basic set of Mahjong that comprises of 36 distinct variety of pieces i.e. 4 of every type. Three suits are there that runs from 1 to 9.

Group 1:

Suits Three suits are there that runs from 1 to 9.

1. Bamboos
2. Characters
3. Dots

Group 2:

Dragons and Winds Moreover, 4 directional tiles are there including Feng or Winds, with the labels of East, West, North, and South, each consisting of 4 pieces.

East-South-West-North:

Also 3 Cardinal Tiles are there i.e. Special Honor Pieces or Dragons with the label of Red Dragon complemented with Character suit, Green Dragon complemented with Bamboos suit, and White Dragon complemented with Dots suit. Every Dragon comprises of four pieces. It should be remembered that White Dragon can also be utilized as a 0 of any suit.

Group 3:

Flowers There consist 8 Flowers tiles, each series marked with 1, 2, 3, and 4; 2 of every type.

Group 4:

Jokers There consist 8 Joker tiles that can be utilized for replacing any tile in collectively placed a hand.

Rounds and Games:

Game is played by 4 players. Randomly, a player is selected as a dealer. Then a seat wind is assigned to all players, beginning with the dealer recognized as East, moving on in the counter-clockwise direction around the wind tiles. A round wind is also there for all games and it is always east for the starting game. If the game is draw or won by the dealer, then he/she continues dealing for the subsequent game. However, if the game is won by any other player, he/she will be regarded as the dealer for the subsequent game, who is accustomed to be South. When a full round back is rotated to the initial one by the dealer, there is a rotation of the round wind towards the subsequent one in the wind tiles.