How to Play Western Mahjong
Though the origin of mahjong is unclear, it was first introduced in the United States by anthropologist Stewart Culin in 1895. Its popularity soared by the mid-1920s, and there were a number of revisions to the original rules. In 1937, the National Mah Jongg League was formed, along with the first American Mahjong Rulebook. The American version of the game is one of many and adds a new dimension to its highly addictive nature.
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Instructions
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1
Begin by having all players roll a die to determine the seating order of each player. The individual rolling the highest number will sit in the east position, followed by the south, west and north positions respectively. The seating order is also the order in which the game will be played.
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2
Place all of the tiles face down and mix them thoroughly. Each player will now draw 38 tiles and place them in a two-tile high row or wall that comprises 19 tiles on each level.
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3
Break each players wall made in Step 2 by having the east positioned player roll a die and then use that number to count across the wall starting at the right. The east player should now remove the two sets of tiles that follow, both top and bottom, for a total of four tiles removed from the wall. Each player performs this action three times, until each player ends up with 12 tiles.
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4
Perform the Charleston, or swap, of the game by having each player swap three tiles with the player positioned to his or her left, then three with the player across the table and finally three with the player positioned to her right. Another Charleston may done in reverse order if all players consent to it.
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Begin game play by having the east positioned player draw a tile from his wall, and then discard it face up in the middle of the table. Continue play in a clockwise motion. Players are attempting to form sets, and play continues until a set is completed or all of the walls are depleted. Consult with a Western Mahjong set list to determine which tiles form a set.
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Tips & Warnings
Joker tiles may not be passed during the Charleston.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Mahjong game image by huaxiadragon from Fotolia.com
