Mahjong is a popular Chinese tile-based board game with over 3,000 years of history. It was first developed during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). The game is typically played by four players with 144 tiles, which are split into corresponding pairs and split between the players. It is believed to have originated from the card game in China, which used the board and tiles to represent different suits. Mahjong is not just a game - it’s a form of art, as it requires a deep understanding of the game’s rules, as well as an immense amount of skill and concentration.
Mahjong consists of 144 tiles, all of which a player must arrange in the correct order. The game is preceded by a pre-game ritual where each participant builds an, "opening game", of 18 sets. Within these sets are 34 special tiles unique to the specific game, which are randomly placed and set apart from the remaining 110 tiles. After the ritual is completed, the game can begin.
The objective of Mahjong is for the players to draw and discard to build sets of matching tiles. Two of the sets are called Pungs and Chow, the third is Knitted. A Mahjong set is complete when a player has four sets and a pair of the same tiles. Players may also end the game by having a 'declare' or 'mah jong' hand.
Mahjong follows a set of rules which govern how the game should be played. Before the game begins, all players decide who goes first and the turns rotate in a clockwise direction. The player whose turn it is draws a random tile and then discards one of their tiles, which becomes the “open” tile. The player to the left can then either take the “open” tile and discard another, or draw from the pile. In Mahjong, players must pay attention to what tiles are being revealed as they become part of the “open” set. If two players claim the same tile, or if a pair of tiles are revealed as part of a Pung, then the tile which was chosen first is the rightful owner.
Players earn points by winning hands and having a higher score than their opponents. A player can win a round of Mahjong by having four sets of matching tiles, plus one pair of another. Points are awarded for every winning combination. Different hands can be worth different amounts of points, so players should take the time to familiarize themselves with the different combinations and point totals for each hand.
Mahjong is a popular game of skill that has grown in popularity over the years. It's easy to learn the basics, but mastering the game takes skill and strategy. Players need to be aware of the rules of Mahjong, the different hands they can obtain and their corresponding point values. For a fun, challenging game to play, Mahjong is a great choice for all levels of players.
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