The game of Mah Jong originated in China many years ago (possibly hundreds) and was brought to Europe and America in the early 1920's. Although the playing pieces (tiles) are similar throughout the world there are many many variations of the rules and way of play.
It is therefore important that before a game commences all the players are aware of the rules to be followed. We shall be using Max Robertson's rules (for many years accepted as the foremost authoritative guide to the rules in the UK).
A standard set of Mah Jong playing pieces is made up of 144 tiles (a set may contain 144 tiles plus 4 extra blank tiles as spares) made up of :-
4 sets of Bamboo tiles numbers 1-9 . 36 tiles.
4 sets of Circle tiles numbers 1-9 . 36 tiles.
4 sets of Character tiles numbers 1-9 . 36 tiles.
4 sets of Wind tiles North, South, East, West. 16 tiles.
4 sets of Dragon tiles Green, Red, White. 12 tiles.
1 set of green bonus tiles numbers 1-4. 4 tiles.
1 set of red bonus tiles numbers 1-4. 4 tiles.
BAMBOOS
CIRCLES
CHARACTERS
DRAGONS
WINDS
SEASONS & FLOWERS (bonus tiles)
These are decorative tiles and vary from set to set.
Note:- These tiles are bonus tiles when
scoring and take no part in achieving a 'Mah Jong' hand.
If you pick
up one of these tiles a loose tile from the wall is taken to replace
it.
Many people try to learn to play the game of Mah Jong from a book and become stuck. The best way to learn is one step at a time with guidance from an experienced player. Taunton & District Mahjong Club have players that can help you.Learn to play