How To Play Mahjong

Mahjong is a traditional Chinese tile-based game that has been enjoyed for centuries. Over time, the game has evolved into different variations, including American Mahjong Solitaire, which is a single-player version of the game. In this article, we will provide step-by-step instructions on how to play both traditional Mahjong and American Mahjong Solitaire. We will also highlight the differences between the two variations.

First things first, mahjong solitaire uses the same tiles and symbols from the traditional classic mahjong game, but it is played completely differently. The goal of mahjong solitaire is to remove all tiles from the board by matching them with their identical tiles, and this is vastly different from Chinese mahjong which requires you to organize your own special hand by throwing out unwanted tiles and looking out for bonus tiles like the honor tile or wind tile.

How to Play Traditional Mahjong

Setting up the game

1. Find three other players and sit around a square or rectangular table.
2. Shuffle the tiles and build a wall of 18 stacks, with each stack having two tiles facing down and the remaining tiles forming a square in the center of the table.
3. Each player draws 13 tiles from the wall and arranges them on their rack.

Playing the game

1. The game starts with the player sitting to the dealer's right, who discards one tile from their hand and places it in the center of the table.
2. The other players can claim the discarded tile to form a set or a run by shouting "Pong," "Chow," or "Kong."
3. If no one claims the tile, the next player to the right of the previous discarder can choose to draw a tile from the wall or pick up the discarded tile.
4. The game continues in this manner until one player completes a hand of four sets and a pair.

Scoring

1. Each player's hand is scored based on the combination of sets and pairs they have formed.
2. The scoring system varies depending on the rules being used, but the aim is to achieve the highest possible score.

How to Play American Mahjong Solitaire

Set up the game

1. Shuffle the tiles and arrange them face down in a pattern resembling a pyramid.
2. The pyramid consists of two layers, with the top layer having one tile and the bottom layer having seven tiles.
3. Turn the top tile of the pyramid over, and it becomes the first tile in the discard pile.

Playing the game

1. The aim of the game is to remove all the tiles from the pyramid by matching pairs of tiles with the same symbol or number.
2. Only tiles that are free on one side can be matched, meaning that they are not covered by other tiles and do not have tiles on their left or right sides.
3. If a tile is not free, it cannot be matched and must be removed later when it becomes free.
4. Players can also draw tiles from the wall to use as matches.
5. The game is won when all the tiles have been removed from the pyramid.

Scoring

1. Unlike traditional Mahjong, there is no scoring system in American Mahjong Solitaire.
2. The objective is simply to remove all the tiles from the pyramid as quickly as possible.

Differences between Traditional Mahjong and American Mahjong Solitaire

1. Traditional Mahjong is a multiplayer game that requires four players, while American Mahjong Solitaire is a single-player game.
2. In Traditional Mahjong, players aim to complete a hand of four sets and a pair, while in American Mahjong Solitaire, the aim is to remove all the tiles from the pyramid.
3. Traditional Mahjong has a complex scoring system, while American Mahjong Solitaire has no scoring system.
4. Traditional Mahjong requires a set of 136 tiles, while American Mahjong Solitaire uses a set of 144 tiles.