Although the game Mah Jongg as it is generally played today can only be traced back to the end of the last century, the line of games that evolved to Mah Jongg is long and extensive. From around 800 AD card games were played which resembled the way Mah Jongg is played, in the fact that you have to collect Chows, Pungs and Kongs. The cards used in these games resembled the money used in those days.
Most books on Mah Jongg published early this century confirm this. During those first years after its introduction a real craze developed around Mah Jongg, but like all fashions it came and went. However, recently a growing number of people are realizing the intellectual challenge Mah Jongg poses and the beauty and excitement of the game itself, indeed this growing trend has been explored in a recent article that appeared in The Wall Street Journal on the 8th September 1997. Mah Jongg Rules The direction in which the Game advances is always counter clockwise. Flower and Season tiles are never discarded, but always immediately Exposed above a player's stake and the player is dealt a Loose Tile as a replacement. The tiles in the Kong Box including the Loose Tiles are only used as replacement tiles for Flowers, Seasons and Kongs. Otherwise they form no part of the Game. A Chow is always three consecutive tiles of the same suit, a Pung is always three identical tiles and a Kong is always four identical tiles. Whenever a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile, providing the tile is not a Flower or Season and the tile does not enable the player to complete a Kong, then the player does not have to show this tile to the other players. Instead the player places the tile on his or her stake and discards one of the tiles he or she has on their stake, a player can discard a tile that they have just picked up should they wish to do so. Whenever a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile, and this tile is a Flower or Season, then the player places the tile above his or her stake for all other players to see and is then dealt the next Loose Tile. If the same event happens again then the procedure is repeated until the player does not draw a Flower or Season tile. Rule 5 is then applied. Whenever a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile, or uses a discarded tile to make a Chow, Pung or Kong, then the player has to discard one tile from his or her stake. An Original Hand can only be declared by East Wind. A Standing Hand can be declared by all players. Whenever a player claims a tile discarded by any of the other players for a Chow, a Pung or a Kong, the player must show to the other players the combination of tiles he or she made using the discarded tile. That is, the player must place these tiles above their stake so they are Exposed for all other players to see. The combination that the player has achieved will be an Exposed Chow, Pung or Kong. If the discarded tile is picked up and used to make an Exposed Kong, then the player will need a replacement tile and accordingly is dealt the next Loose Tile that is available. The player then discards one tile from his or her stake and the Game continues from this player, missing out the regular turns of players if necessary. Whenever a player claims a tile discarded by any of the other players to complete a pair of identical tiles AND to go Mah Jongg at the same time, the player can keep the pair of identical tiles on his or her stake. A player cannot pick up a tile discarded by any of the other players to complete a pair of identical tiles and NOT go Mah Jongg at the same time. When two or more players claim a discarded tile to make a similar combination of tiles (for example, an Exposed Chow) and no other player claims the discarded tile for a more valuable combination (for example, Mah Jongg), then the player positioned nearest in the playing direction to the player who discarded this tile, will get the tile. See Precedences for further information. A player can't change or take back any of the combinations already Exposed on the table. There is one exception, see rule 17. A player can't use a tile discarded by any of the other players to add to any of the combinations already Exposed on the table. A player can only make
a Chow in the following situations:
If a player wishes to pick up a discarded tile to make a Chow AND to go Mah Jongg at the same time then a player can pick up a tile that has been discarded by any player. If a player is not allowed to pick up the discarded tile under these circumstances then see Precedences for further information.
Concealed Chows A Concealed Chow is a Chow that a player may keep on their stake. This is because it is made from tiles that the player has been dealt and therefore does not have to be shown to the other players. A player can claim a Pung in
the following situations: By claiming a tile that has been discarded by any player to complete a combination of three identical tiles.
Concealed Pungs A Concealed Pung is a Pung that a player may keep on their stake. This is because it is made from tiles the player has been dealt and therefore does not have to be shown to the other players. A player can claim a Kong in
the following situations:
If a player has already made an Exposed Pung then the player can turn the Exposed Pung into an Exposed Kong if the player is dealt a tile (from either the Wall or a Loose Tile) that matches the tiles in the Exposed Pung. In such cases the tile is added to the end of the Exposed Pung and placed face downwards to indicated that it is now an Exposed Kong. The player must now be dealt the next Loose Tile that is available. This is the only exception to rule 13. If, however, one of the other players can use this tile to go Mah Jongg, then they get this tile and snatch the Kong from the player.
Concealed Kongs If a player already has a Concealed Pung on their stake and they are dealt a tile (from either the Wall or the Kong Box) that can turn this Concealed Pung into a Concealed Kong, then the player can place the completed Kong above their stake and the tiles at the ends of the Kong are turned face downwards to indicate that this is a Concealed Kong. A player can choose to wait with showing a Concealed Kong to everybody else, if he or she wishes to do so. This player can at a later stage during the Hand and only when it's his or her turn, decide to put the Kong on the table. The player must now be dealt the next Loose Tile that is available. A player can claim a Mah Jongg in the following situations: If a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile and this tile is the tile that a player requires to complete their Hand and go Mah Jongg. By picking up a tile that has
been discarded by any player to complete their Hand and go Mah
Jongg. In cases where one or more players wish to use a tile
that has been discarded to go Mah Jongg then whichever player
can make the highest valuable combination of Mah Jongg will
be given the tile. A completed Mah Jongg consists of:
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