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Mahjong is a Chinese bingo game which is played with four players. It involves calculations, skills and some amount of luck. The objective of the game is to build suit of three, from 13 or 16 tiles. The first player who completes this goal is declared the winner.

History of Mahjong

Mahjong in China

It is believed that Confucius started the game of Mahjong. There could be some truth in this myth, because the game became popular in those areas of china where Confucius traveled and spread his doctrines. The three dragon tiles correspond to the three virtues which Confucius espoused. The Red tile represents benevolence, the green tile represents sincerity, and the white tile represents filial piety. It is believed that Confucius was fond of birds and hence the name Mahjong, which means sparrow in Chinese.

Leaving aside the myths, it is believed that the Mahjong originated from the Chinese card and domino games some time in the 1850’s.Some historians are of the opinion that Mahjong originated from a Chinese card game Madiao. When the People’s Republic of China was formed in 1949 the ruling communists banned mahjong and other forms of gambling which is regarded as a symbol of the bourgeois class. The game re- emerged in China after the Cultural Revolution.

Mahjong in the Western world

The game was introduced in the US in 1920’s.It became very popular in a short time. The mahjong bingo games were rechristened as Pung Chow or a Game of Thousand Intelligences. Mahjong centers sprang up in the US. The rooms were decorated in Chinese style. The game was very popular among woman. By the 1930’s the rules of Mahjong were revised. The National Mahjong League was formed in 1937, and the rules were standardized. The American version of Mahjong was more of a social activity than an actual gambling.

Current development

The rules and characteristics of the game vary from country to country. It is more popular in Asia than in the west. It is played by males in Japan and the emphasis is on gambling. Mahjong arcade machines have come up in Japan and they are connected to others through the internet.

Variants

Many variations of Mahjong have emerged during the past years. The classical mahjong is the oldest form of mahjong. The Cantonese mahjong and the Sichuan Mahjong differ from the traditional variety in scoring pattern. The Taiwanese mahjong uses 16 tiles instead of 13 tile hands. There are bonuses for dealers and recurring dealerships. It allows players to win from a single discards.

Mahjong tiles

The basic equipments required to play mahjong are chips, tiles and a dice. Chips can be replaced by cards to reduce weight and space. A chip or bone tile is also included for scoring. Dealers and prevailing wind of the round is marked by indicators. The computer version of the game allows the player to play against a computer or a human opponent. The number of tiles is usually 144.American or Japanese variant of the game can have more tiles.