“Mahjong variations” offer a myriad of ways to enjoy this popular game. Each variant has unique rules and gameplay that cater to different player preferences. Let’s dive into the various Mahjong versions to find the one that suits you best.
Chinese Mahjong Variations
Chinese Mahjong, the official version of the game, incorporates rules from many Chinese variations. Recognized as the 255th sport by the State Sports Commission of China, it is widely played across the country.
Changsha Mahjong, prevalent in Hunan Province, requires players to obtain a special Jong consisting of two, five, or eight tiles. This version eliminates winds and special tiles. Winners receive bonuses, effectively doubling their score.
Classic Mahjong, the oldest surviving variant, was introduced to Americans in the 1920s. While popular in the West, it is less played in Asia. Notably, players can score more than the winner in this version.
Competition Mahjong is a standard adopted by many Mahjong societies worldwide. It emphasizes strategy and calculation abilities, offering various scoring rules.
Fujian Mahjong features 13 tile hands and the possibility of wild tiles. It does not include dragons, and winds are considered bonuses.
Harbin Mahjong, popular in northeastern China, consists of 108 suits and four red dragon tiles. Players must meet certain requirements and declare their hand “ready” to earn points.
Hong Kong or Cantonese Mahjong is a common form with minor scoring differences from the Classical Chinese variety. This version does not allow multiple players to win from a single discard.
Shenyang Mahjong is a fast-paced game with 13 hands. It requires bamboo, characters, circles, and numbers 1 or 9. Winning on the first hand is not possible since players must pong before chow.
Sichuan Mahjong disallows chi melds and uses only suited tiles. This version is gaining popularity, especially in southern China.
Taiyuan Lisi Mahjong involves placing the first four drawn blocks separately in front of the others to win. The blocks can’t be touched until a player has a ready hand.
Taiwanese Mahjong features 16-tile hands, bonuses for dealers and recurring dealerships, and multiple players can win from a single discard.
Tianjin Mahjong offers special scoring options, including joker-free, joker-waiting-pair, catch-5, dragon, and joker-suited dragon.
Wuhan Mahjong has become popular in southern China. It allows a tile to be used as everything called Laizi, and players must have a set of two special tiles (two, five, or eight) to win. Discarding special tiles is required in a new variation.
Xiangyang Mahjong is played with three players and without winds, seasons, flowers, dots, bamboo, or characters. A 5-tile handcrafted item receives extra points.
International Mahjong Variations
American Mahjong is a standardized version of the game that features jokers, the Charleston, and five-tile melds. It is considered a separate game by purists.
Japanese Mahjong, also known as Riichi, is a standardized version in Japan that can be found in video games. It has scoring changes and unique rules for ready-hand and bonus tiles.
Korean Mahjong is suited for three players and does not include the bamboo set. The game is faster and simpler, with no melded chows allowed and hidden hands.
Singaporean Mahjong is similar to Hong Kong Mahjong, but it includes additional animal tiles and scoring rules that provide payouts after meeting certain conditions.
South African Mahjong is similar to Cantonese Mahjong, with slight differences in scoring. Chicken hands, known as gai wu, are considered valuable, and flowers can be used to increase scores based on house rules.
There is also a three-player version of Mahjong that is commonly found in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Malaysia. This variation eliminates one suit or specific tiles, leaving only the terminals.
Differences Between Japanese and Chinese Mahjong
Japanese Mahjong and Chinese Mahjong have significant differences in strategy. Japanese Mahjong allows for more defensive play, with special rules like ii-han shibari and furiten preventing players from winning on certain discards. Chinese Mahjong focuses on building strong, fast hands as the best defense. Japanese Mahjong also uses Dora tiles to earn bonus points, while Chinese Mahjong uses flowers and sets for bonuses.
In conclusion, Mahjong is a complex game with many variations, having evolved over time and gained popularity outside of mainland China. Understanding the differences between these Mahjong variations will help you become an expert player. Whether you prefer the strategic depth of Competition Mahjong or the fast-paced action of Shenyang Mahjong, there is a Mahjong variation for everyone to enjoy.
