An instruction book to learning the rules, sets, and art of the game by chad bomberger apr 26, 2017 3. A player misnames their discard and another player calls it for mah jongg. After a game is completed whether by a winning hand or no winner after the last tile in the wall has been picked, the player to the right becomes the new dealer east as. This book is based on the british mahjong association rules. American style mahjong rules associazione italiana mah jong. Some relate specifically to the bmja game but others might be of interest to everyone who plays mahjong mah jongg mahjong, irrespective of the rules they play by. The basic score includes the 20 points for going mahjong but, obviously, not if you are fishing you get an extra 2 points if the winning tile is drawn from the wall the live wall or the kong box having a concealed hand makes no difference to the number of doubles its always 3 unless the player goes mahjong with the final discard. American mahjong is a form of mahjong standardized by the national mah jongg league and the american mah jongg association. Secondly, just because we dont like a rule, doesnt mean we can change it.
Mah jongg faqs answers to all your mah jongg questions. But it is not only the hands that we receive, it is the rules, which are printed on. Going dead it is important to remember that there are many different kinds of mah jongg. However, jokers may be exchanged from exposures in the dead hand, only if that exposure did not cause the hand to be declared dead. This book states that if a claimed tile is not taken within the next two opponents turns, i. Any joker that was properly exposed prior to a dead hand stays in the game and can be exchanged even. Later, when the 1920s fad died out, many of babcocks simplificati. Mahjong or mah jongg is a four player game which employs both skill and luck.
Or 2 players have 2 dead hands, or 3 players have 2 dead hands play continues by other opponents. Below are the rules to american mahjong, which differs slightly from its asian predecessor. Aug 03, 2015 however, jokers may be exchanged from exposures in the dead hand, only if that exposure did not cause the hand to be declared dead. Scoring for each hand is same as on the current national mah jongg league nmjl standard hands and rules card. The object of modern american sometimes called jewish mah jongg is to make the tiles match up with a hand on a mah jongg card. Below is a mahjong 101 overview of the basic rules of american mahjong. The dead wall tiles are reserved to be used as replacements to be drawn if a.
I am not very familiar with mcr, but to gain a basic understanding of the term, let me refer you to these rules for dead hands in riichi mahjong. American mahjong also sometimes spelled mah jongg or called maajh is unique from asian mahjong in several ways. Going dead it is important to remember that there are many different kinds of mahjongg. Going mahjongg 20 exposed pung of simples 2 concealed pung of simples 4 exposed pung of terminals 4 concealed pung of terminals 8 exposed pung of honors 4. This affordable bestselling book is one of the only available game strategy guides specifically geared toward american mahjong mah jongg and follows the official national mah jongg league rules. Also, if any player has a concealed kong in his hand, he can. Some of the terms are defined in the glossary in more about mahjongg later in this guide. A yes, only if the exposures were before being called dead. Destination mah jongg tournament rules e or a stays in the same seat or, may move down 2 directors will tell you, n or b moves up 1 table, s or c moves down 1 table, w or d moves up 2 tables play is according to national mah jongg league rules plus tournament rules and uses the nmjl card. The player can also pick up a tile to complete mah jongg. Royale siamese mah jongg 4handed where the winds blow.
Player discarding the tile that results in mah jongg. When a player creates a set of hand or mahjong, he wins the game. If a player miscounts and has more or less than tiles, she is declared dead and is excluded from play. The national mah jongg league publishes a card each year at the end of march. Firstly, if a hand is called dead, only the tiles that were exposed remain exposed on the rack. In some asian forms, some sets parts of the hand might technically be considered exposed thereby, but that just affects the scoring of the hand winning on the discard is perfectly valid. The complete guide to american mah jongg strategy i love. Dead hands do not get a minus 10 and do not receive points for a wall game. I found the instructions and rules laid out in an easy to comprehend manner that covered almost all the questions that came up for me during the learning process. All the members of the mahjong club that i belong to like to have my playing aid to hand. Aug 20, 2003 in all forms of mah jongg, mah jongg overrules everything, and the player may claim the mah jongg tile, no matter what part of the hand it completes.
The game originated in china, and is used for gambling purposes in many countries. Minus 20 points player who throws mah jongg to a hand with two exposures. Sign up for our free enewsletter for lots of tips, questions and answers on the rules and customs of mah jongg. The gifts may even appeal to people who do not play the game. In turn players draw and discard tiles until they complete a legal hand using the 14th.
The book is based on hands used in the 2019 national mah jongg league card. After a game is completed whether by a winning hand or no winner after the last tile in the wall has been picked, the player to the right becomes the. Minus 10 points player who throws mah jongg to a hand with no exposures or one exposure. Feb 05, 2020 the mahjong card is organized in categories but each year the specific hands are changed. Zero 0 if you erroneously declare another players hand dead. Looking at the tiles in an opponents hand or the dead wall. The player may continue playing to try to build a 2 nd mah jongg on the 2 nd rack. Etiquette versus the mah jongg rule book mahjonggmentor. The player that misnamed their tile gives the player that called mah jongg 4 times the value of their hand. There are 2 types of hands on the mah jongg junior card. If a flower or season tile is drawn from the dead wall it is immediately declared and replaced. If you have reason to declare a players hand dead, just be ma.
When players adhere to certain rules of etiquette, the result is a friendlier. Dead hand also sometimes refers to a declared mahjong that turns out to be. Mah jongg is played with four players, and a fifth person may be a bettor. These rules will focus on the most basic rules of mahjong, which are the same across most other variants. This post will focus on american mah jongg national mah jongg league rules because this is the style we are most familiar with, though many of these tips will apply to all styles of mah jongg. Whether youre an american mah jongg newbie or an intermediate player looking to gain an edge over your opponents, american mah jongg for everyone is the perfect book to help you start practicing your game.
Play is according to national mah jongg league rules plus tournament. The first player who completes the set of 14 tiles wins the hand. There are considerable variations in the rules in english books. Also in 1920, joseph park babcock published his book rules of mah jongg. Feb 05, 2020 the object of modern american mahjong is to make the tiles match up with a hand on a mahjong card. Mahjong rules rule book downlod free rule book rules overview mahjong is a game of skill, intelligence, calculation and luck and is usually played by four people.
A player cannot declare a kong and make mah jong because a replacement tile must always be taken when declaring a kong. The rules that follow are known as modern american rules. Rules for japanese mahjong european mahjong association. Mahjong is a chinese game of skill, which involves four players. There are many versions of mahjong, but the main 4 are chinese hong kong american japanese. You somehow end up with an incorrect number of tiles. A guide to mahjong chinese official international rules 12 the dead wall counting from the breaking point of the wall, to the right is the dead wall also known as the kong box and to the left is the live wall. Millington compares mahjongg to other skill games and looks at the rise and influence of other versions of the game. Mahjong is a popular chinese game played with sets of tiles. It uses joker tiles, the charleston, plus melds of five or more tiles, treats bonus tiles as honors, and eschews the chow and the notion of a standard hand. Mahjong hands a mahjong hand normally consists of four sets of three or four tiles and one pair. If a player calls and does not mahjong, the combination that tile completed must be exposed on their rack and cannot be changed for the remainder of the game. An illustrated guide to the asian, american and international styles of play.
You should have tiles most of the time and 14 when its your turn or when you call mah jongg. What is a dead hand, and how does it affect the game. Recently an interesting point was made about the tiles still unexposed. I understand the rule about dead exposed jokers vs non dead jokers. Learn the fascinating game of american mahjong with this expert guide.
The basic chinese mahjongg set consist of 34 different kinds of tiles, and as. How to play american mahjong yellow mountain imports. A set is a samesuit triplet pong, a samesuit quadruplet kong or a samesuit straight chow. Mahjong is a four player game of skill, originating in china. It is commonly played by four players with some threeplayer variations found in parts of china, japan, south korea and southeast asia. Each hand on the mah jongg junior card is made up of 14 tiles. Minus 10 points for two exposures minus 25 points for three exposures the tournament will kick off on february 11, 2021 at 9 a. By taking them out of the game and leaving them on the players rack arent we hurting ourselves. Here is a summary of mahjongg scoring for the chinese game.
So therefore for those who are interested i have posted my list of hands from my book 101 illustrated mah jong hands. A player must be declared dead for picking ahead, or picking out of turn also. The only time a player may have 14 tiles is at the beginning of a game if she is east, at the moment of picking a tile and before discarding. Now, having learned to play, i find that its a great reference guide for some of the more obscure rules and hands. If a player is declared dead for two hands, the game ceases. We will not focus on a specific years card but rather provide more general advice that can be applied when using any card. D millington 1997 very scholarly, comprehensive but accessible book on the classical chinese version of the game and its cultural background. An illustrated guide to the asian, american and international styles of play ebook written by amy lo. I bought this book when i first started to learn how to play mah jong.
We will not focus on a specific years card but rather provide more general advice that. In english, the name often takes mahjong rules read more. Like many popular games, mahjong has many regional variations, from the chinese prevailing wind system to american mahjong with special bingolike scoring cards. A player can only be the east wind for three consecutive hands. Unfortunately these do not have any illustrations but all the info is there. Q if someone has a dead fully exposed hand, can the rest of the players take jokers from the dead exposed hand or no. Dead tiles, or tiles previously discarded, cannot be called upon. This was a quick run down of the basics of american mah jongg. Siamese mah jongg explained again mah jongg and me. In this case, the player nearest the right of the player who discarded, wins the dispute, takes the tile and goes mah jong. Then she proceeded to expose the rest of the mah jongg hand. To be honest, nobody ever actually asks me about mahjongg etiquette, but.
The complete guide to american mah jongg strategy i love mahj. Getting started with american mah jongg i love mahj. A player who has a dead hand is not allowed to declare a win, kong, pung or chow, and can never be considered tenpai. See national mah jongg tournament rules and mah jongg master points rules for additional information. The dead player should not reveal verbally or physically any tiles that are not exposed. As an optional rule, riichi mahjong can also be played with one five from each suit being replaced with a red five tile. A player cannot declare mah jong and then discard a tile. The set includes 8 jokers and players refer to a card that shows the sequences that are needed to complete a mah jongg hand. Players are required to display the nmjl card during tournament play. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read complete book of mah jongg. There are currently two leagues which publish a mahjong card. Classic tile collecting game mah jongg comprehensive instructions for friendly. Mahjong is a game of both skill and luck that originated in china many centuries ago and was brought to the west in the 1920s with the publication of joseph park babcocks rules of mah jongg.
She put three 8 bams on the rack and then two 2 craks and two 4 craks. The national mah jongg league and the american mah jongg association. Sep 08, 2018 she declared mah jongg and picked up a 6 bam and added 2 jokers with it on her rack. Official rules mah jongg tournament destination mahjongg. In a strictly bythe book game, that person is dead, however, i hate to. A certified tournament complies with all standards, rules and scoring of the mah. How many of us have hit our rack with our hand inadvertently and a tile goes flying onto the table. When a hand goes dead, the penalty is that the player stops playing and. All categories etiquette 3 misc 12 money 1 rules 26 strategy 1. The national mah jongg league has never stated in any rule book. An instruction book to learning the rules, sets, and. Plus 10 points player who picks their own mah jongg. A tile cannot be called upon to complete a pair unless that pair completes a mahjong hand. Jokers may be exchanged from exposures in the dead hand, only if that exposure containing the joker did not cause the hand to be declared dead.
Mah jongg masters millions rules tm a form of mah jongg created in recent years in order to enable players of some forms of mah jongg to play together in tournaments. There are numerous possible house rules meaning three player mahjong can be as simple or complex as players prefer. Year year hands or other special hands are usually the current year. Threeplayer mahjong is a variation of mahjong for three players rather than the more common. Zero 0 for dead player who erroneously declared another players hand dead. The game was introduced to the westerners sometime in the 1920s via a book called rules of mah jongg by joseph park babcock. Experienced international mah jongg instructors gregg swain and toby salk walk you through the basics of american mah jongg introducing readers to the tiles, rituals, history, rules and.
Mahjong or mah jongg from the chinese meaning sparrows is a game of skill and chance of ancient chinese origins, usually played by four people in which game pieces known as tiles, bearing various designs, are drawn and discarded until one player has an. Jokers exposed in dead hands hands that are out of the game due to violating rules, may be exchanged. In american mah jongg, each hand is a complete game unto itself. Introduction the mahjong set how to play the scoring system special hands. If you are playing on a site that doesnt call a hand dead, and another player alerts the table you are dead and you are, you get 0 points in a wall game. The player of the dead hand gives the winner of that game whatever hand s point value they won. Any unexposed jokers are also essentially dead because they will. Riichi mahjong does not use the flower or season tiles found in chinese sets, nor the joker tiles used in american mah jongg. Leah, i am the member of my mah jongg group most likely to call someone dead. Minus 25 points 25 for player who misnames discarded tile that gives mah jongg to their opponent. In a open hand, a player can pick up a discarded tile in the center of the table to complete a pung or kong. Within each round, the winds seating position will rotate as follows.
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