I would like to define Mah Jong, also spelled Mah Jongg. For those of you that are wondering about this game that has become very popular in America.

How do you pronounce the Name

The dictionary has any of the following pronunciations: maa zhóng or maa jóng.

History of Mah Jong Tile Game

There are different beliefs about how the game originated. Some individuals believe a Chinese philosopher developed the game around 500 B.C. Others believe the Chinese Aristocrats developed the game 4,000 years ago. The game was kept secret until 1911 when China became a Republic. Mah Jong Games were brought to America. The game came to the Americas in 1920 by what we know as a popular casual clothing company Abercrombie and Fitch. The rules were translated into English the best way the people at that time could and the rest of the rules were invented by the American people.

What is Mah Jong

Mah Jong, also known as Mah Jong Solitaire, is a game played with tiles that have various colorful Chinese pictures. It is a little strange when you are learning how to play because you are not familiar with the pictures. If you enjoy playing the card games Solitaire or Gin Rummy, you should not have too much trouble understanding the rules of the game.

Fundamental Aspects of the Game

A game set consists of 144 tiles with 108 suit tiles, 28 honors tiles and 8 bonus tiles. The tiles can be subdivided into suits just like Solitaire or Gin Rummy. Keeping score is by adding the dots or dotted lines that are on the tiles. There are American translated versions of tiles which will make it easier to read the tiles. There are many variations of the game so be sure you know the rules of the the version you are playing.

The American Mah-Jongg Association

The game has gotten to be so popular that The American Mah-Jongg Association was formed in 1999 to keep the enthusiasm and spirit of the game popular among the American people.