Mahjong Game

Mahjong, also known as Mah Jong – is a tile based game invented by the Chinese. As to when exactly it was invented, there is some debate about it, but I guess it is safe to say it was at least 150 years ago.

It’s a game for four players – a game of skill, intelligence, calculation and, as with any game, there is always the element of luck. Research has shown that seniors who play mahjong keep dementia at bay. Hence, doctors here recommend that seniors should play the game.

I learned to play the mahjong only after I retired, when I had time on my hands. There was a time when I played mahjong almost every other weekend. It took me some time to learn how to play the game right, how to be good at it. As they say, you pay to learn the game. It sure cost me a fair bit, learning to play the game. But I didn’t mind it very much. I had fun, and I treat the losses as buying my friends dinner and drinks.

Unfortunately, death claimed one of the players, and another moved overseas. It is difficult to find another two players for the game. Although many people know how to play mahjong, it takes strong friendship to not quarrel over disagreements during the game. Some people play to win, some people are poor losers. People like that will not be friends for long playing mahjong. Or they would be playing with an agenda. That would make the atmosphere very tense. It would not be fun at all. Good friends have ended up as strangers because of disagreement while playing, especially when money is involved.

My friends and I, we play what we call friendly games. There is a lot of give and take. We enjoy the game, the camaraderie, and the time together. We have known each other for a long time, and we all know each other’s temperament. Most importantly we understand - friendship first.

I like the game very much. I am slightly better at it now, but still far from good. You have to be quick, sharp, attentive and skilful in reading the cards, in reading how the other players are playing their cards. Probably, that is why it keeps the mind agile and limber. Mahjong sessions are also very good for social bonding, a good way for four good friends to enjoy an afternoon, or evening together.

There are videos on Youtube to teach you how to play the game. Here is one. This one is actually quite thorough. Just remember it is a Chinese variation. The totaling of points is quite different from the way we do it here in Singapore.

It helps if you understand the few mandarin words in the game, So, the first thing you need to do is to learn, or at least familiarise yourself with the few mandarin words, although from the video, you can see that it is not really necessary.

Today, Mahjong is more popular than ever, spanning the globe. However, different countries have different variations of the rules of this game – Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore… each have their way of totalling the points. So, even if you play mahjong very well, when you are in a different country, it is good to check if their way of totalling the points is the same as the way you are used to.

Nowadays, there are mahjong tables that come automated. It will ‘wash’ the cards for you. Check this out in the video.

But I don’t think this has catched on yet. Part of the fun in the game is the washing and building of the tiles. It’s like the kindle and the book. Some people still prefer to turn and feel the page, and also the smell of a book.

Have a look at the video below if you are curious to know how mahjongs are made. This requires skill and craftsmanship.