Mah Jong is a Chinese tiles game which is similar to the card game Rummy... but much more exciting and exotic.

I've been playing Mah Jong since I was a child - on account of my maternal-grandparents returning from Malaya in the 1950s with a set. Since marrying in 1999 I have introduced Jane to the game. I love the game... and Jane!

At first glance a Mah Jong set may look quite bewildering, but with a little familarisation and a couple of games it quickly begins to make sense.

Suits

First of all there are three suits (Dots, Bamboos and Characters). These are numbered 1 to 9, and there are four of each tile, so four ones, four twos, four threes ... four nines. So each suit consists of thirty-six (36) tiles.

Ones and nines - also known as terminals - are considered the most valuable tiles in these suits.

Dots (or Balls, or Circles)



Bamboos (or Bams)



Characters (or Crak, or Wan)

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An optional addition to the game is the use of Seasons and Flowers.

Seasons (Optional)



There are four Seasons (1. Spring, 2. Summer, 3. Autumn and 4. Winter) and Four Flowers (1. Plum, 2. Orchid, 3. Chrysanthemum, 4. Bamboo) which are matched to 1. East, 2. South, 3. West and 4. North accordingly.

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