About Mahjong and a Brief history
Mahjong, seemingly a complex game of tiles is actually very simple to play. The game involves a maze of tiles set in a pattern (which probably makes it look complex) played by matching and pairing each of them. Over a period of time, the game has gone through several variations. The most basic form of Mahjong is easy to play and understand.
It is a game of puzzle that is played in a table engaging 4 players. It is known as ‘Mahjong Solitaire’ when
played on computer because a single player can play the game. The game is believed to have originated
in China most likely in the late 19th century. Mahjong has been popularized greatly in the Western
nations since its introduction. There are a total of 144 Mah Jong tiles in the game. However, certain
Mahjong games include 136 tiles. The game involves collecting similar set of tiles going by the number
and type of the tile design facing up.
Mahjong means'The Game of Sparrows' in Chinese. In the physical game, Mahjong tiles are made of
bamboo, ivory or bone. The tiles face up during the game with beautiful pictures painted on them.
Traditional tile designs include flowers, seasons, dragons, winds and circles.
Mahjong's Popularity in Different Countries
With time the popularity and the nature of the game has changed from one nation to another. Japan
named Mahjong as the most popular game in 2010. Mahjong is a historically important game. It was
banned in China in 1949 by the People's Republic of China. The game resurfaced in 1985 after being
officially approved. Soon Mahjong found its place in Chinese households.
USA got its first taste of Mahjong in the 1920s when the game was first introduced here. The game has
several names in USA. Chinese Mahjong nights were celebrated across USA when Americans took to
singing, dressing and decorating places in accordance with Chinese style.
Presently Mahjong is a very popular solitaire game played on the computer. The goal of a solitaire
Mahjong is to get rid of all the pieces or tiles from the gaming board. The game is about matching pairs
of images at different levels of the game.
With the variations, there have been changes in scoring rules. Mahjong is widely known as a betting
game in Asia. Mahjong is all about concentration, skill, strategy-setting and calculation. Modern day
innovations in its game-play have made it, relatively easier to guess and slightly chance-based.