Play American Mah Jongg!
The Perfect Introduction to Mah Jongg:
Asia’s Most Popular Game
Elaine Sandberg
TUTTLE Publishing
Tokyo | Rutland, Vermont | Singapore
The Tuttle Story: “Books to Span the East and West”
Most people are surprised to learn that the world’s largest publisher of books on Asia had its humble beginnings in the tiny American state of Vermont. The company’s founder, Charles E. Tuttle, belonged to a New England family steeped in publishing. And his first love was naturally books—especially old and rare editions.
Immediately after WW II, serving in Tokyo under General Douglas MacArthur, Tuttle was tasked with reviving the Japanese publishing industry. He later founded the Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Company, which thrives today as one of the world’s leading independent publishers.
Though a westerner, Tuttle was hugely instrumental in bringing a knowledge of Japan and Asia to a world hungry for information about the East. By the time of his death in 1993, Tuttle had published over 6,000 books on Asian culture, history and art—a legacy honored by the Japanese emperor with the “Order of the Sacred Treasure,” the highest tribute Japan can bestow upon a non-Japanese.
With a backlist of 1,500 titles, Tuttle Publishing is more active today than at any time in its past—inspired by Charles Tuttle’s core mission to publish fine books to span the East and West and provide a greater understanding of each.
Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.
Copyright © 2007, 2010
by Elaine Sandberg
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.
CIP data in process.
ISBN 978-0-8048-4319-5
ISBN 978-1-4629-1641-2 (ebook)
Distributed by:
North America, Latin America & Europe
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive
North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436 U.S.A.
Tel: 1 (802) 773-8930
Fax: 1 (802) 773-6993
[email protected] www.tuttlepublishing.com
Asia Pacific
Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd.
61 Tai Seng Avenue #02-12
Singapore 534167
Tel: (65) 6280-1330
Fax: (65) 6280-6290
[email protected] www.periplus.com
15 14 13 12 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
1207CT
Printed in Hong Kong
TUTTLE PUBLISHING® is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.
What Is Mah Jongg? Introduction to the Game
Unraveling the Mystery of the Tiles
Quiz and Answers
Cracking the Code
Quiz and Answers
Construction Project: The Wall
Quiz and Answers
What Do I Do Now? How to Select Your Hand
Exercise: Select Your Hand
Cha, Cha, Charleston
Quiz and Answers
The Play’s the Thing
Exercise: Solitaire Mah Jongg
Quiz and Answers
Play to Win: Strategies
Strategy Practice and Answers
What Is Mah Jongg? Introduction to the Game
“Two-Crak, Flower, nine-Dot, Red, Take.” No, it’s not some coded message from outer space. It’s mah jongg, the game my mom, and maybe yours, played, lo, these many years ago. I can still hear the clatter and click of the tiles, somebody calling “Mah Jongg!” and the “Ooohs” and “Aaahs” that followed, the buzz and the laughter. And I have fond memories of raiding the fridge the next day to enjoy the leftover goodies. Today, it’s still the same. People are playing mah jongg, buzzing and laughing and having fun!
I am always amused to hear people pooh-poohing mah jongg with the stereotypical phrase that it’s “an old lady’s game.” One of my students was a typical example. “My mom used to play mah jongg two or three times a week. She played for 30 years with the same friends and I could never understand why.” That is, until she took her first lesson. She realized mah jongg is definitely not “an old lady’s game,” but what an interesting and challenging game it is.
Why do so many people love the game? The answer, primarily, is it’s fun! It’s simple and at the same time complex. It’s competitive: you play against three other people. It’s sociable: people play for hours, they eat, they talk, and they laugh. There are groups of players that have been together for decades. It takes thinking: figuring out the best plan for your individual hand, deciding