American Mahjong has a rich history that reflects its evolving popularity in the United States. The craze began in the 1920s when Mahjong captured the interest of Americans. During this time, the first official rules were published by Foster and Mahjong, followed by “The Green Book on Ma Jung” and Snyder’s “Ma-Jong Manual.”
In 1937, the National Mahjong League was established, and the official card used by players was called the “Ma-Jung Manual.” By 1938 and 1939, the price of this card was 50 cents. To put that into perspective, during that era, gasoline cost 10 cents per gallon, a dozen eggs were 18 cents and a loaf of bread was just 9 cents. This made 50 cents a considerable amount of money, highlighting the card’s value.
The game continued to evolve, and in the 1960s, Joker tiles were introduced, adding a new dynamic to gameplay. A very important rule is that a player can NEVER use a joker for a single tile or a pair. Additionally, another important rule to think about, some other single tiles that stand alone, they are “2025” and “NEWS.” This should assist in reminding you that a Joker can never be used with a pair (pear), and a joker can never be used for a single tile.
In the 1970’s, American Mahjong League was born.
In 1995, pushers were added to the game. A pusher is a long device attached to the rack that aids in pushing the tiles forward to the center of the table without exposing a player’s own tiles. Pushers became a popular accessory to make play easier.
In 2018, Julia Roberts played Mahjong with her girlfriends weekly.
In 2023, there was a huge renewal among young women playing Mahjong.
In 2024, men started to play Mahjong competitively.
Mahjong’s enduring appeal can be seen in how it has adapted over the decades, while maintaining its cultural and recreational significance.
Mahjong remains a beloved pastime, bringing people together through strategy, skill and tradition.
Following please find some advice for the novice Mahjong player:
Try discarding a tile identical to a tile discarded by another player. You can call this discard “Same.” Even if your discard is a few turns after the other player’s discard, it is generally a safe discard.
When thinking about your mahjong playing preference, you can decide to focus on the rules & hands strategy, or you can play for socializing. There is no right or wrong choice. Usually, players at the same level enjoy playing together.
For the more advanced player:
Mahjong is a game that offers many opportunities for the advanced players to refine their skills. For those players that are already knowledgeable in the fundamentals, the next level involves “Reading the Table” and “Reading your Opponents.” One of the defining skills of an advanced player is the ability to “Read the Table.” This means that 1. You must observe discards 2. Identify tile patterns 3. Predict opponents’ hands
“Reading your Opponents”
1) It is necessary for you to pay close attention during the early game when your opponent’s reveal their strategies through their discards. 2. Noting which tiles your opponents’ hesitate to call. These tips can offer clues about their potential hands. 3. Use defensive play and avoid discarding a tile that completes the opponents’ hand; especially during the end of the game when the risk of throwing a tile into your opponents’ hand and mahjong is called.
2) Be the alert player and watch the behavior of the other players: tile arrangement, pausing over a call, hesitating over a discard and their body language.
Play defensively because if you cannot win, you do not have to lose.
Most importantly…have fun!
(A joker can never be used with a pair (pear))
