The right set depends on which style you play. A Japanese set will frustrate American players, and a Chinese set will need jokers. Here is what to look for in tiles, size, racks and accessories.
Before the first tile is drawn, you need a table, a complete set, racks or a flat surface, dice and an agreed set of rules. A simple checklist gets a new group playing smoothly.
A standard Chinese set has 144 tiles, Japanese mahjong uses 136, and American sets have 152. Here is what makes up each set and why the numbers differ.
Mahjong is a four-player game of skill, memory and a little luck, played with 136 to 152 engraved tiles. Players draw and discard until one of them completes a winning hand — usually four sets and a pair.
