Furiten is riichi's most important defensive rule: if any of your winning tiles is in your own discards, you cannot win on someone else's discard. It is what makes reading discards possible.
Hong Kong payments depend on faan, a base value and house rules about who pays when a discard gives away the win. Here is how doubling scales, "full shooter" and "half shooter" payments work.
In American Mah Jongg you may call a discard only to complete a group of three or more identical tiles, or to win. Exposures reveal part of your hand — and can make it dead if they no longer match the card.
In the 2020s mahjong became fashionable again — especially American Mah Jongg among younger players. Social clubs, bar nights, designer tile sets and online communities brought in a new generation.
Mahjong reached Japan in the early twentieth century and was transformed there into riichi, a distinctive style with its own rules, professional leagues and a huge media culture.
From the treaty ports of the Yangtze delta, mahjong spread along rivers, railways and trade networks to become a national pastime by the 1920s, developing regional rule sets as it went.
Tiles collect oils, dust and grime. Gentle cleaning keeps a set beautiful for decades, but harsh chemicals can strip paint or crack vintage materials. Here is how to look after modern and antique sets.
A mahjong turn is simple: draw a tile, decide what to keep, discard one face up. Understanding exactly what you may do on your turn, and when others may interrupt, is the foundation of every game.
The eight flower and season tiles are not part of your hand. They are set aside when drawn and can add points, especially when they match your seat. Here is how bonus tiles work in each style.
Mahjong shares DNA with rummy, Chinese card games and dominoes, but it plays very differently. A look at its cousins helps beginners understand what makes mahjong itself so distinctive.
Mahjong lessons range from a single two-hour introduction to multi-week courses with guided play. Knowing what a good lesson covers helps you choose a teacher and get the most out of it.
Players have always looked for luck: avoiding books (a homophone for "lose" in Cantonese), changing seats, choosing lucky clothes and never counting money at the table. Here are the best-known superstitions.
