6 articles · read in order

Mahjong Basics

Start here: what mahjong is, how a hand is built, how the table is arranged, and why a 150-year-old tile game is busier than ever.

1Mahjong Basics

What Is Mahjong? A Plain-English Introduction

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.

3 min read

2Mahjong Basics

How a Mahjong Hand Works: Sets, Pairs and the Fourteenth Tile

Every mahjong hand is a puzzle of thirteen tiles waiting for a fourteenth. Here is how runs, triplets, quads and pairs fit together, and what it means to be one tile from winning.

3 min read

3Mahjong Basics

Seats, Winds and the Dealer: How the Table Is Arranged

Mahjong seats are named after the four winds, but in a surprising order. Learn why East sits where it does, how the dealer rotates, and what prevailing and seat winds mean for your score.

3 min read

4Mahjong Basics

Mahjong, Rummy and Dominoes: Relatives and Differences

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.

3 min read

5Mahjong Basics

Common Myths About Mahjong

Confucius did not invent mahjong, it is not only for grandmothers, and it is not the matching solitaire game on your phone. Here are the most persistent myths and what the evidence actually says.

3 min read

6Mahjong Basics

Why People Love Mahjong

Mahjong has survived wars, bans and fads for more than a century. Its appeal lies in a rare mix of tactile ritual, deep strategy, steady social contact and the sheer satisfaction of a hand coming together.

3 min read