TrudyM |
04-19-2013 01:46 AM |
Mahjong
I am not there or I would teach you but I bet you could find a low key class just keep looking if the group you find is too serious. I move a lot and have found that some are really serious about their play and others are in it for the fun.
I would bet most are referring to playing American Mahjong league Mahjong style with the card. The original game from Asia has no jokers so if you decide to buy a set be carful as you can play Asian or Island or Military rules by removing the Jokers from a set that has them but if it is a traditional set it will not have jokers and won't work for American style. Older antique sets have no jokers they may have bonus tiles that can have decals put on them to make jokers but make sure there are eight. most have only 4 extra tiles.
The American Mahjong league was started by some ladies in New York who took house rules to a whole new level and decided having different hands for scoring every year would change things up and make it more interesting they publish a card every year and the hands that score are set out in it as are the rules in their official booklet they also added jokers to the sets. Sets with jokers are very available but you need to look at what you are buying.
Asian and Military style is much more like rummy and very simple. Any special hands are agreed upon by the house rules but otherwise it is played like a form of rummy (no jokers).
Being from Hawaii I have played all three kinds and each has it's perks. Some Asians do serious gambling with it and a Texas Hold em tourney would seem tame. Others like those I play with just play for fun.
Sorry you didn't ask for a history lesson.
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