Why Learn How to Play Mah Jongg? It’s Engaging, Challenging, Unexpected and Addictive

Why learn Mah Jongg? Harriet and I asked ourselves that question a couple of years ago. But we were both semi-retired, had good friends who wanted to learn with us and we decided we needed a bit of mental stimulation. We went for it. And we are so glad we did although there are some things we wished we knew before we began. So to help you make your decision, we thought we would pass along some of our insights.

What Makes Mah Jongg Engaging?

The game really works your brain (and can’t we all use that!)

If you love strategy, Mah Jongg is the perfect game for you.

It is a game of skill with a dash of luck. So even if you memorize the plays, if you don’t get any jokers, you probably won’t win (more on that later)

The socialization is super rewarding. Once my friends and I came up with a schedule, we really look forward to playing. We take turns on hosting so you do need to figure out where and when your games will take place.

It’s a fun game to take up at any age, but gals in mid-life through retirement seem to be the most likely demographic. If you are in that age group, you will probably meet a lot of new people.

Mah Jongg started in China in the mid 1800s; it migrated to the US in the early 1900s. It is rewarding to play a game with so much history. And clearly it’s engaging or it wouldn’t have lasted so long.

If you are Jewish or Chinese-American, it is probable that one of your family members plays or hasplayed at one time.

If your kids are a bit older, it is a great game to teach the family

Why is Mah Jongg Challenging?

Jennee is smiling as she wins again. It can be challenging if one of your friends continuously wins!! We just try to learn from her.

It’s difficult to learn; there are 152 tiles. There are three suits (dots, bam and crack), dragons, flowers, winds and jokers. Sound confusing? (see pic below)

You need to either find a mentor to teach you or join a Mah Jongg club. Learning Mah Jongg on your own would be very difficult.

Mah Jongg can be incredibly frustrating. As stated above, jokers, which are essentially wild cards, are crucial to winning the game. No matter how great your hand may look, if you don’t have a joker you probably won’t win. Sound frustrating? It is!

You need to play a lot; otherwise you will forget. You won’t just forget the possible hands laid out on the card, you will probably forget the rules too.

You need to have a committed group of players who are willing to play at least a couple of times a month (hopefully more) And if you have a couple of subs, all the better.

Either you need to purchase a Mah Jongg game or hope one of your friends has one; the good ones can be pricey

If you start to play with serious players, it can be very competitive and expensive (good players usually play for money)

What About Mah Jongg is Unexpected?

There are two different versions of Mah Jongg: Chinese and American.

The tiles in Mah Jongg sets do not always look the same. It can be challenging to figure out which tiles are which.

Every year the National Mah Jongg League produces a new Official Standard Hands and Rules. This card shows all of the hands that can be played in the game. Think it seems easy? Take a look at some of the possible combinations.(see pics below)

As an fyi, it’s the 87th year of the National Mah Jongg League, so clearly the game has been popular for a very long time!

Although the rules are clearly stated in the Mah Jongg League card, they still are complex and confusing (and they may change each year!)

Even if you have been winning consistently, the new card may change your luck (when we began using the 2023 card, I did not win a game for an entire year!)

And It’s Addictive

We play Mah Jongg at least a couple of times a month (sometimes more) and we always look forward to our next game. We actually love it, frustrating and exasperating as it may be. And it is great to spend time with your friends. We enjoy dinner together and just love catching up. So, yes, Mah Jongg is addictive; however, the friends that you will make while playing really make the entire experience very worthwhile.

Now that we have covered our Mah Jongg adventures with you, what do you think? Talk to your friends, put together a group, get your 2024 card and learn how to play. It may take awhile to become a proficient player (we have been playing for two years and we still don’t play for money!) but it is such a good time. Enjoy

XO

Wendy