Teach Yourself Mahjong

Types of Mahjong and Equipment

• There are many different types of Mahjong and many different variations that are played in different countries all over the world. Some of these variations include Traditional Chinese, American, Hong Kong, Japanese, Western Classical and Fujian Mahjong. Each variation comes with its own specific types of rules, and some even use different types of equipment to play with. The equipment for Mahjong is pretty basic. The game is played with a series of different "tiles" that look like dominoes but have different graphics and symbols. For an example of Mahjong equipment, see the links under References.

Learn the Rules

• In order to effectively teach yourself Mahjong or any other type of game, you need to first learn and understand the rules. Remember that there are many different types of Mahjong and different variations of the game in other countries, so it is important to learn the rules set for the specific variation you plan on teaching yourself. Rules for each game type can be found all over the Internet and either downloaded or read directly on web pages. For an example of the traditional Chinese rules, click on the link in the References section.

Practice and Tips

• Once you have learned the rules and have the equipment, you can practice against your friends or play by yourself. However, you may not have the equipment readily available and still want to play or practice to develop your skills. Luckily, there are many flash Mahjong games and many computerized and online Mahjong games that can be purchased or played for free at any time. For an example of a free online Mahjong game, visit Mahjonged.com.

  To help you feel more comfortable with the game and develop a better strategy, keep some tips in mind. Always try to clear out tiles with the "highest value" first to ensure a better score. Make sure that you keep the rules and regulations of the game in mind whenever you are playing because it can be easy to forget a certain rule when developing a move or in-game strategy. Another good tip is to clear tiles that are lying atop other groups of tiles so that you may match up those tiles as well. Remember to try to be organized when you clear your tiles and think about moves you will make in the future to help make your moves in the present.