March Mah Jongg Madness

I'm declaring March the "Mah Jongg Month."  It's not an official holiday, as far as I can ascertain, but since the National Mah Jongg League chooses March as the month to issue the annual version of its Official Standard Hands and Rules card, it seems only fitting that March be the designated month in which to celebrate this great game (besides, I like the alliteration).
          In 2009, I was finally able to check off an item on my Lifetime To Do List.  After nearly 45 years of wanting to learn how to play Mah Jongg, it happened.  My neighbor, Joann, invited me to join a group that met about once a month.  At first, it was difficult to find more people who wanted to learn the game, but in less than a year, Joann and I have recruited at least a dozen new players.
          If you are already familiar with American Mah Jongg, you need read no further. I'm an amateur, writing to other amateurs and to those who've never encountered the game.
          If you've never played or never even heard of Mah Jongg, please consider learning, no matter how old you are.  (I'm about the same age as dirt, and I just learned the game last year.)  I suppose it's possible to learn Mah Jongg by reading the rule book, but many people agree that the best way to learn is by playing the game under the tutelage of a Mah Jongg Maven, one who is experienced and knowledgeable.

I was lucky enough to meet Marie Davis, our Pocatello Mah Jongg Maven. Marie's a great teacher; she's patient, funny, and meticulous about the rules. She's been playing American Mah Jongg for most of her life (she's in her 90s now), and she likes to spice up a game with amusing stories and exclamations, most often, "Oy vey!"

Ready to play Mah Jongg in the Red Kitchen

          Mah Jongg is a blend of skill and luck, so even beginners have a chance of winning, while more experienced players can continue to perfect their strategies.  If you've played the solitaire "Shanghai Mah Jongg" that's available online or as a computer game, you should know that "real" Mah Jongg is rather different.
          In the next posts, I'll describe the basic game equipment, rules, and strategies.  When I was first researching the game, I found a great disparity in all three of these areas.  Not only is American Mah Jongg different from Chinese Mah Jongg, but it appears that there are several versions of Chinese Mah Jongg.  It's sometimes difficult to avoid thinking that each Mah Jongg group simply makes up its own rules as it goes along.  What I offer here is American Mah Jongg as I was taught by Marie, my Mah Jongg Maven (Oops! More alliteration!).