Mad About Mah-Jongg

Suit tiles are numbered 1 through 9; there are four of each. Besides being numbered, each tile typically has a design unique to its suit and number.

Bamboo, usually referred to as "bam," is depicted as bamboo stalks, except for No. 1, which shows a bird, often perched on a sprig of bamboo. Dots are marked with circular patterns. Characters, a.k.a. "crack," are distinguished with Chinese calligraphy.

Honor tiles include the four winds, marked N, S, E, and W, and three dragons: red, green and white. Red and green dragons are represented by a single Chinese character in the appropriate color; the white dragon, also known as "soap," can be either a plain white tile or a plain tile with a dark border.

Rules of Engagement

Since so many versions exist, set out the rules before starting the game to ensure that all players are on the same page.

At the start, anywhere from 136 to 152 tiles are mixed thoroughly, then stacked two-tiles high into a four-sided wall.

In its most simple form, mah-jongg begins with each player drawing 13 tiles from the wall.

A turn consists of drawing a tile and discarding one, with the goal of going out first by forming a winning hand consisting of "pungs" (three of a kind), "kongs" (four of a kind), and "chows" (three tiles of the same suit in sequence), plus one pair.

The first player to use of all the tiles in his or her hand in these combinations declares mah-jongg and turns all tiles face up for scoring. The other players, too, calculate their scores.

Typically kongs have the highest value, pungs are next and chows pull in the fewest points.

Always, however, the game should flow quickly -- so consider your strategy and what to discard while awaiting your turn.

Digital and Analog

There's a strong mah-jongg presence online, including sites for people interested in meeting other local enthusiasts, tips for starting clubs, bulletin boards with extensive FAQs, even blogs and videos.

Mah-jongg devotees even attend tournaments in venues as diverse as casinos, synagogues, conference rooms and luxury cruise ships. Vacation packages are also available, which occasionally interrupt the clack of the tiles with sightseeing and shopping expeditions.

Mah-jongg sets for beginners to travelers to collectors are available online at sites such as mastersgames.com, mahjongmuseum.com and heirloomgiftbazaar.com.

	Pung of Crack

Used and antique sets are sold on eBay and at garage sales and thrift stores.

Some of the older mah-jongg games imported from China are not marked with Arabic numerals -- that's not a problem with bams and dots, but some memorization of symbols would be necessary to be able to decipher cracks.

Ivory sets are rare and now illegal here, though antiques may still be found.

Many sets with bamboo-backed tiles are identified as ivory, but are actually made of bone -- the mislabeling usually results from ignorance rather than from fraud. Many old sets are crafted from Bakelite and other early synthetic materials. And the National Mah-Jongg League can match missing tiles from older sets, for about $4 to $5 per tile.

As we head into cooler weather, this is an ideal time to focus on learning more about this complex and intriguing pastime. Meeting with friends to polish your mah-jongg skills is a novel way to brighten any night.

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