Question 1

How many tiles are in a Mahjong set?

Accepted Answer

A standard set has 136 tiles: 108 suited tiles (Bamboo, Circles, Characters — 9 each ×4), 16 Wind tiles, and 12 Dragon tiles. Many sets include 8 Bonus tiles (4 Flowers + 4 Seasons) for 144 total.

Question 2

How many players do you need for Mahjong?

Accepted Answer

Mahjong is designed for exactly 4 players. Some variants support 3 players (Japanese Sanma, for example) but 4 is standard.

Question 3

What is the difference between Mahjong and Mah Jongg?

Accepted Answer

'Mah Jongg' typically refers to American Mahjong, which uses jokers, an annual card of winning hands, and significantly different rules. Asian variants (Hong Kong, Riichi, Taiwanese) are usually called 'Mahjong.'

Question 4

How long does a game of Mahjong take?

Accepted Answer

A full game (4 rounds × 4 hands each = 16 hands) takes 2–3 hours. Many casual groups play shorter sessions of 1–2 rounds.

Question 5

What is Riichi Mahjong?

Accepted Answer

Riichi (or Japanese Mahjong) is a variant with strict rules, a formal scoring system called han/fu, and the Riichi declaration mechanic — a bet that your hand is one tile away from winning. It's the most popular version for competitive play.

Question 6

Is Mahjong hard to learn?

Accepted Answer

The basic mechanics (draw, discard, claim, win) take about 30 minutes to learn. Scoring is the complex part and varies significantly by variant. Start with Hong Kong rules — it's the most forgiving introduction.

How to Play Mahjong

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