Mahjong Sets

Mahjong (also known as Mah Jong, Majong, Máquè, Màhjeuk, Májiàng, Màhjeung, Mahjongg, Majiang, Mah Jongg, Mah-Jong or Mah-Jongg) is a tile-based game that was developed in China.  Rumour has it that the game is 2,500 years old and enthusiasts link the game to Confucius and his love of birds.  The name Mahjong originates from the word Sparrow.   At Presents of Mind we just love the game and offer a range of styles and sizes, including the racks and instruction booklets.  Our range of Mahjong sets are available to purchase in all of our Brisbane stores, or shop online and we can ship your Mahjong set Australia wide.  Remember the Confucius saying …..play more mahjong!

How to Play Mahjong

The Mahjong Set has at least 136 tiles and usually 144 tiles, depending on the style of the game you are playing (American, Homg Kong, Chinese etc).  These tiles all have a special meaning but you do not need to know this to play the basic game of Mahjong.  The tile set comprises:

  • Suit Tiles – 4 sets of each suit (Circles, Bamboo and Characters) numbered 1-9
  • Honors Tiles – 4  sets of 3 types of Dragons and 4 sets of 4 Wind directions
  • Bonus Tiles – 4 Seasons and 4 Flowers

The set-up of mahjong involves the building of the 4 walls, which are 2 tiles high and form a barrier in front of each of the players in a non-connected square shape.  Start by mixing all the tiles in the centre and then the dealer add 2 tiles at a time face down to the end of each wall to create each player’s wall.  I love the ancient tradition of the wall building and for me it sets the tone for the game.  If you are not so nostalgic then you could just get each player to grab their own tiles and build their wall.

The game starts with each player collecting the first 13 tiles from their wall to become their playing hand.  In turn each player then takes a tile from their wall or from the discarded tiles in the center.  They then add the tile to their hand and then discards one tile back to the centre.

To win the game a player must collect tiles that form a Mahjong, which is 1 pair and 4 Melds.  A Meld can be either a Pong (set of 3 matching tiles), Kong (set of 4 matching tiles) or a Chow (sequence of 3 of the same suit).  You can score the game and play a series of games.  After a few games you will find the play gets faster and faster.  Enjoy the game!