Comments on: má jiàng

By: Andrew Strauss

Andrew Strauss — Fri, 19 May 2006 07:15:22 +0000

Jerome…..I wish could have been there…..sounds like a fun get together

Elijah….that is a LONG time…..hehe

By: Elijah

Elijah — Wed, 17 May 2006 13:49:09 +0000

fun game. the longest that I have played at one table is from 7:00PM – 1000:AM. It was a really fun night! The way that we play it is also different with the change of using 16 tiles. With the first player having 17. Good stuff…We have to play sometime. I’m still learning how to tell what tile it is without even looking at it (all by touch)!

By: Jerome Strauss

Jerome Strauss — Tue, 16 May 2006 20:49:18 +0000

Intersting and excitring game. Most of the oriental restaurant community in the states play regularly and for big stakes. One can get very rich or go bankrupt at some of these games.
Be warned. Your sister distinguished herself at the recital. Very professional performance. Itg was probably the only time most of the attendees had heard a harpsichord. Mikey keeps getting cuter every time I see him. He looks like a drunken trucker swaggering from side to side. He picked up John’s cane and was able to walk with it in an inverted position. Quitre a character. At rach’s brunch, Mike picked up and industrial floor brush with a 6 foot handle, and pushed it about 30 feet over a tile floor. Keep having fun and learning.

By: Andrew Strauss

Andrew Strauss — Tue, 16 May 2006 00:01:25 +0000

Sara……thanks….I’l teach you when you get here if you want

Grammy…..everyone here seems to like to play for money! When I get back, we can play if you want

Terry….everything you said is correct. You are much more of an expert than me

By: Terry Hsiao

Terry Hsiao — Mon, 15 May 2006 18:47:11 +0000

Hi Andy – a couple of corrections:

白板 (bái bǎn), means white board, probably a typo
花(huā), means flowers. actually they have 4 flowers and 4 seasons for total of 8 tiles, with each flowers matching each season (spring, summer, autumn, winter). They are not wild cards, rather a way to pick a tile from the end of pile instead of front of pile (reverse)

the game can also be played with 16/17 tiles instead of 13/14, and with different rules. overall the game can be easy or complicated, depending on whom you play with

By: Grammy

Grammy — Mon, 15 May 2006 15:47:51 +0000

Andrew, I played mah jonge when I was 14 and currently have games of it on both my mac and pc plus an invitation to play every Tuesday afternoon if I choose. In the states, we buy yearly cards which spell out what formations are acceptable. The cards cost about $6.00 each and are mandatory for all players or there would be chaos at the tables. Of course the computer games just have different configuration of the tiles without the actual naming of them or an understanding of the creation of the patterns required in playing in groups. It is a game that is usually played for money, although the amounts vary. My Tuesday group has decided to be very generous and play for toothpicks, meaning no cash. Have fun. The game can be exciting at times. Love, Grammy

By: Sara

Sara — Mon, 15 May 2006 13:18:50 +0000

Wow! Grandpa Jerry and I were just talking about ma jong. He plays! And — Grandma Alice was a master ma jong player. She had a regular weekly group, and I’d hear them from my bedroom calling out “one bam!” I bet she can still play a mean game, if it’s like her skill at bridge. It survives memory loss!

Good for you, bud! You go, guy!

I want to learn too!