Mahjong

Play Mahjong

Where: Hammond Public Library, 555 Klein Drive

When: Fridays, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Mahjong is a classic tile-based game that blends strategy, memory, and a bit of luck. It originated in China in the 19th century and is now played all over the world in many different styles.

What the game looks like

American Mahjong is played with a set of 152 tiles, similar to a mix of playing cards and dominoes. The tiles are divided into:

Suits (dots, bamboo, characters)

Honor tiles (winds and dragons)

Flowers

Jokers

How many players

Typically 4 players sit around a table, each building their own hand.

Goal of the game

The objective is to be the first to complete a winning hand, usually made up of:

Assembly 14 tiles one of the hands on the American Mahjong Card. This is considered MAHJONG!

How it’s played (basic idea)

Players take turns drawing and discarding tiles

You can pick up tiles discarded by others to complete sets

The game involves deciding what to keep, what to discard, and when to claim tiles

Why people enjoy it

Combines strategy and probability

Encourages social interaction

Has many regional variations, like:

Chinese Mahjong

Japanese Riichi Mahjong

American Mahjong (which uses special cards)