Mah-Jong
We meet at Caterham-on-the-Hill
Weekly Friday 2pm
Mah Jong is a game of Chinese origin, played with 144 ornately engraved tiles. In the late 19th century when the game developed from earlier Chinese games, these were hand painted and made from bamboo and bone. Although we have some of these ancient sets, modern sets are plastic reproductions; you don't need to read Chinese to use any of them!
Essentially the game is drawing tiles and discarding, with the aim of forming a complete 14 tile hand of four sets of three (runs or all the same) and a pair, or one of the more difficult high scoring special hands such as 'Wriggling Snake'. The scoring is sophisticated, with several sets of tiles or combinations of sets doubling your score; by having several doublings you can get a score of 1,000 (or can go out with a score as low as 40). The scoring system is what makes it most rewarding to play, as you have to weigh up the relative benefits of trying to go out quickly or holding out for a spectacular score. It is a game of skill with a substantial element of luck. We keep track of the score by the exchange of tally sticks of various denominations; the winner at each table is the one with most tally sticks at the end of the session. (Obviously we do not play for money!)
The rules are not fully standardised but are variations on a theme; our group plays by commonly accepted rules which are published and available online, supplemented by a few features which are made available to new members. One of the aspects of the game not having standardised rules is that some groups (indeed some countries) play oversimplified versions of the game; if you have ever seen one of these you may have concluded that it is just rummy with funny tiles. The 'proper' version of the game is much more interesting than a rummy type game. It also has got nothing to do with the pair matching solitaire mah jong games seen on the internet.
We have a stable membership of 18 and and are keen to attract new members; as we play at different members’ houses if necessary, potential membership is effectively unlimited. Since the outbreak of covid-19 we have continued to meet as far as possible, but we take precautions such as only having four people in one room. 
We have a good collection of mah jong sets, ranging from 100 years old to modern. You do not need your own mah jong set and hosting sessions is optional. Tuition will provided at your first session and I also issue emails with advice on play. The rules are available online or in books, and you will be shown where to find these if you prefer to learn them that way. The essentials can be learned in a single session, but like most good games, you are always learning more.
We find it tremendous fun, more so than any card game, and the ornate tiles add to the enjoyment. We would like several more members, so if you would like to give it a try please contact the group leader - Bill Lumb.