Mah jong
Updated 30/09/2021
The Mah Jong group will restart on Thursday October 7th 2021 at a new venue Kirby Muxloe Library, Station Rd, Kirby Muxloe, LE9 2EN.
We play on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday's each month.
2.30pm/4.30pm
If you are interested in this group please contact the Group Coordinator Alan Jelley via the Email link top right hand corner of this page.
No knowledge of the game is required to join as the group are happy to teach absolute beginners.
Mah Jong is a game for four players and is played at a table with a set of 144 tiles.
It may initially seem complicated but can be likened to 'Rummy with Brass Knobs on!'
These tiles are arranged in four walls, 18 tiles long and 2 tiles high.
The walls are pushed forward until they form an unbroken square.
Players play as individuals and not as partners.
During the game each player holds 13 tiles which are placed on a rack in front of them.
These tiles will have been taken from the wall before play commences.
Play proceeds with players, usually in turn, taking a tile from the wall and either discarding that tile, or an unfavoured tile on their rack, face up in the middle.
Play continues until all the tiles are used up or one player goes 'Mah Jong'.
'Mah Jong' can be achieved by either making an 'ordinary' hand or a 'special' hand (for the sake of sanity, only ordinary hands will be played during the early stages of the Mah Jong group).
An ordinary hand comprises of 4 sets of 3 and a pair (in some ways not dissimilar to rummy), making a total of 14 tiles. Sets of 4 and runs of 3 can also be collected but rules apply.
The Tiles
Three suits - 'circles', 'bamboos'and 'characters'
Winds - N.S.E.W
Dragons - Green, Red, White
8 different flowers
With the exception of the flowers, there are 4 of every tile.
Each suit is from 1 to 9 making 144 tiles in all.