The official way to play American mahjong

Is there only one way to play American mahjong?

Despite what you have heard on social media rants, I am here to assure you that there is more than one way to play American mahjong.

American mahjong has different recipes

There is no "official" way to play American Mahjong.

American mahjong is not one style of play, tiles or one “official” card. There are some parameters, but mahjong is a game that embraces change. Jokers in the 1960s. Blanks of 2020. Yep... change.

I am not going to bore you with the history of Babcock's early adaptation of the game or the NMJL ladies of 1937. But trust me that Chinese mahjong came first and American mahjong has been around for more than 90 years.

If mahjong is like a cookie, American mahjong is the chocolate chip cookie.

Although a chocolate chip cookie is a more specific type of cookie, there are lots of ways to make this variety. Same with American mahjong- there are lots of ways to play the same game. Here are some recipes for the game:

The National Mah Jongg League:

If playing with the NMJL card and by those rules, this is like the recipe from the Joy of Cooking. It is the most  traditional way to make chocolate chip cookies.

The oven performance may vary, they could be served on a fancy platter or on a paper plate, and the size of the batch can be adjusted.

Card from Queen of the Tiles

Alternative cards:

When I play with Marvelous Mah Jongg Cards, Queen of the Tiles or The Big Card, I would compare this to using a ready- made chocolate chip cookie mix. The basics are all still the same, but you don’t have to worry if you don’t have baking soda. These cards are easier to learn and players that have memorized the card don’t have any advantages. There isn’t much defensive play in an alternative card.

Extra jokers:

If you want to make the game easier, adding jokers is like using refrigerated premade dough for chocolate chip cookies. Some people just like things to be easier in life. No judgement from me!

Jokers were introduced in the 1960s

Blanks:

Adding blanks to a game of American mahjong is like adding walnuts to your chocolate chip recipe. Some people like them, others do not. It’s all just a matter of personal taste.

Messy Mahjong:

If you don’t have time for the big set up, this is like buying store bought cookies. You still get to enjoy the chocolate chip cookies, regardless of going through the steps yourself or paying for your favorites at the local bakery.

Sharing the recipe:

And just like a chocolate chip recipe, the game is best when shared. You can learn to cook from a cookbook or a Pinterest post… but isn’t it sweeter when you use grandma’s recipe she passed on to you?

My recipe:

My recipe for mahjong was learned from a Joy of Cooking- type teacher, but I added some extra brown sugar (ahem, beautiful table setups!) and took out a tsp of flour (ahem, dice!). I passed that modified recipe along to hundreds of people that I have taught. I can’t wait to see what those students add to their own recipe for the game!

I will play with blanks in American mahjong