Guides worth the reading time
20 guides, each answering a question people actually ask before or just after buying a set.
New to the game? Start with the printable beginner cheat sheet, two pages you can hand round the table.
How to play mahjong, explained once for all three variants
Beginner mahjong rules: the tiles, dealing, building walls, drawing and discarding, calling tiles, and how a winning hand works in Chinese, Riichi and American play.
Read the guide →02American vs Chinese mahjong sets: which to buy
The practical differences between an American mahjong set and a Chinese one: tile count, racks, numerals and the NMJL card, and which to buy for the game you play.
Read the guide →03Mahjong tile sizes and materials, explained before you order
What mahjong tile size numbers mean, which size fits which table, and how melamine, acrylic, urea resin and bone tiles differ to play with.
Read the guide →04Is an automatic mahjong table worth it?
What an automatic mahjong table does, who it suits, what it weighs, which variants it supports, and the four things to check in a listing before ordering one.
Read the guide →05A mahjong gift guide for people who do not play
What to buy a mahjong player: which set for which variant, the accessories they will actually use, and the one question to ask before you order.
Read the guide →06The NMJL mahjong card, explained for new American players
What the National Mah Jongg League card is, why American mahjong needs a new one each year, where to get it, standard vs large print, and what it changes.
Read the guide →07American mahjong rules for your first game
How to play American mahjong: the 152 tiles, building the wall, the Charleston, calling tiles, how jokers work, exposed vs concealed hands and dead hands.
Read the guide →08Riichi mahjong, from online to the table
Beginner guide to Japanese Riichi mahjong: 136 tiles, why you need a yaku, declaring riichi, dora and red fives, furiten, scoring basics and what a Riichi set needs.
Read the guide →09Every mahjong tile, named and explained
Mahjong tile names and meanings: the three suits, winds, dragons, flowers and seasons, jokers, and how the names differ between Chinese, Riichi and American play.
Read the guide →10The best mahjong set for a beginner
Which mahjong set a beginner should buy: how to tell which variant you will play, the tile size and features that make learning easier, and mistakes to avoid.
Read the guide →11Chinese mahjong rules, Hong Kong style
How to play Chinese mahjong the way most families and clubs do: the 144 tiles, flowers, pung, chow and kong, the minimum score to win, and simple faan scoring.
Read the guide →12Jade mahjong sets vs acrylic: what you are actually buying
Almost every "jade mahjong set" sold today is acrylic. How to tell real jade from jade-style acrylic, how acrylic compares with melamine, and which set to choose.
Read the guide →13How to play mahjong with two (or three) players
Yes, you can play mahjong with 2 players: the two-hand Chinese method, Siamese Mah Jongg for American sets, Riichi for two, three-player sanma, and the rule changes.
Read the guide →14Go, xiangqi or shogi: which to learn first, and what set each one needs
How go, Chinese chess (xiangqi) and Japanese chess (shogi) differ in rules, feel and learning curve, how hard each is for a chess player, and what a first set needs.
Read the guide →15Buying a mahjong set in the UK: what is different and what to check
Where UK players actually buy mahjong sets, how AliExpress delivery and VAT work for UK orders, which set types suit UK clubs, and the sizes to look for.
Read the guide →16How to play go: the rules in ten minutes, and how to start winning
The rules of go (baduk, weiqi) for beginners: placing stones, liberties and capture, ko, two eyes, when the game ends, scoring and komi, and starting on a 9×9 board.
Read the guide →17How to play shogi: the pieces, the drop rule and your first game
Shogi (Japanese chess) rules for beginners: the 8 pieces and their moves, promotion, the drop rule that returns captured pieces, check and mate, reading the kanji.
Read the guide →18How mahjong scoring works in Chinese, Riichi and American mahjong
Mahjong scoring for beginners: Hong Kong fan and the doubling table, Riichi han and fu with the mangan limits, American card values and who pays what.
Read the guide →19Mahjong strategy: how to stop losing to the player who seems lucky
Mahjong strategy for Chinese, Riichi and American play: hand efficiency, reading discards, when to take a cheap win, folding, and which tiles are safe to throw.
Read the guide →20How to play xiangqi: the board, the seven pieces and the cannon
Xiangqi (Chinese chess) rules for beginners: the board, river and palaces, how the 7 pieces move, the cannon’s jump, the flying general, check, mate and stalemate.
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