The fascinating game of Mahjong has roots in Asia and has become one of the most widely played games throughout the world.

Played by beginners and masters alike, Mahjong is based on an easily understood proposition (it is similar to Rummy), but intriguingly, the game can take years to master. With its exciting combination of skill, luck and karma, the game of Mahjong always means something personal to the many regular players.

The origins of the game are shrouded in mystery. According to one theory, the game was played during the 40 days and nights on Noah's Ark, that would suggest the game dates back to 2350 BC.

Another theory supposes that the game was invented by the great Chinese philosopher Confucius around 500 BC. A more likely theory is that the game developed from earlier Chinese games such as Ya Pei and Ma Tiae and that around 1850 AD the game of Mahjong was formalized as we know it today.

It seemed that most American establishments where the game was played decided to adopt their own set of rules. That was until 1924 when the official American rule book was published in an attempt to standardize the way the game is played.

There are however many rule sets in common use today; these include the most popular Hong Kong Cantonese game as well as the Shanghai, Japanese and Taiwanese versions (to name a few) all of which are widely played.

Be the first to make a winning hand before your opponents do!

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