Mahjong

Mah -jongg, called Mahjongg or Mahjong (Chinese麻将/麻将, Pinyin majiang ) or (Chinese麻雀/麻雀, Pinyin Má Què ), dt as: Sperling game is an old Chinese game for four persons.

• 3.4.1 Couples
• 3.4.2 triplets ( Pong )
• 3.4.3 quadruplets ( Kong)
• 3.4.4 Follow ( Chow )

• 3.6.1 Points values ​​of the game characters 3.6.1.1 couples
• 3.6.1.2 triplets ( Pongs )
• 3.6.1.3 quadruplets ( Kongs )
• 3.6.1.4 Follow ( Chow )

History

Joseph Park Babcock (1893-1949), an American Chinese traveler, wrote in the 1920s, a set of rules based on different variants that he had met, and brought the game to the United States. Babcock gave him the name Mahjong ( in this spelling) - he was registered as a trademark. In order not to violate the trademark protection, this case was varied in many ways. This common name in the West in the narrower sense of the hemp Sperling, who is pictured on the tile bamboo one.

Babcock called Mah - Jongg in the preface to his Red Book as a separate development based on the ancient Chinese game, which in turn - at least in origin - is centuries old ( "The Chinese game itself was a gradual development of centuries of play in China"). As a point of origin he calls elsewhere the city of Ningpo or the Fukien province. Possibly Babcock erred concerning the actual ages, the purpose of marketing, it was certainly beneficial to spend mah-jongg as a very old game ( cf. HF Müller's play bell and hammer ).

It was about claiming it had given the game as 4,000 years before the time of the Shang Dynasty; Mah -jongg is a long time forbidden to ordinary people and was just the top layer reserved.

In fact, mah-jongg was probably not until the second half of the 19th century, the oldest remaining games dating to 1870, the oldest written references from the year 1890. Anyway, the mahjong game spread rapidly in China and Japan. After Babcock had the game in the United States made ​​known, came Mahjong to worldwide popularity - comparable to Canasta in the 1950s.

It established specifically factories to meet the demand for mah-jongg games, especially as was rumored, imported games would be infested with viruses. In Germany, the game was introduced by F. Ad. Richter & Cie, modular factory, Rudolstadt ( utility model No. 722 354 v. November 6, 1919 ). Another leading Mahjong manufacturers in Germany were works in the sequence, the Hamburg - Nordicus Golconda.

There was Mahjong magazines, in many American cities mahjong tournaments were organized. In New York, the National Mah Jongg League was founded in 1937, which tried to establish uniform rules.

But a few years later, the Mah -jongg as a fashion disappeared as quickly as it had come. Today Mahjong is played only by a small group of players outside of China and Japan - in China and Japan, however, the game is extremely popular.

From the rules here could Mah -jongg as a variant of the card game Rummy describe ( from a model with tokens exist), which will be held with French card just played with " Chinese " playing cards. Despite striking similarities, there is no evidence that the Rummy game would have developed from the mah-jongg, and vice versa. The descent from a hypothetical common ancestor has not been established.

The pieces

In each of the three colors are brick with the numbers one to nine, each stone is four times available. The stones with the numbers one and nine are called edge tiles.

The color circle symbol is in actual fact a coin; Chinese coins were in the middle of a hole, so they could be strung on ribbons. Larger amounts were handed over in the form of suitably tied Coins: The color symbol bamboo originally represented such a coin bar represents the bamboo one is however represented by a hemp sparrow, after the game got its name.

On the bricks the color number from one to nine nor the Chinese numeral for 10,000 ( myriad ) is printed next to the name.

• 28 bricks of the trump suit ( trump brick or Colorless brick) Four winds ( east, south, west wind, north wind )
• Three Dragons (C = Cha: red, F = Fu: green and P = Pu: white)

These stones are fourfold available. The stones for white dragon show either a blue frame or are completely unpainted, since you can not see a white dragon on a white stone. The term trump suit for wind and kite brick is not very happily chosen, as there are no stitches at Mah -jongg.

• 8 bricks of the main color Four flowers ( plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo)
• Four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter)

The bricks of the main color are each only simple present; they are also called happiness brick or Hasardziegel and are often designed very artistic. The use of these bricks in the game is optional, therefore they may be absent in some versions of the game.

American Mah -jongg games also contain eight joker tiles, for a total of 152 stones. In addition, four other unpainted stones are often included as a reserve.

Mah - Jongg games are available in various designs. The pieces are made with the beautiful games of two parts, the pictures on the front pages with a stylus in a small block of bone - formerly Ivory - engraved and then colored, the backs are made of bamboo: The two parts are usually not easily glued, but galvanized.

The stones of cheaper games are made ​​of either printed wood or plastic; there will be parallel mahjong card games.

Jump to also include two to four dice. Chinese dice are white, the One and Four are red, the other numbers represented by black eyes.

Many games also contain additional repertoire, for example, number of sticks or chips and strips, as they are also used as dominoes so that the pieces do not fall over. Furthermore, even some games attached four square stones, which are printed with the Chinese characters of the four cardinal directions.

Rules of the game

General

Mahjong is played in countless variations of rule to Chinese Traditional Jewish American. The following instructions describe here the Hua Bao Rules, which the rules of Joseph P. Babcock correspond to a few differences and to some extent represent the common core of the manifold variations - this is also the most common in Europe play.

In the standard variant is played with 136 stones which eight bricks of the main color are not used.

Setting Up

The seating arrangement

Before starting a game, the four players are on the four sides of a square table. The oldest player shuffles covers the four square blocks and stacks them together. He then throws two dice and counts the eyes sum counterclockwise from where it starts to count to himself. A person thus certain player takes the top spot stone, the next the second, etc.

The player who receives the square stone east wind, will play head in the first game and stays in place; West Wind is opposite. The playing surface of the table is interpreted as a map of the sky, so the south wind is on the right (!) Of east wind and the north wind to the left.

The Wall

The tiles are shuffled face down on the table. Subsequently, each of the four player builds one side of the wall, by taking 34 of the brick face down and arranges to 17 bricks long and two brick high wall. Played with flower and season tiles, so each player takes 36 tiles and the width of the wall is 18 stacks ( see flower and season tiles). The four parts of the walls are now pushed together so that they touch at the corners and form a square - this is the Great Wall in the West sometimes called.

Now throws two dice and counts the east wind as before, starting with himself, his eyes total anti-clockwise to the players. Once determined, the player also throws both dice and counts his eyes sum of both litters. East wind now counts, starting at the right end of the wall in front of it, in a clockwise direction as many bricks from the stack, such as the total equivalent, whereby it may, the count continues with bricks from the wall of his left-hand neighbor. The particular batch so he takes out ( wall opening ) and puts it on the stack to the right of the resulting gap.

The hot stones taken out loose bricks and mark the dead end of the wall, the left end of the gap is the living end of the wall. The stones are regularly pulled from the living end of the wall. From the dead end, however, only replacement tile (see below) to be taken, starting with the two loose bricks.

Now the players take three take turns counterclockwise two stacks of two tiles from the live end of the wall, which makes use of the first east wind. Recently also, each player takes one more, thirteenth, stone and Ostwind a fourteenth tile.

The goal of the game

Each of the four players attempt by dragging and dropping stones to improve his original hand and form a full game image of the highest possible value figures. Stones are pulled from the wall or added after dropping another player. If a player has a full game image formed consisting of four figures, and finally a pair, he may call " Mahjong " and end the game. The four figures can optionally be triplets, quadruplets or consequences.

The figures

Couples

A pair consisting of two identical blocks such as twice bamboo five or two green dragons, etc.

To call Mah -jongg, you just needed a full game picture, this must be a pair, the so-called final pair (将Pinyin: jiāng / Jiang, sometimes眼yǎn ) be included.

To complete a couple you may only call a discarded stone, if at the same Mahjong calls.

Triplets ( Pong )

A Pong (碰Pinyin: Peng ) consists of three identical stones. If a Pong exclusively of bricks of the original hand -drawn tiles and the wall formed, so it is a concealed pong.

If a player has a pair, and the third stone is dropped from any other player, the player may call this stone with the reputation of "Pong ". He then puts his pair and the called tile face up on the table and now has an open pong.

Quadruplets ( Kong)

A Kong (Kan ) (Chinese杠/杠, Pinyin input) consists of four identical stones.

If a Kong exclusively of stones of the original hand -drawn tiles and the wall formed, so the player can report it concealed Kong. If the game is before the player reports the Vierling, the covert Kong is counted only as a face- Pong. In the message you put the four stones open, and a sign that it is actually a covert: is (also called " semi- covert ", or " out of the hand reported " ) Kong, the two outer stones with the back up will be down.

If a player holds three identical tiles in your hand - so a concealed pong - he may, if a player deposits the fourth stone, claim this brick with the reputation of " Kong " for themselves and thus obtains an open Kong.

If a player has already reported an open Pong and the missing fourth stone is placed by another player, it can not be called bricks to complete the Kongs.

If a player has already reported a Pong and he pulls the missing fourth stone from the wall, so he may invest it to the Pong and thus has an open Kong.

Once a player reports an overt or covert Kong, he must draw a replacement tile from the dead end of the wall.

Consequences ( Chow )

A Chow (Chi) (吃Pinyin: chi, sometimes上shàng ) is a sequence of exactly three consecutive blocks of color; Sequences of more than three stones are not allowed.

A Chow stone from the trump suit is not possible.

In contrast to " Pong " or " Kong ", only the players, " Chow " call, which sits immediately to the right of the player who has taken the relevant stone.

Another player can only call a discarded stone for a sequence when he simultaneously Mahjong calls.

Game play

After east wind has taken its fourteen brick, he starts the game by placing a stone open stores in the center of the table after a possible message, but he called its name.

If a player calls the discarded stone, the right neighbor pulls a stone from the live end of the wall, tells you when he wants to, one or more characters and places from last one stone.

If a stone placed, he is dead, that is, it remains open in the middle of the table lie and the next player can play a Chow, and those and the other players at a Pong or Kong. Then the stone is no longer available or receivable for the game.

If a stone called by a player, the player takes the discarded stone and must hang up the figure in question open. Then he throws from a stone, and the game continues with that player. In this way, players can be ignored: Sets eg south wind from a stone, invoked from the north wind, so Westwind is skipped.

If a brick caused by multiple players, the following hierarchy applies: If a player the stone for a mah-jongg - reputation, it has priority over a Kong or pong reputation; this in turn takes precedence over a Chow.

In this way, the game continues until

• The wall up to fourteen brick - is reduced - ie seven stacks.

In the latter case, the game will not be counted, the stones are mixed again and repeated the game with unchanged roles.

The assessment of the Game pictures (Hua Bao Rules)

The assessment of the Game pictures is composed of the following parts:

Point values ​​of the game characters

Couples

• A pair of dragon scores two points.
• If a player has a pair of their own wind, so-called space winds ( ie, for example the south wind player two south wind - brick), so he gets two points.
• Other couples are zero points.

Triplets ( Pongs )

• An open drilling of rocks with the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 counts two points.
• An open drilling of rocks with the numbers 1 or 9, winds or dragons counts four points.

Concealed combinations to count twice:

• A hand-held drilling of rocks with the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 counts four points.
• A hand-held drilling of rocks with the numbers 1 or 9, winds or dragons counts eight points.

Quadruplets ( Kongs )

A Kong is one of four times as much as the corresponding Pong:

• An open Vierling of stones with the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 counts eight points.
• An open Vierling of stones with the numbers 1 or 9, winds or dragons counts 16 points.
• A concealed ( semi- concealed so ) Vierling of stones with the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 counts 16 points.
• A concealed ( semi- concealed so ) Vierling of stones with the numbers 1 or 9, winds or dragons counts 32 points.

Consequences ( Chow )

• Consequences include zero points.

Bonus points for the mahjong reputation

The Mahjong caller receives an additional premium of 10 (often 20) credited points.

Privation of Kong

If a player to an open Pong ( eg three bamboo -5- brick) pulls the appropriate fourth stone of the wall, and would like to supplement the Pong to open Kong, another player can call this fourth stone for himself, if he so " Mah - Jongg " can call.

For this privation of Kong, he receives an additional bonus of 10 points.

Doublings

Following the evaluation of the individual figures, a player may double, one or more times the point value policy. The duplications are counted sequentially, twice doubling quadrupled example, the original value of the game image. The following conditions allow each doubling:

• The player has three of a kind or four of a kind of its own wind.
• The player has three of a kind or four of a kind of dragon.

Additionally for the mahjong Rufer applies:

• If the game image apart from wind and kite brick exclusively of bricks a base color, he has won an impure colors match and may double his points value once.
• If the image of the game Mahjong crying exclusively of bricks a basic color and it contains neither wind nor dragon bricks, he has won a pure play of colors and can double its points value three times, so eight times.

Limit

Due to the manifold doubles the scores of the game images can reach very high values ​​, so usually a limit is agreed; this is usually 300 or 500 points. If the calculated value of the agreed points limit, the game screen is counted only with this maximum value.

If the image of the game Mahjong crying exclusively of bricks of the trump suit, that is, only from wind and kite bricks, so this hand is evaluated with the maximum points.

Can the east wind call immediately after receiving his brick Mah -jongg, he has the blessings of heaven and receives the maximum number of points credited. Can other players call the first stored by the east wind stone and thus explain Mahjong, this is the blessing of the earth and the player gets half of the limit credited.

Comments

In many rule books, there are more points for prizes or duplications for special features of the image of the game Mahjong Invoker: These variations you should definitely clarify before the start of the game.

The settlement

When all players have determined the value of their game images, so is the billing:

• If Ostwind Mahjong calls, he calls the value of his game image and receives from the other three players twice this number of points refunded.
• If another player Mahjong calls, he calls the value of his game image and receives the east wind paid twice this number of points from the other players the simple value.
• After the settlement with the Mahjong Rufer the three remaining players settle their scores; the player with the highest score receives from the other two players the respective difference paid out, the player with the second highest receives the difference from the third. Easterly received or paid each double the amount.

Flowers and Seasons tiles

If you play mahjong with 144 stones, ie including the stones of the main color, that is, the flower and season tiles so, each side of the wall from 18 brick stacks. Once a player at the start of a game receives his stones, he puts his flower and season tiles face up and pulls for a replacement tile from the dead end of the wall; as will be the case when a player buys such a stone from the wall.

The bricks of the main color are assigned to the four winds: No. 1 applies to the east, No. 2 for the south wind, No. 3 for the west wind and No 4 for the north wind. When evaluating the game images include the flower and season tiles as follows:

• Points values: Each stone of the main color counts four points.

• If a player has a stone the main color corresponding to its wind ( eg the player of the south wind a stone with the number 2), so he may double the value of his game image once.
• If a player has both its wind associated brick, so he may double the value of his game image twice.
• If a player holds a bouquet of flowers, that is, all four flower tiles or all four seasons, so he may double the value of his game image twice (according to the doubling of a brick of their own wind and the doubling of a Kong).
• If a player has all eight tiles of the main color, it may double the value of his game image four times.

Rounds and games

If Ostwind Mahjong can call, he remains easterly wind in the next game, and also the other items remain unchanged. But if another player Mahjong calls, the former south wind takes over the role of the east wind, and the positions change each to a place counterclockwise.

A round is over when the player who held the position of the north wind in the first game, a game as the east wind loses - then that is the east wind of the first game would turn to the east wind; Therefore, a round consists of at least four games.

Will not only played a single round, but agreed a lot, this consists of four rounds: In the first round, the east wind round, East is the prevailing wind (round wind); in the second round ( Südwindrunde ) south wind prevails, the third round is the west wind round and the fourth round of the North Wind.

The prevailing wind is in the settlement of the game image of importance:

• Points values A pair of the prevailing wind scores two points.
• A pair of your own wind counts, if this wind prevails, four points: Has, for example, the west wind players in the West Wind Round two West Wind tile, so he may this pair count both as a place of wind as well as a round wind and with four review points.

• In a Pong or Kong of the prevailing wind, the value of the game image is duplicated once.
• At a Pong or Kong the own wind if it prevails wind, the value of the game image is doubled twice.

To be counted, the individual games and rounds, used one called a small tin, Mingg; this represents the current player of the east wind before him on the table, the square stone of the prevailing wind is placed on the Mingg above.

Before any further game the seats are re- solved; A., will not play more than two games.

Variants

In traditional Chinese game specific game images with the maximum number of points (limit) will be assessed. The following are some of the most common images may be mentioned by name, which in part Babcock has already stated in his Red Book of 1920 and are to be regarded as classical Chinese.

• The nine- Lantern game
• The four friends
• The three great scholars
• The four- Kong game
• The cornerstone game
• The heavenly twins
• The earthly twins
• The stairway to heaven
• The green hand ( Imperial Jade )
• The writhing snake

The poetic name of this game images certainly contributed to the popularity of the game in the 1920s significantly, as were, however, invented primarily in the United States countless new special hands and the rules became more complicated, just like this large number of special rules for the sudden disappearance of Mah led - Jongg game.

The modern Mahjong, the way it was in 1998 officially recognized by the State Sports Commission of China than 255 sport is a further development of the classic play, similar to the game of bridge from the older Whist has emerged.

The official rules of this modern style of play found in international tournaments such as the World and European Championships application. In the ranking of the European Mahjong Association only results are taken into account, which were obtained based on the rules of the game.

At least one manufacturer ( Lagarto, Helsinki, Finland ) offers a fee-based Windows version of the traditional Mahjong on called Four Winds. Here a player can compete against three simulated by the software player. Likewise, several real players can compete against or the software over a network against each other. It can be played by different rules. The KDE project includes a free version of Mah -jongg, the Kajongg is called.

While many other mah-jongg as designated computer games using digitized forms of game pieces, but are most games for only one person and are similar to the rules forth a Patience ( Mahjong Solitaire ).

From the mid- 1980s Mahjong Solitaire was popular as a computer game under the name Shanghai after the improved graphical capabilities of the then-new Amiga computer for the first time allowed an appealing presentation of this game.

In the popular computer game variant, a single player must, in pairs, all 144 tiles from the table; while a stone may only be removed if it is covered by any other stone partially or completely and is exposed to at least one longitudinal side.

Traditionally, the pieces are set up at game start in the figure of a dragon or a turtle, the computer game versions often offer many different start characters.