Japanese Mahjong is a fascinating game that is played with tiles. Although this pursuit is played with tiles, it is a game that is played in a similar way to a card game. In Japanese Mahjong, tiles are worth different amounts and have varying symbols and suits. This is a game that is usually played with three or four participants and players draw and discard tiles. The aim of the Japanese Mahjong game is to create sets of tiles and to be the first one of the contestants to finalize a hand.
Basics of the Japanese Mahjong Game
In Japanese Mahjong, each player is dealt a selection of tiles. According to turns, each player draws a new tile and then discards a tile. Players may alternatively take from tiles that others have rejected instead of drawing a new tile. The main objective of the game is to complete a hand before the other players manage to do so. Once a hand has been completed, points are awarded according to the value of the tiles in the hand. Following 8 hands or another number of hands that are played in a similar manner, the winner of the game is determined as the player that has accumulated the most points.
The Completion of a Hand in Japanese Mahjong
A hand is completed when a player creates a hand of four sets of tiles together with a pair.
It should be noted that in some versions of the game, there may be different ways to win or to complete a hand, such as with 7 pairs of tiles.
Melds can be explained as sets of 3 tiles that may be placed together as they form a run or because they are of the same type.
Things to Note about Playing Japanese Mahjong
A full set of tiles involves at least 136 tiles. This total includes circle, bamboo and character tiles that are numbered from 1 to 9. A complete set of mahjong tiles contains 4 tiles of each of these groups. There are also wind tiles that are north, south, east and west. Dragon tiles and flower tiles are also found in some forms of mahjong. Different variations of the game use a different number of tiles.
Originally known as an ancient Chinese game, Japanese Mahjong may now be found at various online gaming sites.
Although Japanese Mahjong is based on the original Chinese pursuit, this version has the added attractions of richi and dora.
Richi can be described as a ready hand. This means that when a player is just waiting for one tile to be able to complete a hand, then the hand is declared in the state of ‘richi’. This means that a player will automatically discard a drawn tile unless it creates a winning hand. Richi can offer extra bonuses and may also result in a penalty if the player has declared a richi but does not actually win the hand.
Dora can be explained as a special bonus tile.
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