Mahjong Time
Mahjong is a Chinese game of skill, which involves four players. Although the game play in general is similar in all of the versions of mahjong, the game pieces and scoring, however, slightly differ depending on the regional variations.
Almost similar to gin rummy, the object of mahjong is to build sets, as well as get the highest point value. In order to do this, each player selects and discards tiles (the game pieces, bearing different designs) until an entire set of combinations has been made.
‘Mahjong’ can be interpreted from Chinese as ‘clattering sparrow’, ‘flax sparrow’ or perhaps as ‘hemp bird’. It is recommended that this is due to the fact that the tiles when mixed up make a musical noise suggestive of the noise of several sparrows squabbling over strewn food crumbs. It was not prior to the turn of this century until the west got a glance of Mahjong, when it was launched in the international colony of Shanghai and from then onwards in the Japan, USA, and lastly Europe. When it was established in the west, it was asserted that it’s origins were cloaked in the mists of time, but most facts seems to point to the game being developed in the late 1800’s in the Ningpo area of China.
Diverse mahjong games use pretty parallel basic rules, but different scoring and different plans, special hands and tile combinations. Although the game Mahjong as it is normally played today can only be traced back to the end of the previous century, the line of games that progressed to Mahjong is long and extensive. From around 800 AD card games were played which bear a resemblance to the way Mahjong is played. The cards used in these games looked a lot like the money used in those days.
Lately a mounting number of people have understood the intellectual challenge Mahjong poses and the attractiveness and enthusiasm of the game itself. Thus, an abundant clubs of mahjong fans have evolved and a whole philosophic system of Mahjong representation is now shaped up. Now, Mahjong is also frequently called a solitaire game due to their resemblance.
Here are the more reputable online mahjong sites that I would recommend.
Mahjong Time
They are the host for the 1st World Online Mahjong Championship which will be held on October 28-29, 2006. Free online Mahjong games with real life opponents.
