Current development[edit]

There are many governing bodies which often host exhibition games and tournaments for modern
and traditional Mahjong gaming.
Mahjong, as of 2010, is the most popular table game in Japan.[14] As of 2008, there were
approximately 7.6 million Mahjong players in Japan and an estimated 8,900 Mahjong parlors did
300 billion in sales.[15] Many devotees there believe the game is losing popularity and have taken
efforts to revive it.[citation needed] There are several manga and anime(e.g. Saki and Akagi) devoted to
dramatic and comic situations involving Mahjong.[16] Since the 1980s, hundreds of different Mahjong
arcade machines in Japanese video arcades have been created, including strip versions. Newer
units can connect with other arcade machines across the Internet.
Mahjong culture is still deeply ingrained in the Chinese community. Sam Hui wrote Cantopop
songs using Mahjong as their themes, and Hong Kong movies have often included scenes of
Mahjong games. Many gambling movies have been filmed in Hong Kong, and a recent subgenre is
the Mahjong movie.
Prolonged playing of Mahjong may trigger epileptic seizures according to a 2007 study.[17][18] To date
there are 23 reported cases of Mahjong-induced seizures in the English medical literature. Some
doctors speculate that this may be due to stress and complex manual movement correlated with
intense brain function similar to playing chess or card games such as poker.[19]
Studies by doctors have also shown in Hong Kong that the game is beneficial for individuals
suffering from dementia or cognitive memory difficulties, leading to the development of Mahjong
therapy.[20]

Old Hong Kong Mahjong[edit]

Old Hong Kong Mahjong uses the same basic features and rules as the majority of the different
variations of the game. This form of Mahjong starts with a large portion of the standardized tiles and
has a relatively simple scoring system.

Game Pieces and Accessories[edit]

Main article: Mahjong tiles

A set of Mahjong tiles and accessories

Hong Kong Mahjong is played with a set of Mahjong tiles (though cards may be used). Sets often
include counters (to keep score), dice (to decide how to deal) and a marker to show who the dealer
is and which round is being played. Some sets include racks to the hold tiles. Especially if they are
larger/smaller than standard tiles or have an odd shape.
A set of Mahjong tiles usually has at least 136 tiles (most commonly 144). Although, sets originating
from America or Japan will probably have more. Mahjong tiles are split into 4 categories: Suits (or
simples), Honors, Flowers and Seasons.[21]
Suits tiles[edit]
There are 3 different groups of suits, numbered from 1 to 9, which are also called "simple" tiles. They
are: bamboos (also called bams or sticks), stones (also called wheels, circles or dots), and
characters (also called numbers, thousands, coins, characks, myriads, cracks or wan) There are 4
identical copies of each suit tile totaling 108 suit or "simple" tiles.[21][22]
Numbers

Suit

Bamboos

Stones

Characters