Mahjong is a centuries-old traditional Chinese game played with tiles, typically by four players. The objective of the game is to collect a “Mahjong”, or a certain set of tiles, which in turn will be the winning hand. Despite the traditional nature of Mahjong, the game is now available for play at Chinese mobile casinos, which are available across many cities and provinces in the country.
In traditional Mahjong, a set of 144 tiles is used, with each player receiving 13 tiles. All tiles are shuffled face down and then placed in a wall formation, which can be likened to a pyramid, with each side featuring 18 tiles. Through drawing and discarding tiles, players must obtain the four sets, and one pair, which is required for a win. The sets include three-of-a-kind, four-of-a-kind and sequences.
In the mobile version of Mahjong, the game is much faster paced than the traditional game as rounds are typically shorter and more focused. There are also slight variations in the rules of the game. For instance, the minimum number of tiles required for a win is only 13, and winds can be scored as soon as the game begins. While traditional Mahjong involves bonus points for winning in certain ways, this feature is less emphasized in the mobile version.