The game of Mahjong is believed to have originated in China around 1700 A.D. and is a traditional four-player game resembling the Western card game rummy. It is a game that requires skill and strategy, and it is popular among individuals of all ages in many countries.
Mahjong is played with 144 tiles, and the rules vary slightly depending on the type of game. In Latvia, the traditional Chinese version of Mahjong is the most popular. The aim of the game is to make four combinations of three or four tiles and one pair. The tiles are divided into three categories: Suits (including characters, circles and bamboos), Honours (which include winds, dragons and flowers) and Special Tiles (which include bonus tiles and special jokers).
Players will draw and discard tiles to make their desired sets until one player has a valid hand. Once a valid hand is obtained, the player will call “Mahjong”, and the game is over. The player with the highest-scoring hand will be awarded the points and the game will continue.