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Mahjong: A Visual Guide

themahjong.guide

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Re: Mahjong: A Visual Guide

#31

Post by flobosg »

ViscountPenguin wrote: post #29
flobosg wrote: post #23

In the Kaiji manga, the “Minefield Mahjong” arc uses a variation of Japanese Mahjong. It can be read without knowing the general rules (as I did), but I guess they make some of the scenes more understandable and/or impactful. Maybe I’ll give it a reread after checking this out.

The kaiji author is a massive riichi fanatic if I recall correctly.

Yes, he is! (Which explains other of his mangas, Akagi):

> He has been playing mahjong since junior high school days, and admitted that though he has rarely lost a game when he was in school, his current level of ability is average. According to him, he has "tournament luck" and has even won mahjong tournaments between mahjong manga artists. He has also participated in professional mahjong matches. He played about two games against Akagi and Kaiji's voice actor Masato Hagiwara, who is known as one of the best mahjong players in the entertainment industry, and made Hagiwara say "I don't think I can beat him."

―https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuyuki_Fukumoto

Re: Mahjong: A Visual Guide

#32

Post by nkrisc »

wavemode wrote: post #7

Really lovely designed website. Though I get the sense that, typically the easiest way to learn how to play a game, is to walk through actually playing the game. Listing out a bunch of facts about how the game works is mostly just confusing for a newcomer - the brain doesn't retain that kind of information well. The example of this I often give is Magic: The Gathering. Very easy to learn how to play just by playing i…

Any time someone starts explaining a new game to me I stop them and tell them to just start the game and walk me through it as we play. If I’m teaching someone a card game we’ll play open hand until they get it then start over. It’s kind of like a physical activity like riding a bike, you just gotta do it, not read about it.

Re: Mahjong: A Visual Guide

#33

Post by test1235 »

can someone explain this bit to me:

Break the wall

Whose wall?

Count the total counter-clockwise starting from the dealer (East = 1).

東 East 1 · 5 · 9

南 South 2 · 6 · 10

西 West 3 · 7 · 11

北 North 4 · 8 · 12

East -> South -> West -> North - is that not clockwise? What am I missing?

Re: Mahjong: A Visual Guide

#35

Post by tovej »

test1235 wrote: post #33

can someone explain this bit to me: Break the wall Whose wall? Count the total counter-clockwise starting from the dealer (East = 1). 東 East 1 · 5 · 9 南 South 2 · 6 · 10 西 West 3 · 7 · 11 北 North 4 · 8 · 12 East -> South -> West -> North - is that not clockwise? What am I missing?

No, south sits to the right of east, west to the right of south, and north to the right of west.

All chinese card games go counter-clockwise. And the compass directions have a standard order, from 1-4: ESWN. Which is why the seat order is not the same as it would be on a compass.

Re: Mahjong: A Visual Guide

#37

Post by msla »

jader201 wrote: post #9

Some (mostly American?) people know Mahjong as a solitaire game [1] that they likely have played on their phone or Windows PC/Mac. This article is talking about the (arguably less known?) 4-player competitive game [2], and assumes you already know the difference (which some may not). [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong_solitaire [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong

This is generational. Of course, the generation of Westerners who played a lot of four-hand Mahjong is dead now, but still...

https://bamgoodtime.com/blog/history-of-american-mahjong

> What followed was one of the biggest game fads in American history. Between roughly 1922 and 1924, mahjong exploded across the United States. Department stores couldn't keep sets in stock. Demand grew so quickly that bone and bamboo tiles had to be imported from China in enormous quantities. Newspapers ran columns explaining the rules. Eddie Cantor performed a hit song called "Since Ma Is Playing Mah Jong." Fashion designers created mahjong-themed clothing. Entire social calendars reorganized around the game.

Re: Mahjong: A Visual Guide

#38

Post by kyleblarson »

yapyap wrote: post #26
jader201 wrote: post #9

Some (mostly American?) people know Mahjong as a solitaire game [1] that they likely have played on their phone or Windows PC/Mac. This article is talking about the (arguably less known?) 4-player competitive game [2], and assumes you already know the difference (which some may not). [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong_solitaire [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong

Less known to the Western centric HN crowd, maybe.

I only have 2 data points, but my mom in the southeastern US (in her 70's) and all of her friends have started playing and are fully addicted and the same seems to be true at my golf club in Inland Northwest. Maybe it's getting a toehold? (in a very non-HN demographic)

Re: Mahjong: A Visual Guide

#39

Post by gyomu »

wavemode wrote: post #7

Really lovely designed website. Though I get the sense that, typically the easiest way to learn how to play a game, is to walk through actually playing the game. Listing out a bunch of facts about how the game works is mostly just confusing for a newcomer - the brain doesn't retain that kind of information well. The example of this I often give is Magic: The Gathering. Very easy to learn how to play just by playing i…

Related: Every Board Game Rulebook is Awful (100 page PDF)

https://boardgametextbook.com/EBGRIA.pdf

Overview here: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/13453/blogpost/164134/every-b...

Re: Mahjong: A Visual Guide

#40

Post by chocochunks »

flobosg wrote: post #23

In the Kaiji manga, the “Minefield Mahjong” arc uses a variation of Japanese Mahjong. It can be read without knowing the general rules (as I did), but I guess they make some of the scenes more understandable and/or impactful. Maybe I’ll give it a reread after checking this out.

There are entire manga/anime centered around Mahjong, like Saki and the multitude of spin-offs. And there's many more than just those.

If you have a Nintendo Switch, Clubhouse 51 games includes a pretty decent Riichi Mahjong mode that'll explain all the rules too.

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