Mahjong is a classic Chinese tile-based game that has been gaining popularity among Kenyans. This is due to its subtle complexity and strategic nature that makes it ideal for those who are looking for a challenge. The rules of Mahjong are similar regardless of country.
The game is played with 144 tiles. There are four main types of tiles: Bamboo, Characters, Circles, and Dragons. They are divided into suits and honour tiles. The suits consist of Bamboo, Characters, Circles, and Winds, while the honour tiles include Dragons and Flowers/Seasons. The game is usually played by two to four players.
Each player builds his or her own hand of 14 tiles, with which to compete with other players. During the game, players collect tiles from the wall or discard piles, in order to complete sets or a hand of mahjong. The object of Mahjong is to build sets of combinations. These sets are made up of either three or four tiles. The tile set can consist of a pung (a set of three identical tiles), a chow (a set of three consecutive tiles in the same suit), or a kong (a set of four identical tiles). The last set is known as a mahjong.
In order to win the game, a player must get rid of all of his or her tiles, either by discarding them or by declaring ‘Mahjong’. If two or more players declare ‘Mahjong’ simultaneously, the player with the highest value hand will be declared the winner.