Owning a mahjong set is not only about the fun of the game, but the nostalgia that it brings as a game that has been around for thousands of years. Over in China, mahjong is still one of the most played games of modern times. If you have ever traveled to China you might have see the evidence for this yourself, as the game is often played in public spaces as well as in the home. Even temple gardens will allow for mahjong tables - often a long string of them side by side! It may have some history this game, but it is not only loved by older generations, but by the younger ones too. The game is best played between four people who will use skills such as strategy and math - with a little dose of luck too! The phenomenal game of mahjong is played across the globe and not only in Asia or China.
You certainly wouldn't have a hard time finding a mahjong set to purchase. There are usually two main differences in the mahjong sets available today and they are those which use cards and those that use tiles. As well as being a great game to play at home or in temple gardens (or any public garden for that matter), Mahjong's compact set can be taken with you on trips as it doesn't weigh a lot or take up much space. Mahjong can be a really enjoyable game for any age group once they have learnt the basic rules. Not everyone who plays mahjong, will play for serious money - but if it is just a little pot between friends then it can not do nay harm - not if you imagine all the fun you could have.
You can play with as many as four people, with each one receiving either 13 or 16 tiles at the beginning of the game. Whenever a player takes their turn, they will first take a tile from the draw pile and then second, place one of their tiles down that they want to get rid of. In that respect, the player will always have the same amount of tiles or cards throughout the game. Failure to pick a tile up and place one down would result in their disqualification from the game. Each of the tiles will belong to one of the five suits. The suits are named as followed - bamboo, number, flower, stone and the last one honor - which is itself divided into either dragons or wind. Each of the cards and suits will correspond with an amount - usually equaled to an amount of money.
When looking to purchase your very own mahjong set, you should never buy or take a second-hand one which is deemed bad luck. A good mahjong game set with have the following items included - the tiles, a few blank tiles should one be lost or damaged, playing manual, gambling chips, compass and terminus. A good set shouldn't cost you more than $40 and if you buy from a good retailer they can probably help you fill in the blank tiles should you ever need to.