Blog & Guides
Longer reads on how mahjong actually works — written for players, not encyclopedias.
How to Get Better at Mahjong: What Actually Separates Winners
Winning mahjong isn't luck or memorization — it's five specific habits. What stronger players do differently at the wall, in the pond and on defense, whatever variant you play.
2026-11-07 · 7 min read
Mahjong Scoring Explained: Fan, Fu, Tai and Why Every Table Disagrees
Why the same winning hand pays differently in Hong Kong, riichi and American rules — the three scoring systems of mahjong, one worked example each, and how to stop dreading the chart.
2026-11-07 · 7 min read
Mahjong Table Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules Every Beginner Breaks
Mahjong has rules, and then it has RULES. The unwritten ones — handling tiles, claiming calls, joining a strange table, losing money gracefully — and how to survive your first real session.
2026-11-07 · 6 min read
How to Learn Mahjong in 2026: Lessons, Clubs and the Self-Taught Route
Mahjong is having a moment — clubs and lessons are everywhere right now. The realistic paths to learning in 2026: classes, community tables, apps and books, and which mix actually works.
2026-11-07 · 6 min read
How to Buy Your First Mahjong Set (Without Overpaying)
Melamine or bamboo? 144 or 152 tiles? Racks, chips, cases — what a mahjong set needs, what it doesn't, and the price bands that make sense. Buying advice from people who play, not sell.
2026-11-07 · 6 min read
Whatever Happened to Mahjong Titans? The Windows Game That Taught a Generation
It shipped inside Windows Vista and taught millions what a mahjong tile looks like. The story of Mahjong Titans — where it went, what replaced it, and why it accidentally created mahjong players.
2026-11-07 · 5 min read
How to Play Mahjong: A Beginner's Guide That Actually Gets You to the Table
Mahjong explained in one sitting — what the tiles are, how a winning hand is built, how a turn works, and which version you should learn first. No jargon before it's defined.
2026-11-07 · 9 min read
How to Win at Mahjong Solitaire (Most of the Time)
Mahjong solitaire looks like pure luck, but good players clear the turtle far more often than beginners. The strategies that matter: stack discipline, pair counting, and knowing when a deal is simply dead.
2026-11-07 · 6 min read
How Many Tiles Are in a Mahjong Set? (136, 144 or 152)
The real answer to 'how many tiles in a mahjong set': 144 in most sets, 136 for Japanese play, 152 for American. What's inside the box, piece by piece, and why the number changes by country.
2026-11-07 · 4 min read
Mahjong Hands Explained: Every Shape From Chow to Yakuman
Every mahjong win comes from a handful of shapes: four sets and a pair — plus the famous exceptions. What chows, pungs, kongs and pairs are, and how the same hand scores differently in three variants.
2026-11-07 · 7 min read
Japanese vs. Chinese Mahjong: Which One Are You Actually Playing?
Same tiles, almost nothing else in common. The real differences between riichi and Chinese-style mahjong — yaku requirements, scoring, flowers, defense culture — and how to pick your side.
2026-11-07 · 7 min read
Is Mahjong Hard to Learn? An Honest Timeline
What you can realistically learn in one evening, one week and one month of mahjong — plus the two mistakes that make beginners quit before the fun starts.
2026-11-07 · 5 min read
Can You Play Mahjong With 2 or 3 Players? Yes — Here's How
Mahjong wants four players, but real life doesn't always deliver. The legitimate three-player formats (sanma, bloody battle) and honest options for two — including what to skip.
2026-11-07 · 6 min read
Mahjong vs. Mahjong Solitaire: What's the Difference?
The most-asked question in Western mahjong, answered. One is a four-player battle of tile efficiency; the other is a solo tile-matching puzzle. How to tell them apart — and which one you actually want.
2026-11-07 · 5 min read
Which Mahjong Variant Should You Learn First?
Riichi, Hong Kong, American, Taiwanese, Sichuan, Classical — six major mahjong variants and one honest recommendation for which to learn first, based on how you want to play.
2026-11-07 · 6 min read
Riichi Mahjong in 10 Minutes: The Rules You Must Know
A compressed, no-nonsense introduction to Japanese mahjong: the yaku requirement, riichi declarations, dora, furiten and the three things beginners get wrong at their first table.
2026-11-07 · 8 min read