Take a break and enjoy a game of Mah Jong—in the end, it will only increase your productivity, coordination, social ability, brain strength, and ability to relax. That’s right, Mah Jong is fun, but it also keeps you sharp. Here are our top 10 reasons we love the game:
1. The tiles.
More tactile than a standard card game, Mah Jong has these nifty tiles that you get to shuffle around on the table, pick up, and arrange in front of you.
2. All the variety in tile sets.
Some sets have fun colors, and they come in many different sizes.
3. The workout it gives your adult brain.
Mah Jong has many unique rules, a complicated scoring system, and requires that you pay attention to what your opponents are doing. Studies have shown that playing Mah Jong has a positive effect on people suffering from dementia to retain their mental abilities.
4. Also, the workout it gives developing brains.
It’s an excellent inter-generational activity!
5. The endless variations in gameplay.
Rīchi (Japanese style), Hong Kong, American, Chinese Classic, Tawainese, Vietnamese, Korean, and South African are just some of the different types of Mah Jong games out there.
6. That you can meet and play with people all over the world.
These people played on top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge!
7. That it’s a good way to stay social.
Except at the most serious Mahjong table (where gambling is going on), it tends to be a social game with lots of time to catch up with your friends.
8. The money you can win.
If you are a gambler, Mah Jong can be a great way to take home some extra cash. Then again, you might wind up losing it all!
9. The (sort-of) similarity to Rummy and Gin Rummy.
You’re mostly looking out for sets of three or four, and it’s an advantage to keep the sets you’ve got hidden until you have a winning hand. If you’ve played rummy before, you can understand the very basics of Mah Jong game-play.
10. And lastly, we love Mah Jong because it’s fun to shout “Heck!” when you win.
Say it loud and proud!