Question: Why don’t all Mah Jongg groups play the same way? I was invited into a new game and they implemented rules I’d never heard about.

Answer: Although Mah jongg has a formal set of rules, it is not uncommon to find that some players have adopted their own house rules and/or have decided to play a more informal game. Below is a guide to the types of variations you might find among Mah Jongg groups:

• Play by NMJL rules using rules that have been revoked (i.e., picking ahead, 14 tiles version, playing with futures)
• Play by NMJL rules using leniency (i.e. forgiving mistakes)
• Play by NMJL rules (strictly by the book)
• Play a mix of both NMJL and House Rules that will encourage defensive play (i.e. hot wall, cold wall), higher hand values (i.e., rolling doubles=double value), or add interesting versions (i.e., Atomic); may also include legacy rules
• Play by tournament rules