gin rummy, the chinese version
For the past three nights, about 2 to 3 hours each night, I've been indulging in the age-old Chinese game of skill, intelligence, calculation and luck. Yup yup, I've been playing MAHJONG!
PONG!!!
(Getting three cards of the same pattern and number; getting the third card by taking another person's discarded piece, with two pieces already at hand)
I recall the days when I was a little girl, I always crept around the mahjong table watching the adults play during Chinese New Year. It's a once-a-year affair when my family and relatives get together for a few friendly rounds. For as long as I could remember, I was the one who served drinks and snacks to the mahjong players, "Would you like some chinese tea? Some cake?"
CHEE!!!
(Connecting three cards of the same pattern but in running numbers by taking another person's discarded piece, with two pieces already at hand)
It's been many years since those days; as time went by, they played less and less. Nevertheless till today, there were still some nights during the festive season that I could hear the mahjong pieces go "clack! clack! clack! clack! clack!" as they mix the tiles, similar to the sounds of hard rain on a tin roof.
KONG!!! (Four cards of the same pattern and number; getting the fourth card by taking another person's discarded piece, with three pieces already at hand)
As I grew up, I became and apprentice of sorts in my teenage years. My relatives all had a hand in teaching us young 'uns first how to read the tiles, then the rules of the game, and later on how to play smart. I've been relatively ok with the game; it was easy to pick up. What was hardest was trying to win! When I play with the older folks, their years of experience in reading what's at hand and what's out on the table - sort of like how you'd read a poker game - would almost always guarantee them a win.
AMM GONG!!!
(Four cards of the same pattern and number; getting the fourth card by taking the required piece yourself, with three pieces already at hand)
These recent years, my family and relatives have stopped playing mahjong during Chinese New Year. Well, not stopped entirely, but carried on with us next generation fellas at the table. Needless to say, we still have not honed our skills through the sporadic playing of the game only during the festive season (compared to Grandma who used to take a bus to somewhere and play every other day). But with a little help from the old folks - our Si-Fu's - we do pretty well now enough to win a few rounds.
TZE MOH!!!
(Winning the game by taking the required piece yourself and not from someone else's discarded tile)
The hardest and the last part I ever had to learn about mahjong was counting up the points. You'd have to calculate the "flowers", the ends, the "tong, nam, sai, pak, hong chung, pak pann, fatt choy" tiles, and oh... so many little rules on calculating the base points. And from there, if you're the winner, you'd have to add 50 points, then double up from there according to the number of so-called "flowers" and other suits that belong to you. Uhmmmm... It's too complicated to explain it here, so I'll just leave it as that... ha-ha!
SEK WU!!!
(Game!)
Back to the present. Luck seemed to be with me this year; I had retained the "chong" position for 8 times in a row (until my Dad took over Mum's place) in the game earlier this evening. And after three nights of playing against my siblings, parents, aunt and uncles, polishing up my skills and refreshing my memory on calculating my points, I won a grand total of...
Ta-daaaahhhh!
RM17.70.
(Such hard work for a little dough, but better than nothing, right?)
Hmmm.
I think I'll stick to playing Black Jack for some fast money...
p.s. for the clueless, Wikipedia has a comprehensive explanation on what Mahjong is. Read up!
Technorati: seasonal, chinese new year, mahjong
PONG!!!(Getting three cards of the same pattern and number; getting the third card by taking another person's discarded piece, with two pieces already at hand)
I recall the days when I was a little girl, I always crept around the mahjong table watching the adults play during Chinese New Year. It's a once-a-year affair when my family and relatives get together for a few friendly rounds. For as long as I could remember, I was the one who served drinks and snacks to the mahjong players, "Would you like some chinese tea? Some cake?"
CHEE!!!(Connecting three cards of the same pattern but in running numbers by taking another person's discarded piece, with two pieces already at hand)
It's been many years since those days; as time went by, they played less and less. Nevertheless till today, there were still some nights during the festive season that I could hear the mahjong pieces go "clack! clack! clack! clack! clack!" as they mix the tiles, similar to the sounds of hard rain on a tin roof.
KONG!!! (Four cards of the same pattern and number; getting the fourth card by taking another person's discarded piece, with three pieces already at hand)
As I grew up, I became and apprentice of sorts in my teenage years. My relatives all had a hand in teaching us young 'uns first how to read the tiles, then the rules of the game, and later on how to play smart. I've been relatively ok with the game; it was easy to pick up. What was hardest was trying to win! When I play with the older folks, their years of experience in reading what's at hand and what's out on the table - sort of like how you'd read a poker game - would almost always guarantee them a win.
AMM GONG!!!
(Four cards of the same pattern and number; getting the fourth card by taking the required piece yourself, with three pieces already at hand)
These recent years, my family and relatives have stopped playing mahjong during Chinese New Year. Well, not stopped entirely, but carried on with us next generation fellas at the table. Needless to say, we still have not honed our skills through the sporadic playing of the game only during the festive season (compared to Grandma who used to take a bus to somewhere and play every other day). But with a little help from the old folks - our Si-Fu's - we do pretty well now enough to win a few rounds.
TZE MOH!!!
(Winning the game by taking the required piece yourself and not from someone else's discarded tile)
The hardest and the last part I ever had to learn about mahjong was counting up the points. You'd have to calculate the "flowers", the ends, the "tong, nam, sai, pak, hong chung, pak pann, fatt choy" tiles, and oh... so many little rules on calculating the base points. And from there, if you're the winner, you'd have to add 50 points, then double up from there according to the number of so-called "flowers" and other suits that belong to you. Uhmmmm... It's too complicated to explain it here, so I'll just leave it as that... ha-ha!
SEK WU!!!(Game!)
Back to the present. Luck seemed to be with me this year; I had retained the "chong" position for 8 times in a row (until my Dad took over Mum's place) in the game earlier this evening. And after three nights of playing against my siblings, parents, aunt and uncles, polishing up my skills and refreshing my memory on calculating my points, I won a grand total of...
Ta-daaaahhhh!
RM17.70.
(Such hard work for a little dough, but better than nothing, right?)
Hmmm.
I think I'll stick to playing Black Jack for some fast money...
p.s. for the clueless, Wikipedia has a comprehensive explanation on what Mahjong is. Read up!
Technorati: seasonal, chinese new year, mahjong
posted by may at 11:42 pm
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