But this December, Santa Monica based Activision Inc., a computer games company, plans to release a mah-jongg game that incorporates American rules as well. But last year, when she joined the Mah-Jongg Network, a 300 member Los Angeles group that helps devotees locate other players, she realized she was mistaken. At times, the group even serves as a place to network for jobs. The four-person game of tiles, played for centuries in Asia, has been popular in the U.S. since the 1920s. Often playing for money, competitors try to assemble a winning hand by collecting tiles to form certain patterns.
Games are often boisterous, with players challenging one another's moves.
Players in Japan, Vietnam, and other Asian countries have their own local rule variations. As more young people take up mah-jongg, an industry catering to the needs and whims of serious players has emerged. In the 12 years since the Mah-Jongg Madness division of Speciality Cruises International teamed up with the National Mah Jongg League to run the cruise, the trip's clientele has changed.