Chattering voices and clattering tiles resume as the cycle repeats. There are two versions of the social game. One is the international version which has been played in China, Taiwan, Japan, and neighboring regions for a few hundred years. The other was coined in New York in the 1920's and is governed by the National Mah Jongg League of New York City. Both are rummy type games best played with four people.
Players draw and discard tiles trying to form melds.
For the American version, the National Mah Jongg League publishes a card every year in April showing which melds will be used this year. To play the American version, joker tiles are needed. Some Mah Jongg sets are packed with the 8 necessary jokers. Oriental sets do not include jokers. The National Mah Jongg League publishes stickers you can put on your flower and season tiles to convert them to jokers.