An introduction to Mah Jong
The exciting game of Mah Jong has existed in one form or another for ages. It is interesting, fun, and stimulates the cognitive processes of the brain. Throughout the years, it has stood the test of time, and its longevity has made it popular again today, as the game has enjoyed a new resurgence with people of all ages.
One of the most intriguing and stimulating aspects of Mah Jong is that it is played with other people, engendering a vibrant, social atmosphere not often observed in society today. Although there exist online versions, there is something very beneficial feeling when one holds the tiles in one's hands and moves them around. That tangible quality of Mah Jong engages one physically, mentally, and again, socially. Those who play it heap effusive praise upon the game.
History prior to the 1920s
Tile games of some form have been found from around 1120 AD in China and Chinese dominoes has been played for centuries in that region. Mah Jong, however, bears a much greater resemblance in play to certain card games, namely those of the Rummy family. Prior to the appearance of Mah Jong, a variety of card games were played in China with at least four types of cards decks. However, just like Mah Jong the majority of these were of the set-collecting variety and certain terms from these old card games are also used in Mah Jong. So, it seems not unreasonable to place Mah Jong as a nephew of those card games.
The conception event that mated the card collection methodology with the tile pieces is usually touted as a missing link and it certainly appears possible that Mah Jong may have been the result of such a unique event although it's just as likely that nothing so straightforward ever o...
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...the original MahJong. Moreover , one might argue that MahJong influenced the development of the game Rummy by using the same concept of the “joker” and the tile discarding concept.
In my opinion, I think that Mah Jong is a really exciting game that requires a lot of thinking, patience, flexibility and alertness. It gets even interesting if you constantly play with different players as each players have a different style of playing. Naturally, you may play Mahjong for free, or for actual money at various limits, but however way you play it, Mah Jong is a game that has been enjoyed by the people for many many centuries. I think I have successfully concluded the basic game plays of MahJong and the histories of the game prior to the 19th century. If I were to grade this game, I would give it a 90/100 points as a game to play and 80/100 as an influential game to others.
Go is a fascinating game that, although created in China, gained popularity and permanence in Japan. Go planted its roots in the Heian Period and grew from there. The Heian Period, known as the Golden Age of Japan, was a very stable time with the imperial court at the height of its reign, especially in its early and middle years. Go provided a leisurely pastime and an opportunity for casual conversation that was not only entertaining in a stimulating way, but at the same time maintained the cultivated decorum of the ruling elite of the time which were among its most common players: courtiers. Since Go’s beginnings in the Heian court, the construct of decorum, the diet, and the dress of the court served to facilitate its acceptance and popularity among these aristocrats.
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...The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond: The Story behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World. Roseville, CA: Prima Pub., 2001. Print.
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Resnick, M. (2006). Computer as Paintbrush : Technology , Play , and the Creative Society An Example : Alexandra ’ s Marble Machine. (D. G. Singer, R. M. Golinkoff, & K. Hirsh-Pasek, Eds.)Play Learning How play motivates and enhances childrens cognitive and socialemotional growth, 1-16. Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://web.media.mit.edu/~mres/papers/playlearn-handout.pdf
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