Articles

Explore mahjong research and rules by topic, with series arranged in reading order.

Mahjong Theory

The Evolution of Mahjong Scoring Systems, Part I: Multiplicative Scoring

The Evolution of Mahjong Scoring Systems, Part II: Additive Scoring

Comparing Mahjong Payment Systems

What Does “Triple Payment for Self-Draw” Really Mean in Chinese Official Mahjong?

A Reasonable Payment System for Hand-Building Mahjong

Rules Comparison and Evaluation

Evaluating Three Competitive Mahjong Rulesets: Chinese Official, Riichi, and Zung Jung

Comparing Four Seas Mahjong with Several Competitive Rulesets

What Makes an Ideal Mahjong Ruleset?

The Underlying Logic of Riichi and Chinese Official Mahjong, Part 1: Payment Systems

The Underlying Logic of Riichi and Chinese Official Mahjong, Part 2: Winning Requirements

Hand-Building Mahjong Philosophy

Hand-Building Mahjong: Origins and Improvements

Why Doesn’t Zung Jung Encourage Hand-Building?

Selecting Patterns for Hand-Building Mahjong: Beauty or Difficulty?

Two Tensions in Hand-Building Mahjong, Part I: Building Hands and Racing to Win

Two Tensions in Hand-Building Mahjong, Part II: Accessibility and Depth

Four Seas Rules and Design

Design Principles of the Four Seas Mahjong Beginner Edition

Four Seas Mahjong Basic Rules Explained

Designing the Four Seas Mahjong Basic Edition

Four Seas Mahjong Intermediate Edition: Rules Explained

Designing Four Seas Intermediate, Part I: Scoring Patterns

Four Seas Data and Updates

Four Seas Mahjong Design: Looking Back and Ahead, Part I

Four Seas Mahjong Design: Looking Back and Ahead, Part II

Preliminary Four Seas Mahjong Statistics, Part I: Hand-Building in Practice

Preliminary Four Seas Mahjong Statistics, Part II: Ten Main, Eight High-Scoring, and Eight Supporting Routes

Preliminary Four Seas Mahjong Statistics, Part III: Accessible Rules That Encourage Hand-Building

Exploring Regional Mahjong

A Look at Regional Mahjong Rules

Multiplier Rules in Mahjong, Part I

Multiplier Rules in Mahjong, Part II

Rules That Change Mahjong Play, Part I: Wildcards

Rules That Change Mahjong Play, Part II: Riichi and Baoting