Anyone know how to play Ma Chan (AKA Swimming on the table)? I believe it’s a Chinese game.
First things first, Grasshopper.
Though you spelled it phonetically correctly, the reason why your internet search (I’m guesssing, with my ancient Eastern wisdom, that you tried an internet search first) failed is because it’s spelled, “Mah Jongg.”
The first place to go is The National Mah Jongg League for the lowdown of the game and for the common U.S. version of the rules which governs U.S. NML tournaments.
Also, get this: the rules change each year! Well, not always the actual rules of play, which do get occasionally updated, but the melds you need (to borrow a card-player’s terminology) to make a Mah Jongg change each year. Sure you can use 1997’s set of melds forever, but, if you don’t have the current year’s list of melds, some Jewish grandmother in Miami will clonk your skull with a three bam.
Now that you have the correct spelling, the websites will follow, but, here’s a few I came across:
The Official Online Mah Jongg Internet Game (if my mom was still alive, this site alone would have absorbed her every waking moment…)
Mah Jongg Accessories and Mah Jongg Maven (oh, yes, it’s big business)
A Mah Jongg fan site (‘fanatic’ is too mild a word)
Peace.
Who’s East?