What is Mah Jongg?

 

2 Bam. 4 Crak. 9 Dot. You may be asking what are these combinations of numbers and strange words? Some of you know exactly what I'm referring to, for those of you who are new to these terms, let me introduce you to the Chinese-inspired gaming phenomenon called mah jongg.

Mah jongg lore states that the game crossed the Pacific Ocean from China, with an American businessman named Joseph Babcock, and made its debut in the United States in the 1920s. While he was sent abroad to work for the Standard Oil Company in China, he and his wife were introduced to and enjoyed playing the Chinese version of mah jongg. He knew this tile-based game would be well received in the American and European gaming markets, and decided the Chinese version needed a few changes to make it salable. He added Arabic numbers and Western leters to the tiles........

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