Babcock's Rules for Mah-Jongg

by Joseph Park Babcock

 

 

Babcock’s Rules
for
MAH-JONGG

The Red Book of Rules

 

By
J. P. BABCOCK

 

SECOND EDITION

Revised and Enlarged, including full
code of official laws and examples of
illustrative hands

 

MAH-JONGG SALES COMPANY OF AMERICA
36 Spear St., San Francisco, California
Sole Distributors for
United States, Canada, and Mexico

 

SHANGHAI, CHINA
Mah-Jongg Company of China
Chinese Post Office Box No. 1

Copyright, 1920, 1922, by J. P. Babcock
Copyright, 1923, by Mah-Jongg Sales Company of America

Copyright in Great Britain

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All rights reserved, including the
rights of translation into all foreign
languages, including the Scandinavian

---

First printing, September, 1920
Second printing, December, 1921
Third printing, May, 1922
Fourth printing, July, 1922
Fifth printing, October, 1922
Sixth printing, December, 1922
Seventh printing, February, 1923
Eighth printing, April, 1923
Ninth printing, August, 1923
Tenth printing, October, 1923
Eleventh printing, November, 1923

 

Printed in the United States of America

PREFACE

MAH-JONGG is a game developed by the author from the old Chinese game of 麻雀. This Chinese game itself was a gradual development of centuries of play in China.

The Chinese learn 麻雀 as children and consequently feel no need for a book of instructions or rules. The result has been that in the different sections of China innovations and deviations have been introduced to such an extent that today there is no recognized standard Chinese method of play throughout China. Nor is it possible to obtain in Chinese any codified laws and rules for the game, such as would be necessary for foreign play.

It was the author's intention to produce a game which would include many of the interesting features of the old Chinese game adapted to foreign thought and custom, and that would be so simplified and standardized in form that it could be easily mastered by a set of written rules.

In 1920 the English index numbers for the tiles were first introduced by the author and the first edition of these rules appeared. This game played with the English indexed tiles as covered by the author's rules was given the name of MAH-JONGG.

These rules for Mah-Jongg were written after a careful investigation and study of the many conflicting methods of play of the game of 麻雀, prevailing in different parts of China. As a result, Mah-Jongg not only embraces most of the interesting features of the Chinese game, but a number of changes and, from a foreign viewpoint, improvements have been introduced. These were the first rules in any language based on the old Chinese game of 麻雀, and this was the first attempt ever made to popularize this class of Oriental game among others than Chinese.

The success of the first edition has been attested by the rapidity with which players, who have never had the opportunity of seeing the game played, have been able to master the Standard Rules, and by the popularity of the game and the rules wherever the game has been taken up. These rules were adopted officially by the American Club, and by the Union Club of Shanghai, the latter an organization with Chinese, British, and American membership.

As a result of the first edition, Mah-Jongg attained great popularity among the foreign community in the treaty ports of China, and with their increased knowledge of the game and the interest aroused in China and other countries, there has arisen a demand for a more detailed and complete book on the subject. It is this demand which the following pages were designed to satisfy.

In this second edition, considerable attention has been given to such irregularities as may occur in the game, particularly when it is played by inexperienced players, and an attempt has been made to cover clearly all situations that may arise to perplex the new player.

It is to be hoped that this book will obviate for beginners the necessity of personal instruction and at the same time serve as a comprehensive reference authority for advanced players.

The reader may rest assured that for the small amount of time and effort required to master the elementary principles of the game, he will be many times repaid in the enjoyment he will derive from playing Mah-Jongg.

Shanghai, China.
1923

CONTENTS

		Page
	Preface	iii
I.	The Mah-Jongg Set	1
II.	Rules of Play	7
III.	Laws Governing Irregularities	31
IV.	Standard Score Sheet for Mah-Jongg	34
V.	Aids in Scoring for Mah-Jongg	38
VI.	Examples for Scoring in Mah-Jongg	41
VII.	Optional Scores	53
VIII.	The Chinese Game 麻雀	63
IX.	Variations of Mah-Jongg	83
X.	Mah-Jongg With the Goofs or Seasons	87
XI.	Mah-Jongg Pointers and Suggestions for Play	95
XII.	Historical	110
	Index	113