Playing mahjong, which is sometimes described as a metaphor of real life, needs a mix of strategies and luck. Typically in China, it also involves placing large or small bets. A century ago, it was mainly a pastime for wealthy people, but today it is considered a game of the people. When it was first introduced to the U.S.A. in the 1920s, a craze of mahjong ensued. The best way to learn playing mahjong is to sit with friends and ask them to play a demonstration game: ask them to turn their pieces upwards and watch what everybody is doing.
打麻将（mahjong）有时被描述成现实生活的翻版，既需要策略，也需要运气。在中国玩麻将通常还需要下或大或小的赌注（bet）。一个世纪前，麻将主要是富人的消遣（pastime），但如今已被认为是大众游戏。麻将在20世纪20年代引入美国，一股麻将热潮随之而来。学习打麻将最好的方式是与朋友坐在一起，让他们示范玩一次，把麻将牌面向上，看大家怎么玩。
