WRIGHT-PATTERSON MAH JONGG (Article 163)

Wright-Patterson Mah Jongg was created by the Officer’s Wives Club at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the early 1920s. It has elements of NMJL and Cantonese styles with Classic Chinese scoring. Military dependents typically play this style, so many people have never heard of it.  It is equally as challenging to learn as American mah jongg using National Mah Jongg League Rules and is also worth the effort. The valid hands are published in a booklet about every six years. Corrections for the current publication are posted here: https://wrightpattersonosc.org/mah-jongg.html

If you are interested in the history of the area where this version was created, here is an article about the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base namesake: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/namesakes-wright-patterson/

If you decide to learn this version, purchase a Player’s Reference Booklet (green book) and consider one of the paths below as you begin your journey:

Memorization

Print the Progressive list below and tape it on the back of the Green Book. Gather tiles for the category that best fits your drawn tiles, and don’t refer to the book until you run out of discards. Over time, you will memorize all the hands, but with this approach, start by memorizing the categories so you know where to focus to leverage the predominant pattern in your hand:

Systematic

Play hands from the Pair Hands category until you are comfortable, then add one category at a time in the order in the Green Book.

Progressive

• Pair Hands: Pairs in one suit or one suit with Honors
• Sequence Hands: Sequences and pairs in one suit or one suit with Honors
• Chinese Tea Hands: Evens or Odds with Winds and Dragons
• Jewel Hands: One suit with Dragons using numbers 23468 or 34579
• Gates Hands: Terminal pungs with a sequence
• Mixed Suits Hands: Evens, odds, chows
• Numbers Hands: Mixed suit pungs of Simples with Honors
• Honors Hands: Terminals, Winds, Dragons
• Novelty Hands: Dates, Eras, and Historical Moments

Comprehensive

Do not limit the categories. Refer to the book and take all the time you need.

After you learn the fundamentals using one of the methods above, move on to skill builders and strategies for improving your game. The following are direct links to videos for anyone new to the game or players who want to build their skills. 

Consider learning by watching The WPMJ Nitty-Gritty Deep Dive videos on YouTube demonstrating the nuances of this version: https://tinyurl.com/2p93s56k

If you want to teach others how to play, you may find the HOW TO TEACH WRIGHT-PATTERSON MAH JONGG (ARTICLE 257) helpful.