How Can I Play Mahjong In Australia?

Where to play Mahjong in Australia

Play Mahjong In Australia at online casinos or with free apps on mobile. Mahjong or mah-jongg is a Chinese game based on tiles. Nowadays this game is even played online in video format. Similar to card games, Mahjong is a game of skill, strategy, and luck. The game is played with a set of 144 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols, although some regional variations may omit some tiles or add unique ones.

In most variations, each player begins by receiving 13 tiles. In turn, players draw and discard tiles until they complete a legal hand using the 14th drawn tile to form four melds (or sets) and a pair (eye). A player can also win with a small class of special hands. There are fairly standard rules about how a piece is drawn, how a piece is robbed from another player, the use of suits (numbered tiles) and Honors (winds and dragons), the kinds of melds allowed, how to deal with the tiles, and the order of play.

Despite these similarities, there are many regional variations to the rules including rather different scoring systems, criteria for legal winning hands, and even private table rules which distinguish some variations as notably different styles of mahjong.

How to play Mahjong in Australia?

You can play Mahjong in Australia for free or with real money. Mahjong can be played at online casinos or with free game apps.

Best Mahjong Apps

There are many Mahjong Apps to enjoy playing Mahjong games with your mobile smartphones be it Android or Apple devices. Here are the few best Mahjong apps that you can enjoy with your friends.

1. Mahjong Epic

Mahjong Epic
Mahjong Epic

It is a very popular game app enjoyed by millions of players over more than seven years.
Because of its simple rules and engaging gameplay, Mahjong Solitaire has become one of the most popular games in the world.

The features of this app are:

  • It has more than 1200 boards to play and get new puzzles each day
  • You can select from 26 beautiful backgrounds and have 8 unique tile sets
    It is simple and relaxing, zen game with easy pick and play controls.
  • There are complete challenging goals with full HD optimized for retina devices
  • The game offers iCloud support where you can sync automatically between your iPhone, iPad and Mac

This free, fun solitaire matching game is also known as Taipei Mahjong, Shanghai Mah-Jong, Mahjongg Trails, Chinese Mahjong, Top Mahjong, Shisen-Sho, Majong, Kyodai, but all with the classic casual gameplay where you match identical pairs of free Mahjong tiles.

All you need is to find and match pairs of identical tiles where you to match all tiles to complete aboard. The app comes in 15 languages: English, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and can be downloaded all free from the iTunes store and requires iOS 7.0 and up devices be it iPhone or iPad. If you own an Android smartphone then you can download it from Google Play

2. Mahjong time Multiplayer

Mahjong TIme player
Mahjong Time player

It is the premier online mahjong community in the world. With this app, you can play against other players 24/7. Mahjong Time offers real online mahjong. Play all styles of mahjong including MCR(Chinese Official), RCR(Japanese rules), HK(Hong Kong), Taiwanese(TW)and American Style(NMJL Card 2012), and European styles.

This app comes in 16 languages like English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish. This app requires iOS 7.0 and can be downloaded from the iTunes store. Though the app is free you can still have in-app purchases in case you need to buy more dragon chips to play which may cost between SG$2.98 to $58.98

3. Mahjong Duels

Mahjong Duels
Mahjong Duels

It is a social game app where you get in the arena and prepare to play with the most masterful opponents in this multiplayer Mahjong version and match your mystical tiles as a Chinese master of the game!
Challenge and defeat your friends by finding first the matching symbols for bamboo, dragons, digits, and other elements. See if you can find tile matches quickly and throw a snowball at your opponent in order to freeze the time.

Also, win one game after another and see how different game modes interact with each other, unlock exciting new levels and take part in incredible tournaments. This free app requires iOS6.0 and above compatible iPhone and iPad devices to play. Available in 12 different languages mainly being English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish you can play for free as long as you want and if you need more chips to play then you have in-app purchases too. Download now from iTunes and from Google Play Store for your Android devices and enjoy.

4. Mahjong Treasure Quest

Mahjong Treasure Quest
Mahjong Treasure Quest

This is another Mahjong free app where you can enjoy classic mahjong with inventive extra challenges with a dramatic storyline. Join the enchanting journey of Sophie and her companion, Oliver the cat, across the picturesque fantasy lands and dungeons! 

Some of the best features of this app are that you have captivating brain teasers and collect treasures in your quest to stop wicked witch Eris. Also, investigate the mysterious disappearance of Sophie’s parents and help the loving family reunite! 

Many levels including bonus

Enjoy hundreds of levels and play bonus levels such as timed quests and exclusive puzzles to spice things up. Also, get help from your Facebook friends and compete with them!  Even when offline, keep right on playing the full version of the game without losing your progress. 

This free app requires iOS 7.0 compatible devices and is available in  English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish languages. Also has in-app purchases to get more coins if you need them. Download from iTunes for iOS and from Google Play for Androids.

Besides these four best four Mahjong apps there are also many others out on Apps stores to enjoy like Mahjong Unlimited, Mahjong 13 tiles, Shanghai Mahjong; Mahjong and friends, Facebook Mahjong app, and various others.

Where to find Mahjong in Australia?

Where to find Mahjong in Australia
Mahjong is played at land casinos and RSL Clubs

Following are the places to find Mahjong in Australia:

1. Mahjong at Star Casino Australia

Star Casino Australian also offers Mahjong games to play. You can play the Mahjong game at the Star Casino Australia by visiting the casino physically or play online at your home at the Play Star Casino website.

2. Mahjong at RSL clubs in Australia

Many RSL Clubs in Australia also offer Mahjong. You can visit any of the nearest RSL clubs in Australia and play this game. A number of different clubs with Mahjong can be found at Hurstville RSL, Parramatta RSL Club, Campsie RSL, Club Central Hurstville, St George Leagues Club, Chatswood RSL, Rooty Hill RSL, Club Marconi, East Leagues Club, and The Star Sydney Casino. If you have a passion for Mahjong you can join any of these clubs.

Mahjong at RSL
Mahjong at RSL

How to play Mahjong at Star Casino Australia?

How to play Mahjong at Star Casino
Mahjoing At Star Casino

The Star welcomes you and your friends to experience Mahjong at The Star Social Lounge on Level 2, located above the Harvest Buffet and accessible via the Main Casino Floor. Baida Mahjong returns with 4 exciting sessions where you can win a share of $1000 cash and entertainment at each game.

  • Sessions are held every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
  • BAIDA MAHJONG SESSIONS are held at 10:30am
  • TRADITIONAL MAHJONG SESSIONS are held at 2:30pm | 7:00pm

Registrations open 1 hour before and close 10 minutes before each game. You need to be a Member of The Star Club to play this game.

The game of mahjong requires four players, 144 tiles, and two dice to roll. It’s important to note, however, that there are variations in how the game is played from country to country. The goal of mahjong is similar to poker, in that the aim is to make matching sets and pairs. A set is three or four identical tiles or three consecutive tiles (also known as ‘melds’), and a pair is two of the same tiles (often called ‘eyes’). To win mahjong a player must form four sets and one pair. When you know you have a winning hand, you can shout ‘mahjong!’

Rules of the game

A complete mahjong set of 144 tiles includes three suits, called circles, characters, and bamboos. Each suite contains four sets of tiles numbered one to nine. There are wind and dragon tiles, too – and many sets also include eight bonus tiles featuring four flowers and four seasons. Throughout the play, each player takes turns picking up and discarding tiles in order to create sets and pairs.

First, each player rolls the dice, with the player that rolls the highest number becoming the dealer. Each player is assigned a position based on wind directions – east, south, north, and west. ‘East’ is the dealer. The tiles are all shuffled face down, then the dealer draws 14 tiles while every other player draws 13. Each player then makes a wall of tiles in front of themselves before they all push the tiles together to form a square.

The dealer in the ‘east’ begins the game by discarding their 14th tile into the center of the table. The player to the dealer’s right (in the south position) takes his or her turn by picking up one tile and discarding one tile. The player can take a tile from the wall, or claim the last tile discarded. You’ll keep playing the game this way until you hear the following three Chinese phrases: Chi!, Pong!, Gang! These phrases reference the ‘sets’ that are being created.

How to win Mahjong?

How to win Mahjong
Winners at Mahjong

At Star casino prizes to be won at each game are as follows:

PLACEPRIZES
1st$400 CASH
2nd$200 CASH
3rd$150 CASH
4th$120 ENTERTAINMENT CREDITS
5th$80 ENTERTAINMENT CREDITS
6th$50 ENTERTAINMENT CREDITS

The goal is to create four sets of three tiles and a pair. The three types of sets a player can make are:

  • Pong! – a set of three identical tiles
  • Gang! – a set of four identical tiles
  • Chi! – a sequence of three tiles of the same suit

You can make these sets by stealing discarded tiles from the table: for example, if a player discards a tile that helps you create a set, you can shout out the relevant phrase – such as ‘pong!’ – at any time during play and claim that tile immediately.

If you’re lucky enough to have three matching tiles, keep a close eye on any other player discarding that exact same tile. It’s your chance to call ‘gang’ and create a complete set of four identical tiles. This set earns bonus points in the game. You can win mahjong by either yelling ‘mahjong’ and stealing the last tile you need from someone who has just discarded it, or by drawing the last tile from the deck. Note that a single tile cannot be used in two sets at once.

For more venues to play Mahjong in Australia click here

About the author

Kamal Kaur