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Log of Changes to the Mah-Jongg FAQs

Update log:
June 9, 2002 -- massive format change. Henceforth, all edits to any FAQ are tracked in this separate log, with new edits announced ongoing in the weekly posting of FAQ 0 on the mahjong newsgroup*.
* Updates no longer posted to the newsgroup.

Updates to all FAQs (starting 6/9/2002):

  • June 9, 2002 -- FAQ 0 itself (below) has been slightly streamlined. Deleted two non-functional URLs, and deleted duplicate index of the FAQs. FAQ 4a (selected links) - deleted Learning Annex listing for MJ teacher Joyce McShane; added listing (and a link) for the upcoming Ningbo tournament coming up in October; added listing for Wright-Patterson; separated the Lessons listings from the Tournament listings. FAQ 12 - added tile-matcher "Super Mah Jong" (RealArcade). FAQ 7m - added more shops in Hong Kong, thanks to Tom Powell! FAQ 3 - fixed an HTML problem that affected the listings for the MJM Daizuroku and CMCR listings. Added this page, http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq/log.htm, where all updates starting now will be logged (the intention is to no longer add update logging on the individual FAQ; we'll see how long this lasts!).
  • June 10, 2002 -- added a new tile-matcher (gameroom.com) to FAQ 12.
  • June 11, 2002 -- added more info about how to enjoy L.A.'s Chinatown, and a call for information about mah-jongg shops in other cities, to FAQ 7k.
  • June 14, 2002 -- FAQ 5 - noted that the Shanghai Dynasty of games is now no longer available at any known shop. Them suckers are all sold out!
  • June 18, 2002 -- added Competition MJ Official International Rulebook to FAQ 3. Modified URL for Robert Kalin's printable MJ cards site in FAQ 4; fixed a broken link in FAQ 4.
  • June 21, 2002 -- FAQ 4b - added The Game Preserve; deleted a defunct link.
  • June 23, 2002 -- FAQ 4a - reorganized the selected links, moving the Tournaments section farther down, the Organizations section farther up - stuff like that.
  • June 23, 2002 -- FAQ 11 - added a note to the timeline, the entry regarding the origin of Chinese Chess. David H Li has given an earlier date for the origin of this game than the date originally given in the FAQ.
  • June 23, 2002 -- FAQ 11b - added another 1920s booklet to sloperama.com/cctheory/all.html, further adding weight to the CC Theory (that Chinese Classical predates HKOS).
  • June 23, 2002 -- FAQ 3 - added DETAILS magazine and DAILY BREEZE listings near bottom of FAQ.
  • June 28, 2002 -- FAQ 1 - deleted old link; added new links. FAQ 0 - reordered the sections so a new reader could locate the FAQs on the web without reading a lot of boring (but necessary) stuff first. FAQ 4b - added a new Japanese-language site (thanx to Wei-Hwa Huang) and also another site where you can buy game sets. FAQ 12 - added the Hoyle tile-matcher. FAQ 7e - added red fives.
  • July 3, 2002 -- FAQ 3 - fixed yet another HTML problem that was obscuring several books.
  • 4th of July, 2002 -- FAQ 4b - added the Inverse-Problems forum (thanks to CplayerXX456 for the link).
  • July 8, 2002 -- FAQ 3 - Made a fix to the ISBN number of the Chinese-language book for the official Chinese game.
  • July 9, 2002 -- FAQ 7i - added links to sites where the Derek Walters kards may be purchased.
  • July 15, 2002 -- FAQ 6 - added alternate Chinese characters for mah-jongg.
  • July 15, 2002 -- FAQ 7a - added dimensions of Vietnamese tiles.
  • July 18, 2002 -- FAQ 2b and 4b - added link for Singapore mah-jongg, thanks to Victor Lean.
  • July 18, 2002 -- FAQ 5 and 12 - added clarification about software for videogame consoles and handhelds.
  • July 19, 2002 -- FAQ 7c - added clarification on how to tell if your tiles are ivory.
  • July 20, 2002 -- FAQ 12 - added request for info on which tile-matcher has a "road signs" tile set.
  • July 22, 2002 -- FAQ 4 - added www.pagat.com (the best playing-cards website).
  • July 22, 2002 -- FAQ 16 - added answer to frequently-asked question about redeeming jokers in a dead hand.
  • July 22, 2002 -- FAQ 7c2 - added further clarification to the "Is It Ivory" checklist.
  • July 22, 2002 -- FAQ 2b - added a 23rd type of mah-jongg to the list.
  • July 25, 2002 -- FAQ 4b - deleted netmaj.com Japanese rules site (inactive)
  • July 29, 2002 -- FAQ 11 - added to the timeline about discovery of an ancient chess piece in Albania.
  • July 30, 2002 -- FAQ 12 - added a site where a couple of tile-matchers can be played online.
  • August 1, 2002 -- FAQ 3 - added reference to "Friends" TV show (mention of mah-jongg)
  • August 5, 2002 -- FAQ 7k - added a mah-jongg shop in Oakland, CA thanks to Joyce Overton.
  • August 7, 2002 -- FAQ 4a - Made adjustments to cover the fact that the AMJA sells merchandise and organizes tournament cruises.
  • August 7, 2002 -- FAQ 7c - Added new information about plastics.
  • August 11, 2002 -- FAQ 12 - Added info about a tile-matcher that has a road signs tile set.
  • August 13, 2002 -- FAQ 12 - Added an online-playable tile-matcher.
  • August 13, 2002 -- FAQ 7e - added Chinese joker tile.
  • Sept. 5, 2002 -- FAQ 7a - added a photo to illustrate different tile sizes. FAQ 7c3 - added same photo to illustrate different plastics in use today.
  • Sept. 13, 2002 -- FAQ 7a - added pricing information for various set types. FAQ 7e - added photo of different crak types. FAQ 7h - clarified the comment about ivory sets sold on eBay. FAQ 7k - deleted card for store that has since closed down. http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq/ningbo.htm - updated info about the 2002 World Championship in Mahjong, which has changed venue from Ningbo, China, to Tokyo, Japan.
  • Sept. 15, 2002 -- FAQ 7c - added white jade (including a photo); added link to bakelite/ catalin info site.
  • Sept. 16, 2002 -- FAQ 2a - altered the simplicity/complexity factor. FAQ 10 - added pictures; text clarifications here and there.
  • Sept. 26, 2002 -- FAQ 2b - Fixed an oversight where Amy Lo had not been listed as a HKOS author.
  • Oct. 2, 2002 -- FAQ 12 - updated URL of Thomas Weibel's tile-matcher; added 2 search sites to the How2Search FAQ (thanx to Ron Cooper).
  • Oct. 6, 2002 -- FAQ 7e - added information about the #5 flower in some older American sets. FAQ 7b - added footnote about the Shanghai-style peacocks used in the 1920s. FAQ 7g - added data about types of wooden boxes.
  • Oct. 9, 2002 -- FAQ 3 - in the section about mah-jongg in the media, added several newspaper and magazine references.
  • 10/10/2002 -- FAQ 7h - changed bullets to numbers; clarified about the significance of the dragons, flowers, and one bams.
  • October 11, 2002 -- FAQ 7h - massive overhaul on this FAQ. Re-organized, added more information about how to write a valuation checklist. Need to add photos.
  • October 12, 2002 -- FAQ 3 - added Jelte Rep's book. Also added more media references to mah-jongg.
  • October 18, 2002 -- FAQ 4b - added info about 2 sites (didn't delete or add any sites). http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq/ningbo.htm - added new info about the upcoming World Mahjong Championship Oct. 23-26 in Tokyo.
  • October 19, 2002 -- FAQ 7k - added a 2nd shop where Japanese mah-jongg sets are available in Los Angeles.
  • October 27, 2002 -- FAQ 4b - updated URL for Colette's Suchie-Pai Connection.
  • October 28, 2002 -- FAQ 12 - added an online tile-matcher. http://www.sloperama.com/mjfaq/ningbo.htm - updated page to indicate that the WCMJ has now concluded, and full report with photos will be found on this page soon.
  • October 28, 2002 -- FAQ 7m - added a 3rd shop where you can shop for mah-jongg stuff in Tokyo.
  • October 30, 2002 -- FAQ 7i - modified the info about R. Somerville Playing Cards. FAQ 7m - added some info from Martin Rep about the mah-jongg shopping in Tokyo.
  • November 4, 2002 -- FAQ 12 - modified the info about luckyskunk.com's tile-matcher.
  • November 6, 2002 -- FAQ 12 - added RealOne Arcade's tile-matchers.
  • November 7, 2002 -- FAQ 12 - added Pretty Good MahJongg. www.sloperama.com/mjfaq/ivory.htm (the Is It Ivory checklist) - added a couple more clues.
  • November 11, 2002 -- FAQ 3 - added mention of New York Times mah-jongg photo.
  • November 19, 2002 -- 1. FAQ 3 - added 2nd edition of Headley & Seeley book.
  • 2. FAQ 5 - deleted now-defunct URLs for Bradfield's game, added a site where Shanghai Dynasty can be purchased in the UK, added a mah-jongg font.
  • 3. FAQ 12 - Added a site where Shanghai Dynasty can be purchased in the UK. (Thanks to Gareth Saunders for all of the above.)
  • 4. FAQ 3 - added info about latest printing of the Whitney book.
  • November 23, 2002 -- FAQ 11: Added info from informational booklet from the DISPLAY HALL OF THE BIRTHPLACE OF MAHJONG, which says that the creator of mah-jongg was Chen Yumen of Ningbo.
  • November 24, 2002 -- FAQ 5 - deleted reference to Mac version of Shanghai Dynasty being available in UK (thanks again to Gareth). FAQ 11 - Refined the discussion of Chen Yumen. Added other refinements to the timeline, 1850-1891. FAQ 4b - Deleted a comment on the khanhoo site (which is up and running properly now). FAQ 15 - added Grahame Booth's mah-jongg player database.
  • November 25, 2002 - FAQ 11 - Further refined discussion of Chen Yumen, and added 2 links thanks to Thierry Depaulis. FAQ 11b - rebutag.html (Rebuttal to arguments against the CC Theory; Rebuttal written by proponents of the CC Theory) - made a modification to the definition of mah-jongg per suggestion by Thierry Depaulis on the mahjong newsgroup.
  • November 26, 2002 - FAQ 5 - fixed a typo that had made a URL unworkable. FAQ 11 - fixed a typo in Chen Yumen's birthdate (thanks to Thierry for the tip), and added a temporary link to a page containing selected illustrations from the booklet History and Culture of Mah-Jongg (DH/BP/MJ).
  • November 27, 2002 - FAQ 11 - did more work in the section entitled ORIGINS; POSSIBLE CREATORS OF MAH-JONGG.
  • December 2, 2002 - http://www.sloperama.com/WCMJ/wcmjmain.htm - added a couple new photos to the Closing Ceremonies page (thanks to Mr. Kyoichiro Noguchi for the pix).
  • December 3, 2002 - FAQ 4b, 7c, 7c2, 7g, 7h, 7j, 7n - added link to a site that gives good advice about buying bone and bamboo sets (thanks to Eric Stott for the link). FAQ 7d - refined the information about dreidels. FAQ 4b - added link to an Australian site that sells MJ books.
  • December 11, 2002 - http://www.sloperama.com/cctheory/defs.html - added numerous definitions of English words.
  • December 11, 2002 - http://www.sloperama.com/cctheory/defs.html - added the remaining definitions of all terms; deleted the "under construction" graphic. The definitions of terms used in the ongoing debate over the CC Theory are now all present and awaiting viewer criticism!
  • December 12, 2002 - FAQ 11 - added a link so readers can see the cover of the earliest known Chinese book on mah-jongg, and read the entry on that book in the MJM book. Fixed a typo. FAQ 7a - added info in the section about American sets.
  • December 17, 2002 - FAQs 3, 11 - Added a note about the pen name "Haishang Laoyouke"
  • December 18, 2002 - FAQ 4b - Massive reorganization (categorized links by type; categorized rules links by "flavor"). Deleted a number of links found dead in the process.
  • December 20, 2002 - FAQ 3 - Added 2 books (should have added them in October after the WCMJ). FAQ 11 - Added info on the origins of Backgammon in the timeline.
  • December 26, 2002 - FAQ 4b - Added a Japanese-language online mah-jongg store. FAQ 5 - Added a Singapore online game (CC).
  • December 28, 2002 - FAQs 2b, 3 - Corrected Pritchard's listing (he's a Western author, not a CC author). FAQ 6 - Updated the FAQ by including authors whose books came out since the FAQ was written. FAQ 7n - Added a link to FAQ 7h (why I never put one in before is beyond me!)
  • January 1, 2003 - FAQ 5 - added a Taiwanese online game. FAQ 12 - updated the Worldwinner.com link (Tile City).
  • January 3, 2003 - FAQ 5 - made it easier for seekers of online American-style mah-jongg to find the link they need. FAQ 4a - added NMJL link under the software section. FAQ 12 - added yet another tile-matcher with a misleading name.
  • January 9, 2003 - FAQ 12 - updated the Pretty Good Mahjongg link.
  • January 11, 2003 - FAQ 5 - deleted a defunct link; made all online links appear in a new window. FAQ 7i - updated the discussion of American cards since this is 2003.
  • January 14, 2003 - FAQ 12 - added yet another tile-matcher. Ain't it nice that tile-matching is so much easier to program than real mah-jongg.
  • January 20, 2003 - FAQ 4b - added new French site.
  • January 22, 2003 - FAQ 4b - added 3 Italian sites (thanks to Michele AKA sigbrando) and a merchandise site where one can purchase mah-jongg hats.
  • January 27, 2003 - FAQ 5 - fixed a broken link, added some new Palm download sites. FAQ 12 - added some new Palm download sites.
  • February 2, 2003 - FAQ 2b - added the 24th type of mah-jongg, Nepalese.
  • February 6, 2003 - FAQ 4b - added "Compass of Fate" cards.
  • February 8, 2003 - FAQ 5, FAQ 12 - updated the link to Jun-Ichi Saito's site. He has a real mah-jongg program, a tile-matching program, and even a hanafuda program.
  • February 17, 2003 - FAQ 0 - tightened line lengths. Shortened out some text.
  • February 19, 2003 - FAQ 2b - added 25th type of mah-jongg, Malaysian 3-Player. FAQ 12 - updated link for Curse of Ra (usedstar.com keeps changing the address).
  • March 1, 2003 - FAQ 12 - added yet another tile-matcher created by someone who doesn't know what mah-jongg really is, and besides, tile-matching is so much easier to program.
  • March 3, 2003 - FAQ 11 - added picture of Babcock's 1920 "Little Red Book" (the first known clear written description of the game's rules, and the game's name, in English)
  • March 10, 2003 - FAQ 7o - added a tip about washing tiles.
  • March 11, 2003 - FAQ 7m - added info from Dan Glimne about a great mah-jongg shop in Hong Kong.
  • March 31, 2003 - FAQ 16 - Updated the FAQ since the 2003 NMJL card came out on March 31.
  • April 1, 2003 - FAQ 16 - Added a question (and answer) or two; changed numbers to letters.
  • April 1, 2003 - FAQ 16 - Corrected an error in question G.
  • April 6, 2003 - FAQ 2b, FAQ 4b - Added links to new page about Malaysian 3P mah-jongg (which just went up today and is still under construction). FAQ 16 - Corrected a legacy error in question F.
  • April 10, 2003 - FAQ 2a - Added Official International Rules. FAQ 2b & 3 - Added link so folks can get Official International Rule Book.
  • April 11, 2003 - FAQ 12- Added an American Girl-themed tile-matcher that awards winners electronic American Girl trading cards.
  • April 13, 2003 - FAQs 8, 10, 16 - Added links so folks can read new regular column about mah-jongg strategy.
  • April 30, 2003 - FAQ 2b - added a disclaimer re the naming system for different flavors of mah-jongg.
  • May 1, 2003 - FAQ 5, FAQ 12 - added new downloads for Pocket PC, thanks to Leland Hosford.
  • May 2, 2003 - FAQ 12 - Leland provided a little refinement to yesterday's info.
  • May 3, 2003 - FAQ 5 - Reorganized the FAQ to put the online games up front.
  • May 4, 2003 - FAQ 4b - Added the site of the German Mah-Jongg League
  • Cinco de Mayo, 2003 - FAQ 5 - corrected price of "Canton" mah-jongg font. FAQ 13 - Added a new twist on Catching the Tortoise, which permits a 4th player (thanks to reader Benjamin).
  • May 8, 2003 - FAQs 1, 2, 3, 4b, 7, 7i, 7k, 12 - updated Gareth Saunders' URL since he changed ISPs.
  • May 24, 2003 - FAQ 4b - deleted a non-functioning link.
  • May 28, 2003 - FAQ 2b - added Fuzhaonese mah-jongg; modified text about HKOS and authors who say it predates CC. FAQ 3 - added another "mah-jongg mention in the media" mention.
  • May 29, 2003 - FAQ 0 - updated URL for Gareth Saunders' site (missed this one on May 8).
  • June 1, 2003 - FAQ 2b - refined the info for Fuzhaonese MJ, thanks to Jesse.
  • June 2, 2003 - FAQ 12 - Added another new tile-matcher.
  • June 3, 2003 - FAQ 5 - Added The Ultimate MahJong (Chinese Classical) online game. FAQ 2b - Refined the info on Fuzhaonese MJ.
  • June 4, 2003 - FAQ 15 - Added another tip for finding players.
  • June 6, 2003 - FAQ 13 - Changed the order (making American 3P rules first on the list).
  • June 7, 2003 - FAQ 10 - Made a few minor wording changes; improved the dealing illustration. Added FAQ 17 to explain "3 Fan" rules. FAQ 2b - Changed "Fuzhaonese" to "Fuzhou Style" thanks to Thierry D.
  • June 8, 2003 - FAQ 10 - Made another couple of wording changes to clarify the dealing procedure (a common source of confusion for newbies).
  • June 9, 2003 - FAQ 13 - Added 5P and 6P for American mah-jongg. FAQ 17 - deleted a bad URL.
  • June 10, 2003 - FAQ 7i - Added a little information about the NMJL and AMJA cards.
  • June 11, 2003 - FAQ 12 - Added more tile-matching "Shanghai clones."
  • June 12, 2003 - FAQ 7h - Refined the info a little; nothing major.
  • June 14, 2003 - FAQ 3 - Added a 3rd book by Tong Seng Tjoa, M.D. and two books by Nancy McKeithan.
  • June 15, 2003 - FAQ 2b - Added McKeithan as a Western author. FAQ 4a - added new vendor link. FAQ 12 - Added info about a third tile-matcher that has a "road signs" tile set (people keep asking me).
  • June 16, 2003 - FAQ 7k - Updated the info on Los Angeles stores.
  • June 18, 2003 - FAQ 17 - Added Q&A section. FAQ 5 - deleted www.fatchoising.com due to the fact that they send spam to mah-jongg enthusiasts. FAQ 7c3 - Added a little more about plastics used in mah-jongg tiles.
  • June 24, 2003 - FAQ 7i - Added info about Derek Walters' (book and) kards in Germany. FAQ 3 - Added info about Derek Walters' book (and kards) in German. FAQ 7k - Added map link for Wing Hop Fung. FAQ 4a - Added Wing Hop Fung link.
  • June 26, 2003 - FAQ 5 - Added some MAME sites, thanks to Vegard Krog Petersen of Norway. FAQ 12 - Added yet another.
  • June 27, 2003 - FAQ 5 - Explained a little about MAME.
  • June 29, 2003 - FAQ 11 - Added link to photo of Matiao cards. FAQ 11b - Added another 1920s book to the CC Theory pages (updates logged elsewhere).
  • June 30, 2003 - FAQ 11b - Added another 1920s book.
  • July 3, 2003 - FAQ 12 - Added a couple more solitaire games.
  • July 5, 2003 - FAQ 11 - Modified the paragraph about matiao, thanks to Thierry Depaulis.
  • July 7, 2003 - FAQ 11 - Added more about Conquian and gameplay, thanks to Thierry Depaulis.
  • July 10, 2003 - FAQ 11 - Added a little about ranking in regards to the pre-1911 set illustration, thanks to a little prodding from Michael Stanwick.
  • July 12, 2003 - FAQ 12 - Deleted a non-functioning link, did a web search, and found three to replace it.
  • July 14, 2003 - FAQs 7c, 7c2 - Added the term "Schreger lines" to clarify the whole ivory thing. FAQs 2b, 3, 4a, 4b - Added link to new Wright-Patterson OWC site.
  • July 24, 2003 - FAQ 11 - Added new information about earliest-known Chinese book on mah-jongg, thanks to a 7/23 post by Thierry Depaulis. Changed the picture of the 1911-a set.
  • July 25, 2003 - FAQ 3 - Added new book by Dragon Chang.
  • July 27, 2003 - FAQ 1 - Revised the introductory descriptions of the major Chinese variants.
  • July 29, 2003 - FAQ 11 - Revised the information about the earliest Chinese books, thanks to Thierry Depaulis. Haishang.html (clickable in FAQ 11) - Revised translation of book's title, also thanks to Thierry Depaulis. FAQ 15 - added more suggestions for ways to find players.
  • August 3, 2003 - FAQs 5, 12 - Added a new program (both a tile-matcher and a CC game, both for cat lovers) - thanks to Vegard.
  • August 6, 2003 - FAQ 12 - Added [yawn] yet another tile-matcher. FAQ 7c3 (Plastics) - Added info about casein. FAQ 7c - Added info about bakelite.
  • August 11, 2003 - FAQ 4a - Added mah-jongg club in Florida.
  • August 12, 2003 - FAQ 15 - Added mahjong.meetup.com.
  • August 15, 2003 - FAQ 15 - Added Berrie Bloem's club page, and wrote a section about clubs. FAQ 5 - Added a new online site.
  • August 20, 2003 - FAQ 12 - Added another tile-matcher. FAQ 10 - Changed picture and added language about the deal (a lot of novices get confused about what's clockwise and what's counterclockwise). FAQ 13 - Added strategy for the Shanghai-type tile-matching game.
  • August 21, 2003 - FAQ 13 - Made it easier to find the solitaire stuff.
  • August 23, 2003 - FAQ 11 - Added a Chinese saying that applies to the persistence of the romanticized myths surrounding mah-jongg's origins.
  • August 30, 2003 - FAQ 5 - Updated the info about availability of Shanghai products - thanks to Vegard. FAQ 12 - Updated the info about availability of Shanghai products, added a link to strategy section in FAQ 13, moved a palmtop link into the handheld section from where it had been before, and added some other comment, I forget where. All minor stuff it'd be nice if I didn't have to log but what can ya do.
  • September 2, 2003 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher in Dallas.
  • September 4, 2003 - FAQ 4a - Added a new vendor of mah-jongg chochkes.
  • September 18, 2003 - FAQ 17 - Added an intro for beginners to get beginners more quickly into "3 fan" (Yahoo), at the urging of Yahoo player "witchy_christy." CC Theory pages - Added a newly acquired 1923 book that greatly bolsters the CC Theory. FAQ 11 - added more information about Hung, one of the alleged inventors of Mah-Jongg. FAQ 7f - Added info for handymen wishing to build their own tables.
  • September 21, 2003 - FAQ 5 - Added another downloadable PC game (thanks to Vegard).
  • September 22, 2003 - FAQ 5 - Added a download (tile images), thanks to Alan Kwan.
  • October 3, 2003 - FAQ 11b - Added a sentence in rebutag.html, inspired by Discovery Channel quotes from historians on analyzing historical evidence. babcock.html - added scans of the softcover (first printing).
  • October 6, 2003 - FAQ 7k - Added a thought about shopping in New York.
  • October 8, 2003 - FAQ 2b - Added Dragon Chang.
  • October 9, 2003 - FAQ 12 - Added new Norwegian fansite about tile-matchers.
  • October 19, 2003 - FAQ 4a - Deleted a vendor link after receiving spam from the vendor.
  • October 20, 2003 - FAQ 12 - Added a Halloween-themed tile-matcher
  • October 21, 2003 - FAQ 3 - Corrected a grave and longstanding slip-through-the-cracks and finally reviewed Jelte Rep's excellent book.
  • October 26, 2003 - FAQ 7d - Added a fun suggestion about Monopoly money, thanks to Ingo Bojak.
  • Halloween, 2003 - FAQ 4b, FAQ 5 - Added some Korean sites, thanks to dajava.
  • November 3, 2003 - FAQ 7a, 7d, 7o - Added resources for readers who may be missing some pieces. FAQ 4b - added sites for Chinese Official rules, and added a vendor site.
  • November 4, 2003 - FAQ 5 - added new info about where to obtain Shanghai Second Dynasty.
  • November 10, 2003 - FAQ 5 - added even newer info about where to obtain Shanghai Second Dynasty.
  • November 17, 2003 - FAQ 7k - changed the URL for Gareth's FAQ 7l. Made some formatting and wording changes to help newbies choose a set while I was at it. FAQ 0 - changed the URL for Gareth's FAQ 7l. FAQ 3 - changed URL for a book file available from Gareth Saunders. FAQ 7i - changed URL for a kards download available from Gareth. Deleted several links to FAQ 7l's old URL.
  • November 29, 2003 - FAQ 5 - added Korean URL where Access Girls sequel can be purchased (thanks to Dajava).
  • December 4, 2003 - FAQs 5, 12 - Added site of links to "strip mah-jongg" downloads. FAQ 4b - Added a Korean info site. Thanks to Dajava.
  • December 18, 2003 - FAQ 11 - Altered wording of a quote by Thierry Depaulis, prompted by an email from Javier Alvarez Olaiz and agreed to by Thierry.
  • December 30, 2003 - FAQ 4 - Deleted numerous dead links, many thanks to Nath! Keep reporting them dead links! FAQ 7k - Updated the information on Gamekeeper, Wizards of the Coast, and FAO Schwarz - and fixed link to Gareth Saunders' site.
  • December 31, 2003 - FAQ 5 - Added a browser-playable game site.
  • January 5, 2004 - FAQ 4b - Added a vendor site. Indicated Shanghai 2nd Dynasty is temporarily all sold out at my site.
  • January 6, 2004 - FAQ 7i - Updated the mentions of 2003 (in re the NMJL/AMJA cards). FAQ 3 - Added a new booklet about American mah-jongg.
  • January 10, 2004 - FAQ 11b - Added rebuttal from opponents of the theory.
  • January 11, 2004 - FAQ 16G - Added another specific case (2003 #3).
  • January 16, 2004 - FAQ 15 - Fixed a bad link. FAQ 7g, 7h - deleted a broken link.
  • January 17, 2004 - FAQ 4a - Updated the blurb about Jim May's Cyber Museum site; added link to Cyber Museum in FAQ 7g. Edited FAQ 7g a little - mainly about sets supposedly made in the Qing Dynasty. Added instructions for those wishing to ask my assistance in aging or valuing sets (both FAQ 7g and 7h).
  • January 21, 2004 - FAQ 5, FAQ 12 - Added info about where some Shanghai products can be obtained presently.
  • January 24, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Added instructions for finding Rune Wars via Google (since arcanium.com no longer exists). FAQ 12 - Deleted Rune Wars link (it's actually mah-jongg, not tile- matching). FAQ 4b - Added Spanish-language site thanks to joseplluis pibernat. FAQ 2b - Clarified the info on Singapore mah-jongg, thanks to Ivan Leong. FAQ 7e - Clarified the info on Singapore flowers, thanks to Ivan Leong. FAQ 8 - Added more to the 1-4-7 discussion, thanks to Ivan Leong. FAQ 1 - Changed number of known variants from 22 to 25+. FAQ 2b - Changed number of known variants, and added Shenzhen style.
  • January 27, 2004 - FAQ 3 - added a picture. Need to add more someday.
  • January 29, 2004 - FAQ 4a, 7i, FAQ 11 - added link to downloadable print-them-yourself kard decks. FAQ 4a - Added listing for Joyce McShane, mah-jongg teacher in Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley. Updated AMJA address in FAQ 4a (3 places!) and FAQ 7i.
  • February 1, 2004 - FAQ 7 - Reworked the "all about mah-jongg tiles" FAQ, adding information and instructions about how to ask questions about a set (previously, the FAQ had been nothing more than a list of links to the topical FAQs related to mah-jongg tiles and sets).
  • Groundhog Day, 2004 - FAQs 7g, 7h, 7j - Added warning about unscrupulous eBay sellers, such as one who's selling a "170 year old" mah-jongg set on eBay this week. FAQ 17 - Added definition of "chicken" or "KFC" hands. FAQ 7g - Added info about the Craftmaster 1915 set one sees on eBay from time to time.
  • February 7, 2004 - FAQ 4b - Updated the link to Cofa's rules page.
  • February 9, 2004 - FAQ 4b - added a Czech-language rules site (thanks to Teelget). Added information about elephant bone and U.S. import regulations regarding items made of endangered species to FAQs 7c, 7c2, and 7j. Deleted a dead link from those FAQs.
  • February 10, 2004 - FAQ 11 - Changed the "artist's conception" images of early MJ sets, and made selected other changes per Michael Stanwick's scholarly article in The Playing-Card. FAQs 7a, 7e - Added links to FAQ 11.
  • Valentine's Day, 2004 - FAQs 5, 12 - Deleted a link at the request of the site owner.
  • Feb. 15, 2004 - FAQ 11 - Made some edits, thanks to Michael Stanwick.
  • Feb. 19, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Deleted the IMJ link, sadly: "Because of childish behavior, abuse of administrative privileges and evidence of hacking of the user database, The Internet MahJong Server 0.4 has been taken down indefinitely." Thanks to Hans Wikstr? for the news. Added the Sparrow Road link, thanks to Martin Rep. Updated the info about Julian Bradfield's online and offline game, thanks to Julian.
  • 2/22/2004 - FAQ 0, FAQ 7k - Changed the URL (yet again) for Gareth Saunders' awesome mah-jongg website.
  • Feb. 23, 2004 - FAQ 3 - Changed the URL yet again for Gareth Saunders' awesome mah-jongg website.
  • March 1, 2004 - FAQ 4b - Added new Japanese rules site.
  • March 3, 2004 - Added FAQ 18. Added symbolism book to FAQ 3.
  • March 7, 2004 - FAQ 7k - Added a shop in Little Tokyo.
  • March 10, 2004 - FAQ 10 - Minor wording improvement regarding claiming discards.
  • March 11, 2004 - FAQ 7f, 7k, 7m - Added some "where to buy" tips.
  • March 12, 2004 - FAQ 7i - Deleted legacy reference to Gamekeeper. FAQ 5 - Added Excel-based CC scoring calculator.
  • March 13, 2004 - FAQ 3 - Added a line about "Mah Jongg Made Easy." Added FAQ 19, FAQ 20.
  • March 14, 2004 - FAQ 4a - Updated an outdated reference.
  • March 15, 2004 - FAQ 2b - Added info about Hunan Style.
  • March 15, 2004 - FAQ 19 - Added a couple points.
  • March 16, 2004 - FAQ 4b - Added Andre Marohn's German language site
  • March 18, 2004 - FAQ 4b - added 2 more foreign language sites (one in Russian, one in Japanese). FAQ 3 - Most frequently-referenced book is the NMJL book, so that was moved to the top - its price, and the link to it, were updated.
  • March 27, 2004 - FAQ 7d - Added rulers.
  • March 28, 2004 - FAQ 19 - added info re the number of flowers/jokers in the American game prior to 1972.
  • March 29, 2004 - FAQ 7c3 - Added info about catalin vs bakelite. FAQ 7o - Added info about restoring catalin and celluloid.
  • March 31, 2004 - FAQ 4b - deleted broken link (Linda Fisher's American rules site).
  • April Fool's Day - FAQ 4b - added replacement link. Sorta. Thanks to Eric R.
  • April 3, 2004 - FAQ 4b - The broken link was repaired (Linda got it back up and running again). Also added link to her site in FAQ 4a.
  • April 5, 2004 - FAQ 4a, FAQ 7i - Corrected a phone number.
  • April 6, 2004 - FAQ 5, FAQ 12 - Marked S2D as sold out again.
  • Then a couple days later (exact date uncertain) marked them as back in stock.
  • April 15, 2004 - FAQ 4a - Ryan Morris' website is back up again!
  • April 17, 2004 - FAQ 13 - Added a link to FAQ 7b (it occurred to me that beginning players of tile-matching games would benefit from reading about the breakdown of a mah-jongg set). Reorganized the Shanghai/Turtle strategy tips.
  • April 19, 2004 - FAQ 16 - Updated the FAQ for the 2004 NMJL card.
  • April 20, 2004 - FAQ 11 - Some minor edits and image revisions. FAQ 7i - some minor edits about the NMJL and AMJA cards.
  • April 21, 2004 - FAQ 14 - Added a 4th rule on Table Rules.
  • April 22, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Revised the yearly subscription amount for the NMJL software.
  • April 26, 2004 - FAQ 3 - Fixed some so-called "smart" punctuation marks which had been combined into 16-bit characters somehow.
  • April 28, 2004 - FAQ 5 - IMS is back!
  • April 30, 2004 - FAQ 12 - Added a site that sells tile-matchers. FAQ 7h - Fixed a section that wasn't intended to be all in bold face.
  • May 7, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Added Mahjong Mania/Club site, reorganized top of list. FAQ 7o - added more restoration tips (tip of the hat to Nath K for one).
  • May 11, 2004 - FAQ 4b - Added Israeli Mahjong Association site.
  • May 25, 2004 - FAQ 4b - Updated and added links to Andre Marohn's various pages. FAQ 7f - Added link to a new page describing the acquisition of a Japanese automatic dealing table.
  • May 27, 2004 - FAQ 4b - Corrected some stuff I wrote on the 25th (one of the sites is Uwe Martens' instead).
  • May 31, 2004 - FAQ 4b - Added a UK seller of MJ sets.
  • June 1, 2004 - FAQ 4b - Updated the info for a German seller's link.
  • June 1, 2004 - FAQ 4b - Updated the info for two German forum sites.
  • June 1, 2004 - FAQ 7f - Corrected some stuff I wrote on the 25th (the site is Uwe Martens' instead). Added a post from Filipe Silva about the table he made.
  • June 3, 2004 - FAQ 19 - Added more to line item G, about discarded redeemable tiles.
  • June 15, 2004 - FAQ 11 - Added Michael Stanwick's articles to the sources. Deleted two extraneous uses of the term "hereinafter."
  • June 16, 2004 - FAQ 4a, 4b - Added a merchandise site. FAQ 11 - Altered an image, made text revisions recommended by Stanwick, and added some long-overdue line items to the history timeline.
  • June 17, 2004 - FAQ 11 - Revised Babcock's patent dates in timeline. Added a Montreal site, then revised the URL.
  • June 18, 2004 - FAQ 11 - Added Babcock's trademark activity to timeline.
  • June 20, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Added an online Java game (Singapore style), thanks to J.R. Fitch. Added Malaysian tiles to FAQ 7e.
  • June 23, 2004 - Added FAQ 21.
  • June 24, 2004 - FAQ 7e - Added a picture with caption. FAQ 11 - Added trademark dates (thanks to Thierry Depaulis)
  • June 29, 2004 - FAQ 11 - Added Babcock/Hager patent details.
  • July 6, 2004 - FAQ 3 - Minor fixes (no books added or deleted).
  • July 6, 2004 - FAQ 12 - Added yet another tile-matchers site.
  • July 11, 2004 - FAQ 4a - Revised the listing for Linda Fisher. Added links to the upcoming Hong Kong and Europe events.
  • July 12, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Added an online game (gravon.net).
  • July 15, 2004 - FAQ 19 - Modified entry E.
  • July 16, 2004 - FAQ 4a - Tidied up the teachers section a little.
  • July 17, 2004 - FAQ 2b - Added Szechuan Style (bringing total variants count up to 28 now). Mentioned similarity between Filipino and Fuzhou styles.
  • July 24, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Changed the URL for Ed Pijl's game (and changed its name too), thanks to Ralph Burrough. Fixed a typo in Julian Bradfield's URL (2 places).
  • July 26, 2004 - FAQ 3 - Altered the listing for Perlmen & Chan, in regards to ways to obtain the book. FAQ 5, FAQ 12 - Added link to Jo Vandeweghe's site (for Mac users)
  • July 27, 2004 - FAQ 3 - Modified the listing for Elaine Sandberg's book.
  • July 30, 2004 - FAQ 11 - Asami Ryo link added (thanks to Julian Bradfield)
  • August 1, 2004 - FAQ 2b - A minor edit in regards to Whitney and what she calls "American" mah-jongg.
  • August 2, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Revised Julian Bradfield's listing; deleted a duplicated link. FAQ 4b - Added a teacher, deleted a teacher whose email address no longer works; reorganized teachers section as a table.
  • August 3, 2004 - FAQ 18 - Fixed an erroneous reference (eBay -> Amazon)
  • August 4, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Fixed a broken link (thanks to J.R. Fitch)
  • August 7, 2004 - FAQ 3 - Added some mah-jongg movies (thanks to Troy Ozama); FAQ 4b - deleted a broken link (Kevin Laws' page).
  • August 10, 2004 - FAQ 3 - added a book, thanks to Julian Bradfield - added more details Friday the 13th.
  • August 15, 2004 - FAQ 7f - added a link to a game table site.
  • August 19, 2004 - FAQ 7a, FAQ 7h - Added info about "enrobed" catalin tiles. "how2search.html" - Deleted some inactive search sites; deleted some that just use other search engines; corrected/updated some URLs; turned the list of spellings of mah-jongg into a grid.
  • August 20, 2004 - FAQ 7a, 7h - Added the words "or bakelite" to the enrobed photo captions.
  • August 24, 2004 - FAQ 19 - Revised the section on the American "death challenge" rule, prompted by numerous recent queries.
  • August 25, 2004 - FAQ 10 - Revised the introduction.
  • August 27, 2004 - FAQ 19 - Added some clarifications on the American death rule.
  • August 29, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Added a page navigational aid; added a site; minor mods.
  • August 30, 2004 - FAQ 11 - Fixed a really minor typo reported by Troy.
  • August 31, 2004 - FAQ 4b, FAQ 13 - Added a link to a German site that describes how to play dominos with mah-jongg tiles. FAQ 4a, FAQ 4b - Added a link to the site of the Italian Mah Jong Association.
  • Sept. 5, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Added a Japanese freeware link, thanks to Vegard.
  • Sept. 6, 2004 - FAQ 5 - And another, thanks to Nath.
  • 9/11, 2004 - FAQ 5 - And a Japanese shareware link, thanks to Vegard. FAQ 11 - Added a patent, thanks to Troy Ozama. FAQ 6 - Added a third Chinese writing for "mah-jongg" seen in a very old Hong Kong booklet.
  • Sept. 12, 2004 - FAQ 19 - Added info about settling up in American MJ (entry W). And modified entry Z.
  • Sept. 13, 2004 - FAQ 19 - turned the whole "un-American" thing into more of a, like, joke (entry X).
  • Sept. 18, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Added an online game.
  • Sept. 19, 2004 - FAQ 7d - added a photo of "trays" for those who get the term confused with "racks."
  • Sept. 24, 2004 - FAQ 2b - added IMJA (total styles is now at 29)
  • Sept. 26, 2004 - FAQ 12 - added a tile-matcher.
  • Sept. 28, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Added COMJ beta. FAQ 4b, FAQ 7f - Added link to Chinese manufacturer offering a mah-jongg table (machine). FAQ 7i - added a mention about stationery stores.
  • Sept. 29, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Added an online mah-jongg game site.
  • Oct. 1, 2004 - FAQ 7i - Minor edit. FAQs 7g, 7h - added instructions about emailing photos.
  • Oct. 4, 2004 - FAQ 21 - Added text about creating your own spreadsheet, since folks kept asking me "where can I download a tournament scoring spreadsheet?" FAQ 4a - Added link to FAQ 21. FAQ 5 - Deleted COMJ beta link, added COMJ link.
  • Oct. 5, 2004 - FAQ 3 - Updated ordering info for the Sandberg booklet.
  • Oct. 8, 2004 - FAQ 6 - Added alternate Chinese writings for "ma jiang" and "fan zi" thanks to a newsgroup post by Julian Bradfield. FAQ 18 - Added a link to FAQ 6 for those interested in alternate writings.
  • Oct. 9, 2004 - FAQ 2b - Minor edit. FAQ 11b - added an argument and a rebuttal. FAQ 6 - Added another alternate Chinese writing.
  • Oct. 10, 2004 - FAQ 6 - Deleted first alternate writing for "ma jiang" after getting clarification.
  • Oct. 11, 2004 - FAQ 4b, FAQ 7i - Edited the link to Kalin's Compass of Fate deck.
  • Oct. 16, 2004 - FAQ 19 - Clarified item L to include groupings of all jokers when declaring maj.
  • Oct. 18, 2004 - FAQ 3, FAQ 2b - Added a new book on CO rules (Pritchard).
  • Oct. 20, 2004 - FAQ 19 - Upped the number of known variants (item X).
  • Oct. 24, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Added a navigational aid (internal link to the "other apps" section)
  • Nov. 6, 2004 - FAQ 5 - Added a link (jongEngine), thanks to dbrn.
  • Nov. 9, 2004 - FAQ 12 - updated a link.
  • Nov. 12, 2004 - Did a minor cleanup of some 4-letter words to get the site unblocked by Christian colleges. Only a few FAQs and columns were affected, and no meaning changes occurred. FAQ 6 - deleted the old text version.
  • Nov. 19, 2004 - FAQ 4b - Changed link from Windfall Republic to Imperial Outfitters
  • Nov. 20, 2004 - FAQ 11 - Added a date to the timeline (Wright-Patterson)
  • Nov. 22, 2004 - FAQ 11 - Added important NMJL dates to the timeline.
  • Nov. 24, 2004 - FAQ 7e - Added info about blanks and flowers.
  • Dec. 3, 2004 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher in Chicago. FAQ 19 - Added more about picking ahead (American).
  • Dec. 5, 2004 - FAQs 7f, 7i, 7k - Added info about mah-jongg shopping in San Francisco's Chinatown.
  • Dec. 12, 2004 - FAQ 7g - added a little about aging of sets.
  • Dec. 20, 2004 - FAQ 4b - added a second URL for the Israeli mah-jongg site.
  • Dec. 22, 2004 - FAQ 5 - added an online Singaporean mah-jongg game site.
  • Dec. 23, 2004 - FAQ 5 - deleted the old URL the Singaporean site had replaced.
  • Xmas 2004 - FAQ 7f - added 2 sites where wood tables are available, thanks to Stephane and Aidan.
  • Dec. 27, 2004 - FAQ 4b - discovered that us.mjclub.com describes several different rule sets (so listed it in appropriate sections)
  • Dec. 28, 2004 - FAQ 4a - reorganized the vendor links, updated one URL.
  • Dec. 30, 2004 - FAQ 3 - deleted a dead link.
  • Dec. 31, 2004 - FAQ 4a - added a mah-jongg teacher in Florida. Gung hei fa choi!
  • Jan. 6, 2005 - FAQ 17 - added a link. FAQs 5 and 12 - changed the entries about Shanghai. FAQ 14 - made a slight wording change to simplify the third rule.
  • Jan. 8, 2005 - Added FAQ 22.
  • 1/1/2005 - FAQ 4b - added link for ChinaMajiang.com
  • Jan. 13, 2005 - FAQ 19 - added discussion about "pickandrack"
  • Jan. 15, 2005 - FAQ 5 - added Uproar link, thanks to "dbrn." FAQ 12 - made more of the links open in new windows rather than in the frame. Probably not finished doing that yet.
  • Jan. 25, 2005 - FAQ 7o - added a reader email about care of ivory items.
  • Jan. 26, 2005 - FAQ 8 - deleted a duplicate calling pattern.
  • Feb. 1, 2005 - FAQ 7k - fixed the Wing Hop Fung link.
  • Feb. 8, 2005 - FAQ 5 - added Ton Puu Sou, thanks to John Low.
  • Feb. 10, Year of the Rooster - FAQ 19 - refined item G (about claiming a redeemable tile). FAQ 3 - added CMCR2 (don't know why I didn't do it last December).
  • Feb. 11, Year of the Rooster - FAQ 19 - made it easier to click topics and jump right to the answer. FAQ 13 - called the line items (sub-questions) A, B, C... rather than 1, 2, 3...
  • Feb. 12, Year of the Rooster - FAQ 7o - added a post from a tile restorer/artist. FAQ 13 - made more improvements to the internal cross-linking.
  • Feb. 17, 2005 - FAQ 4a - fixed a broken internal link. FAQ 8 - put in navigation aids and an index for the page FAQ 19 - added clarification as to how American differs from other variants
  • Feb. 27, 2005 - FAQ 22 - added some wording to the last paragraph, to clarify the process for scoring a hand to avoid exclusionary rule problems yet get the most out of the hand.
  • Feb. 28, 2005 - FAQ 4b, FAQ 5 - added numerous links, mostly thanks to Chris Stamper.
  • Mar. 2, 2005 - FAQ 5 - deleted a dead link (MahJoX scoring calculator - the xeqt.com domain expired last month)
  • Mar. 5, 2005 - FAQ 2b - corrected a log note about Hakka MJ. FAQ 3 - added Uwe Martens' book.
  • Mar. 6, 2005 - FAQ 22 - Improved example 3, thanks to Gertjan Davies. Added a footnote about an erroneous notion that is circulating about how the exclusionary rule works.
  • Mar. 14, 2005 - FAQ 20 - added images to illustrate "four in a row" versus "four of a kind"
  • The Ides of March, 2005 - FAQ 4a - added a teacher.
  • Mar. 16, 2005 - FAQ 13 - added a discussion about the possible relationship between 3-player play and high scoring hands.
  • Mar. 17, 2005 - FAQ 4b - added French CO rules thanks to JF.
  • Mar. 22, 2005 - FAQ 5 - added a direct link to Smart Mahjong so you don't have to be redirected to umd.edu
  • Mar. 25, 2005 - FAQ 5 - Added numerous Japanese online game sites found in Kindai Majan (Apr. 1 issue).
  • Mar. 29, 2005 - FAQ 19 - Added details on several rules (P, AA, Z, EE...). FAQ 16 - Updated per the 2005 NMJL card.
  • Mar. 30, 2005 - FAQ 8 - Added a Q&A from the BB about odds of pungs vs. chows. FAQ 19 - added a rulebook reference and suggested that players should space their exposures.
  • Mar. 31, 2005 - FAQ 16 - Fixed a blunder spotted by sharp-eyed reader Ellen Roderick. FAQ 8 - added a response to the previous day's discussion.
  • April Fool's Day, 2005 - FAQ 3 - Added links to places where Dragon Chang's book can be obtained. FAQ 11 - Added notations about the American Laws of the 1920s and inserted links to existing resources on the subject.
  • Apr. 2, 2005 - FAQ 19 - Added an FAQ (AF). FAQ 16 - added cases to FAQ C. FAQ 5 - deleted a dead link.
  • Apr. 3, 2005 - FAQ 19 - renamed some of the FAQs for future expansion (BB->AB; CC->AC; DD->AD; etc.) and added two more (AG, AH). FAQ 22 - added references and another interpretation of the exclusionary rule.
  • Apr. 4, 2005 - FAQs 2, 3, 11, 22 - Changed "contest" to "competition." FAQ 22 - major revision, thanks to Cofa Tsui and Tabstop Andrew.
  • Apr. 5, 2005 - FAQ 11 - added a date to the timeline (2004 CMOC)
  • Apr. 6, 2005 - FAQ 5 - deleted a dead link. FAQs 11, 11b - added links to the American Code online.
  • Apr. 7, 2005 - FAQ 5 - deleted more dead links.
  • Apr. 8, 2005 - FAQ 3 - added book, "The Game Makers," thanks to a tipster who remains anonymous. FAQ 7c3 - added info about Marblette.
  • Apr. 9, 2005 - FAQ 11 - added 1920s dates learned in abovementioned book.
  • Apr. 10, 2005 - FAQ 17 - added a link.
  • Apr. 11, 2005 - FAQ 12 - added Yahoo's "Mah Jong Quest" tile-matcher. FAQ 4b - added the American Code link (CC rules section). FAQ 3 - minor edit (changed each occurrence of the term "hand" to "scoring element" in discussion of 2nd Pritchard book). FAQ 11 - fixed broken HTML tag, thanks to "Simon."
  • Apr. 12, 2005 - FAQ 19 - added clarification to rule AA.
  • Apr. 14, 2005 - FAQ 19 - added clarification to rules E and F.
  • Tax Day, 2005 - FAQ 19 - added sextets.
  • Apr. 18, 2005 - FAQ 19 - added clarification to rule H.
  • Apr. 25, 2005 - FAQ 7e, 7g, 7h - added comment and photo re jokers. FAQ 15 - added boardgamegeek.com.
  • Apr. 29, 2005 - FAQs 3, 4b - added link to an extensive listing of mah-jongg books (thanks to Paul Jaeger).
  • May 8, 2005 - FAQ 4b - added links to cnmj.org (thanks to Karl Hung)
  • May 9, 2005 - FAQ 4b - added link to mahjongg-spielen.de (thanks to Guenter Schulte). FAQ 19 - added info about flowers.
  • May 16, 2005 - FAQ 19 - added rule AJ. FAQ 5 - added JadeDragonMahjong.com (CO).
  • May 23, 2005 - FAQ 4b - added boardgamego.com
  • June 3, 2005 - FAQ 5 - added an online game. FAQs 77g, 7h - added a request for specificity as to the number of tiles.
  • June 4, 2005 - FAQ 16 - added an FAQ about sextets. FAQ 4b - added Si Se Pai links, thanks to Graham Leonard. FAQ 3 - added a book with rare 1880s sketch of mah-jongg players (Yin Yu Tang by Berliner).
  • June 14, 2005 - FAQ 5 - added mahjongtime.com (HKOS)
  • June 15, 2005 - FAQ 5 - added sections for the CO and American variants
  • Juneteenth (6/19), 2005 - FAQ 4b - added a link to dice2mice.com (free online games magazine). FAQ 19 - added minor clarification to FAQ E.
  • June 30, 2005 - FAQ 4 - deleted broken link (4a and 4b both). FAQ 3 - fixed an error.
  • July 2, 2005 - FAQ 3 - fixed the error again, heh! (^_^)
  • July 7, 2005 - FAQ 5 - a link that had been listed as a separate bullet item from its description is now joined together with its description.
  • July 10, 2005 - FAQ 4a - removed a couple of less-used links; highlighted some more frequently-used links.
  • July 14, 2005 - FAQ 19 - modified FAQ AA, about the American "death" rule, and FAQ M, about when jokers may be redeemed.
  • July 16, 2005 - FAQ 4b - added a mahjongnews link (site is being redesigned)
  • July 17, 2005 - FAQ 3 - Added The Handbook For The Competitions Of The Chinese MaJiang (International Standard), the official translation of the official Chinese rules
  • July 18, 2005 - FAQ 3 - Added kanji to the Japanese titles; added 2 books acquired at the OEMC. FAQ 2a, 2b - Added Bashi-Bashi (the 30th known variant!). FAQ 4b - Updated the riichi rules link on the mahjongnews site.
  • July 21, 2005 - FAQ 19 - Clarified entry M some more.
  • July 24, 2005 - FAQ 6 - replaced all 16-bit characters with Unicode; added terms from the Organizing Committee of the Open Competition of Chinese MaJiang; changed some terms from Steve Willoughby's site (he has made some romanization changes since the FAQ was originally written); added a note in FAQ 3 about the non-standard terminology used in the OCOCCMJ's handbook.
  • July 25, 2005 - FAQ 19 - Added entry AK.
  • August 1, 2005 - FAQ 4b - added Fédération Française de Mahjong site. FAQ 3 - added the new book from Chronicle Books and the quarterly bulletin from the Mahjong Museum in Chiba, Japan.
  • August 2, 2005 - FAQ 4b - added Daja Mahjong site (Netherlands).
  • August 3, 2005 - FAQ 12 - updated a link that changed
  • August 7, 2005 - FAQ 15 - added a link, deleted a link
  • August 8, 2005 - FAQ 4b - added Farscape Games (UK).
  • August 9, 2005 - FAQ 5 - added a Mac link.
  • August 10, 2005 - FAQ 4b - added a Swedish site.
  • August 13, 2005 - FAQ 1 - updated it a little, based on current understanding.
  • August 18, 2005 - FAQ 5 - added an adware warning for mjclub.com, and an alternate URL.
  • August 19, 2005 - FAQ 5 - Added www.mjonline.com.hk.
  • August 22, 2005 - FAQ 4b - added an FAQ 4a link that had been overlooked (all FAQ 4a links are supposed to also be in FAQ 4b - which I need to check).
  • August 23, 2005 - FAQ 22 - Fairly major redo.
  • August 25, 2005 - FAQ 21 - Modified it to accommodate non-American rules.
  • August 26, 2005 - FAQ 21 - Clarified about seat/table rotation.
  • August 27, 2005 - FAQ 4b - Updated Israeli MJ Association site URL. FAQ 7g - Incorporated the checklist from FAQ 7h, with changes as needed.
  • August 28, 2005 - FAQ 22 - Deleted the wording in the combine-just-once exclusionary rule that specifically applied to 2- or 3-set patterns.
  • Sept. 8, 2005 - FAQ 4b - Added Vitaly Novikov's site. FAQ 5 - Fixed the Mindertech URL.
  • Sept. 19, 2005 - FAQ 19 - Added the answer to a previously overlooked frequent beginner question.
  • Sept. 30, 2005 - FAQ 7e - added interesting new mystery tiles made by Nintendo. FAQ 7g, 7h - added a legal disclaimer about photos sent to me for evaluation purposes.
  • Nov. 5, 2005 - FAQ 4a - added a teacher in Florida.
  • Nov. 15, 2005 - FAQ 4a, FAQ 15 - added a new international contact platform for Mah-Jongg players where they can search for and find other players worldwide.
  • Nov. 20, 2005 - FAQ 4a, FAQ 22, FAQ 8 - added link to a new CO strategy site. FAQ 2b - added Beijing Style; included Italian under Western. FAQ 19 - corrected a misstatement.
  • 11/22, 2005 - FAQ 19 - Made a clarification to FAQ J.
  • Nov. 23, 2005 - FAQ 4b - Added Hungarian website. FAQ 5 - Added a Japanese site, thanks to John Low.
  • Nov. 24, 2005 - FAQ 3 - Fixed an outdated link. FAQ 7a - Changed a picture (it showed an atypical set).
  • Nov. 25, 2005 - fig01t.jpg (accessed from dhbpmj.html) - Added new info, thanks to John Low. dhbpmj.html (accessed from FAQ 11) - Added new attribution. FAQ 7d - Added John Low's story about why Chinese dice have red 4. FAQ 3- modified the listing on the Headley & Seeley book. FAQ 5 - Fixed the COMJ link.
  • Nov. 26, 2005 - FAQ 11 - Added stuff to the timeline... fig01t.jpg (accessed from dhbpmj.html) - Added more new info, both thanks to John Low.
  • Nov. 29, 2005 - FAQ 4a, 4b, 7g - Added link to CHarli's museum page (thanks to Gina).
  • Dec. 4, 2005 - Added FAQ 7p. Added frequently asked questions to FAQ 7g.
  • Dec. 16, 2005 - FAQ 5 - added 3D online game thanks to John Low
  • Dec. 25, 2005 - FAQ 5 - added a site thanks to Nicholas Cheung.
  • Jan. 2, 2006 - FAQ 4b - Added a link to photos of a home-made Buffy-themed mah-jongg set
  • Jan. 3, 2006 - FAQ 7e - Added info about the writing on seasons/flowers.
  • Jan. 25, 2006 - FAQ 4b - Added a vendor in the UK. FAQ 19 - Added a question about "changing my mind."
  • 02.06.2006 - FAQ 4b - Added a link to a vlog about mah-jongg. Pretty nice, actually. Thanks to ogma1 for the tip.
  • Feb. 9, 2006 - FAQ 7e - Added a line about how red fives are used.
  • Feb. 10, 2006 - FAQ 4b - deleted a dead link, thanks to fscher.
  • Feb. 11, 2006 - FAQ 4b - deleted more dead links, thanks to fscher.
  • Feb. 12, 2006 - FAQ 4b - added a vendor link. FAQ 5 - added an online game. FAQ 12 - added a site that hosts an aggregation of tile-matchers.
  • Feb. 19, 2006 - FAQ 19 - Added an illustration.
  • Feb. 24, 2006 - FAQ 22 - Modified per new translation of CMCR 10.1.5.5, many thanks to Larsen Chung!
  • Mar. 11, 2006 - FAQ 4a - Added the international mah-jongg tournament calendar, thanks to Martin Rep.
  • Mar. 22, 2006 - FAQ 2b - Added 108-tile variant of 3-player Malaysian MJ. FAQ 4b - Clarified that the 3-player Malaysian rules link is for the 84-tile variant. We're now up to 32 variants, BTW.
  • Mar. 29, 2006 - FAQ 4a - added a NY-area teacher.
  • 4/5/6 - FAQ 7k - Added info about mah-jongg shopping in Vancouver.
  • April 6, 2006 - FAQ 16 - Updated it for the 2006 NMJL card. FAQ 22 - another revision, thanks to "ithinc."
  • April 7, 2006 - Added FAQ 23. FAQ 11 - Massive rework, including much info from John Low.
  • April 8, 2006 - FAQ 11 - Minor edit. FAQ 5 - minor edit.
  • April 12, 2006 - FAQ 4b - added a link, thanks to John Low.
  • Thursday the 13th, April, 2006 - FAQ 4b - deleted a dead link, updated an old link, both in regards to Taiwanese rules. Thanks to "sarcazm." FAQ 7e - Added a mystery tile.
  • April 14, 2006 - FAQ 11 - Minor edit. FAQ 5 - Made it easier to find the far-and-away most popular MJ programs by marking them in bold.
  • The Ides of April, 2006 - Added FAQ 24, to get people off my back with their danged technical support questions.
  • April 17, 2006 - FAQ 2b - Added NanJing style, thanks to "ithinc." Total number of known variants now 33.
  • April 18, 2006 - FAQ 24 - Minor edit. FAQ 2b - added to NanJing description, thanks to "ithinc." Edited the Vietnamese section.
  • April 19, 2006 - FAQ 2b - Edited NanJing description, thanks again to same correspondent.
  • April 20, 2006 - FAQ 5 - Added Mahjong Mania site. FAQ 23 - Added another (rough) estimate regarding mah-jongg demographics. FAQ 22 - Minor fixes, thanks to Mr. Wang Yingfu of China.
  • April 21, 2006 - FAQ 1 - Edited the concluding paragraph and the paragraph about tile-matching games. FAQ 18 - Minor edits and crosslinks. FAQs 4, 15, 17 - Deleted dead links and fixed broken links. Not done yet.
  • April 22, 2006 - FAQ 7o - Deleted a dead link.
  • April 25, 2006 - FAQ 5 - Edited Mahjong Mania listing thanks to Thierry Depaulis.
  • April 29, 2006 - FAQ 7p - Minor edit. FAQ 2b - Edited section on Israeli mah-jongg, thanks to Gennady Archangorodsky.
  • Mayday, 2006 - FAQ 2b - Added entry for Macau Simplificado, thanks to Thierry Depaulis.
  • May 2, 2006 - FAQ 2b - Added entry for Pong, thanks to Thierry Depaulis.
  • May 8, 2006 - FAQ 5 - Deleted dead links, edited a couple, rearranged a couple.
  • May 9, 2006 - FAQ 23 - Added a link to a demographics page on Mahjongmania.
  • May 17, 2006 - FAQ 8, FAQ 17 - added a link to a strategy site.
  • May 18, 2006 - FAQ 19 - Added an FAQ about payment, and payment on joker redemption.
  • May 31, 2006 - FAQ 19 - Modified item "AM."
  • 06.05.06 (one day shy of 06.06.06) - FAQ 24 - Added a sentence, double-spaced some bullet points.
  • June 10, 2006 - FAQ 4a - Added an upcoming Missouri tournament.
  • 06/12/06 - FAQ 6 - Added some stuff (whole darn thing ought to be torn down and built anew from scratch, but I'm too lazy).
  • June 18, 2006 - FAQ 7m - Changed the font to make the thing more readable.
  • 06/22,2006 - FAQ 19 - Added a minor clarification re stopping the Charleston.
  • June 28, 2006 - FAQ 19 - Added a clarification about playing with a "pie."
  • July 5, 2006 - FAQ 19 - Added a clarification about jokers (the most-misunderstood tile of the American game). FAQ 16 - Clarified a reason why.
  • 7/7/6 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher in Michigan.
  • July 12, 2006 - FAQ 4b - Added link to Wei-Hwa Huang's description of Japanese rules, thanks to Martin Lester. FAQ 19E - Added the word "never."
  • July 14, 2006 - FAQ 7e - Added "soap" tidbit.
  • July 19, 2006 - FAQ 5 - Added stuff about palmtop software, thanks to Jo Vandeweghe. FAQ 19 - Clarified about winning by joker redemption.
  • July 24, 2006 - FAQ 7i - Minor edit. FAQ 5 - Fixed an error, thanks to Jo V.
  • July 25, 2006 - FAQ 4b - Added the Dutch Mahjongbond website.
  • July 28, 2006 - FAQ 4b - Deleted dead link (Jesper Harder's site).
  • July 29, 2006 - FAQ 3 - Noted the new revised edition of the Strauser & Evans book, which now includes new material by Tom Sloper (author of this website and these FAQs).
  • July 31, 2006 - FAQ 7a - Added photo of a Rummikub set, thanks to Colleen Paradis.
  • August 1, 2006 - FAQ 6 - Added a note on the correct meaning of "majiang", thanks to Allan Lee.
  • August 3, 2006 - FAQ 7e - Corrected description of some "animal flower" tiles, thanks to Dan Pasek. FAQ 6 - edited the "majiang" note entered Aug. 1 for clarity. FAQ 19 - Minor correction to answer G.
  • August 4, 2006 - FAQ 20 - Added a misunderstood rule, thanks to J.R. Fitch, and did a bit of editing throughout.
  • August 7, 2006 - FAQ 4b - Added the JPML Official Rules site, thanks to John Low. FAQ 19 - added answer AO, defining what "only" means. FAQ 20 - added an exception. FAQ 16 - added a clarification about the word "only."
  • August 9, 2006 - FAQ 16 - Repeated the clarification about the word "only" in more places in the FAQ.
  • August 10, 2006 - FAQ 12 - added "Mah-Jomino."
  • August 19, 2006 - FAQ 19 - rewrote answer Z.
  • August 23, 2006 - FAQ 3 - Updated NMJL prices. FAQ 19 - Edited answer E, fixed an error in answer W. All thanks to the Greenhouses. FAQ 7j, 7n - Added standard grading terminology.
  • August 24, 2006 - FAQ 19E - Another refinement.
  • August 27, 2006 - FAQ 7f - Added pricing information.
  • August 30, 2006 - FAQ 12 - Updated a link, to a site that's moving.
  • September 1, 2006 - FAQ 7f - Added photos of my automatic mahjong table, now that it's working. FAQ 5 - Updated a link, to a site that's moving.
  • September 2, 2006 - FAQ 2b - Added info about Tibetan mahjong, thanks to Jo Vandeweghe.
  • September 4, 2006 - FAQ 4b, FAQ 18 - Reinstated Jesper Harder's site, thanks to Tina Christensen. FAQ 2 - Added info about Tibetan rules, thanks to Benjamin Boas.
  • September 7, 2006 - FAQ 3 - Added a book, thanks to Dan Pasek. Added FAQ 25: "Why Won't The Japanese Program Let Me Claim Mahjong?"
  • September 8, 2006 - FAQ 2b - Added a detail about Sichuan style, thanks to "ithinc."
  • September 13, 2006 - FAQ 4b - Added link to the Official CO rules document in English, thanks to May Hu of the World Mahjong Organization. FAQ 24 - Added another tip about how to find the publisher of your online game.
  • September 20, 2006 - FAQ 4a - Revised a link about mah-jongg tournaments in St. Louis, Missouri.
  • September 23, 2006 - FAQ 19 - Added a Q&A about rolling dice, modified the Q&A about "hot wall/cold wall" and the Q&A about "any."
  • September 26, 2006 - FAQ 19 - Modified answer AN (deleted a parenthetical, added the word "always" twice). FAQ 5 - Modified the entries for MahjongTime.com - and deleted Shanghai from the online category.
  • September 27, 2006 - FAQ 19 - Refined answer E.
  • September 29, 2006 - FAQ 6 - Modified a sentence for clarity (re "majiang").
  • September 30, 2006 - Modified same entry again. FAQ 11 - Substituted "ma que" characters for "mah-jongg" as appropriate, to reduce confusion.
  • October 1, 2006 - FAQ 11 - Added new info about a 1912 trademark, thanks to Michael Stanwick. Accordingly, deleted a controversial statement in FAQ 6.
  • October 2, 2006 - FAQ 25 - Clarified how one could score Yakuman times 7.
  • October 3, 2006 - FAQ 11h - Added details about the 1912 ma-chiang trademark of Dillon, thanks to Michael Stanwick. FAQ 19W - added my own little theory as to why so many women ask if 25 cents doubled twice really equals a dollar.
  • October 4, 2006 - FAQ 25 - Changed max possible score to Yakuman times 6, thanks to John Low.
  • October 6, 2006 - FAQ 5 - Changed a couple links that seem to be dead.
  • October 7, 2006 - FAQ 11h - Changed "ma que" to "ma qiao," thanks to Thierry Depaulis. FAQ 6 - More notes on the Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese way of writing the game's name, thanks to Thierry Depaulis. FAQ 19W - changed "women" to "people."
  • October 8, 2006 - FAQ 25 - Two corrections: Deleted Yonjun (5 fan); made Sanshoku Dokou 2 fan. Thanks to Ricky Shiraishi. FAQ 4a - Modified a tournament link descriptor.
  • October 9, 2006 - FAQ 19, FAQ 20 - Added definitions of "exposed" and "concealed" hands, after being asked this question three times in the past week. FAQ 11h - Added a book, thanks to Thierry Depaulis.
  • October 11, 2006 - FAQ 25 - Added chombo penalty.
  • October 24, 2006 - FAQ 4a - added a resource for getting blank tiles carved, thanks to Gina Smith.
  • October 25, 2006 - FAQ 4a - Added a club in Ft. Lauderdale, thanks to Chris Larkin.
  • November 1, 2006 - FAQ 5 - Updated a link (Taipei).
  • November 14, 2006 - FAQ 7g, FAQ 7h - Added a line about the format of photos when sending them to me for a mahjong set value or age appraisal (to prevent a repeat of what happened today, receiving photos in a weird format).
  • November 30, 2006 - FAQ 11h (Timeline) - Added earliest Chinese reference to mahjong (1903), thanks to Thierry Depaulis
  • Dec. 6, 2006 - FAQ 25 - Added "chan kan" (robbing the kong) and made a correction, thanks to Tina Christensen.
  • Pearl Harbor Day, 2006 - FAQ 0 (the newsgroup FAQ) - Added netiquette tip about copying the replied-to question when writing a reply to previous usenet posts.
  • Dec. 11, 2006 - FAQ 11 - In the cctheory/definitions file and argfor.html - Modified the definition of "the CC Theory" to correct an inconsistency with other parts of the CC theory pages. Specifically, deleted the incorrect claim that CC are "the original" mahjong rules (a fact that's refuted elsewhere in the document). Also modified the definition of "proto-mahjong" and modified the evolution claim.
  • Dec. 13, 2006 - FAQ 4b - Fixed a broken link. FAQ 12 - Added a new tile-matcher to the list.
  • Dec. 17, 2006 - FAQ 11 - Edited the cctheory page.
  • Dec. 18, 2006 - FAQ 25 - Clarified the robbing the kong rule, thanks to Ryan Morris. FAQ 4, FAQ 25 - Added some fun links, thanks to David Willems.
  • Dec. 27, 2006 - FAQ 11 - Added link to John Low's video about matiao cards and the MJM. FAQ 4b - Made Scott Nicholson's tutorial video part of the CC rules section.
  • Jan. 2, 2007 - FAQ 5 - Added a CC scoring program for Pocket PC. FAQ 4b, FAQ 25 - Added blog about Japanese majan, thanks to Nath. FAQ 11f -> analysis.html - Revised the table per Thierry Depaulis' important new findings. FAQ 2b - Added 2 variants per Thierry Depaulis' research.
  • Jan. 7, 2007 - FAQ 1 - Added pictures to illustrate the difference between mahjong and tile-matching.
  • Jan. 10, 2007 - FAQ 11h - Added 1950 Vietnam book, thanks to Thierry Depaulis.
  • 1/11/7 - FAQ 4b, FAQ 25 - added link to the Mahjong Denmark Riichi summary sheet, thanks to Tina Christensen.
  • Jan. 12, 2007 - FAQ 2b - Added early variants and modified a couple descriptions, thanks to Thierry Depaulis. Added Mauger 1915 to timeline, FAQ 11h.
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 2007 - FAQ 25 - Added some Q+A from the bulletin board.
  • Jan. 17, 2007 - FAQ 11, FAQ 11h - Minor edits prompted by Michael Stanwick.
  • Jan. 21, 2007 - FAQ 25, FAQ 4b - Added link to site where miniature Akagi-style tiles may be purchased, thanks to Robert Miller. FAQ 4b - Added link to Wei-Hwa Huang's Si Se Pai page, thanks to Cofa Tsui. FAQ 11 - Extensive additions, significant early mahjong books, thanks especially to "ithinc" and Thierry Depaulis.
  • Jan. 23, 2007 - FAQ 11h - Some edits and additions (notably 1884, 1915, and 1917), thanks to Michael Stanwick. FAQ 11e - Added an early tile set, thanks to Michael Stanwick. FAQ 25 - Added another link to buy mini Akagi-style tiles, thanks to David Willems. FAQ 5 - Added a link to a Japanese game for Macintosh, thanks to David Willems.
  • Jan. 25, 2007 - FAQ 4b, FAQ 22 - Added a link to Mai Hatsune & Takunori Kajimoto's supreme strategy guide to the MCR game, translated into English by Ryan Morris.
  • Feb. 4, 2007 - FAQ 7k - Minor edits for emphasis. FAQ 7f - Added contact info for manufacturers of automatic mahjong tables. FAQ 7k - Added a tip about MJ shopping in Dallas, thanks to Bettie Bridges. FAQ 4b - Added a vendor site, thanks to Joss Wright.
  • Feb. 6, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Added a clarification about stopping the Charleston (19AG).
  • 02.07.2007 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher in Ithaca, NY.
  • Feb. 11, 2007 - FAQ 5 - Added two MCR (CO) calculators and the Funtown site.
  • Feb. 12, 2007 - FAQ 2b - Added link to Thierry & Cofa's analysis of various forms of mahjong. (Also added that link in analysis.htm.) FAQ 25 - Minor clarification.
  • Feb. 15, 2007 - FAQ 11h - Made several corrections to the timeline, thanks to Ulrich Schädler, Directeur, Swiss Museum of Games.
  • Feb. 16, 2007 - FAQ 12 - Added a new tilematcher (zoomjam).
  • Feb. 25, 2007 - FAQ 4a - Deleted a dead link.
  • March 11, 2007 - FAQ 7o - Deleted one person who could touch up paint on tiles (Marvin Backerman's email no longer works), and added another (Gina Smith). FAQ 7c3 - Added info on "Chinese Bakelite" thanks to Gina Smith.
  • March 14, 2007 - FAQ 11h - One more correction thanks to Ulrich Schädler.
  • March 18, 2007 - FAQ 7a - Added info about tile sizes. FAQ 19AD - Added discussion about pickandtap, and more about pickandrack.
  • March 22, 2007 - FAQ 22 - Added a Q+A about knitted sets.
  • March 25, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Added a link to the 3/25/07 column, about flowers/jokers.
  • April Fool's Day, 2007 - FAQ 14 - Added rule #5.
  • April 15, 2007 - FAQ 3 - Added the English version of Jelte Rep's book, and Elaine Sandberg's book. Updated the link to CMCR by WMO.
  • April 16, 2007 - FAQs 2b, 4b - Added link to WMF site (new name of the WMPA), thanks to Thierry Depaulis.
  • April 17, 2007 - FAQ 7m - Added photos of mahjong shopping in Taiwan by John Low.
  • April 26, 2007 - FAQ 7e - Added Rummikub tiles, often mistaken for mahjong tiles.
  • April 27, 2007 - FAQ 19AM - Added clarifying text. FAQ 16 - Updated the FAQ for the 2007 card.
  • April 28, 2007 - FAQ 0 - Deleted references to fj.rec.games.mahjong (a dead corpse of a newsgroup).
  • Cinco de Mayo, 2007 - FAQ 7n - Added warnings and links about scammers who target sellers of mah-jongg items.
  • May 6, 2007 - FAQ 7Q - Added FAQ 7Q after the umpteenth time I was asked where to buy blank tiles in large quantities.
  • May 9, 2007 - FAQ 11, 7e, 18 - Added blanket credits for Michael Stanwick, some of whose ideas I may have inadvertently expressed without due credit previously.
  • May 17, 2007 - FAQ 25 - Massive rework of the furiten discussion, thanks to comments from Steve Johnson and Benjamin Boas.
  • May 19, 2007 - FAQ 25 - Minor edits and clarifications.
  • May 20, 2007 - FAQ 7Q - Added a company in China. FAQ 3 - Added link to translation of HATSUNE MAI NO SEKAI NI KATSU. FAQ 4b - Added links to Dongguan and money-suited card sites thanks to Pwee Keng Ho. Added coololdgames.com link to FAQs 4a, 4b, 7c3, 7i, and 7n, thanks to "Nath Krismaratala."
  • May 28, 2007 - FAQ 7c3 - Added a little bit about Bakelite/catalin and casein. 1. FAQ 4b, 12 - Added mahjonged.com, a clickthrough site with a tile-matcher.
  • May 30, 2007 - FAQ 7e - Added some text about indices on flower tiles.
  • May 31, 2007 - http://www.sloperama.com/mahjongg/malaysian.htm - Added a reader letter about 164-tile 4-player Malaysian mahjong.
  • June 3, 2007 - FAQ 7k - A bit of cleanup in the Little Tokyo section.
  • June 11, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Added a death rule (AA).
  • June 18, 2007 - FAQs 4b, 25 - Added YakitoriOnline link.
  • June 24, 2007 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher in Connecticutt.
  • June 26, 2007 - FAQ 19AG - Expanded on the fact that the Chas. may be stopped for any reason whatsoever, that the reason should not be demanded or given, and that the player should not abuse the privilege by stopping the Charleston overly much. FAQ 4a - Changed the email address of a Los Angeles teacher.
  • June 27, 2007 - FAQs 4b, 5 - Reinstated the mahjong-o-matic link (appears it had only been down for a short time - not that I can figure out when I deleted the link in the first place).
  • June 29, 2007 - FAQ 2b - Added info on Malaysian 4-player, thanks to Tine Willis and Sylvain Malbec. FAQ 13 - Added info about 2P Japanese. FAQ 25 - Added links to Yakitori Online and FAQ 13. Malaysian.htm - added the BB posts by Sylvain Malbec.
  • June 30, 2007 - FAQ 5 - Highlighted the RON2 link for Yakitori Online members, now that a biweekly meetup is in the works. FAQ 25 - Added links to RON2 and reachmahjong.com.
  • July 1, 2007 - FAQ 5 - deleted a dead link, thanks to Andrew Feist.
  • Fourth of July, 2007 - FAQ 6 - Added Jenn Barr's terminology to the "Rosetta Stone"
  • July 8, 2007 - FAQ 5 - Added link to Andrew Feist's page about how to make Four Winds' online feature work. FAQ 6 - some very minor edits. FAQ 4b - made a minor correction. FAQ 7m - Added addresses of two stores in Taiwan, thanks to John Low.
  • July 19, 2007 - FAQ 4b - minor edit.
  • July 24, 2007 - FAQ 3 - Added my book. What took me so long?? \(^_^)/
  • July 25, 2007 - FAQ 4a - Added a link.
  • July 31, 2007 - FAQ 4b - Updated some links, thanks to Andy ("dbrn") of YakitoriOnline.
  • August 1, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Added Q&A #AR. FAQ 2b - Added Fujian style, thanks to Chris Jacques.
  • August 4, 2007 - FAQ 19Y - Added extra text to further clarify this Frequently Asked Question. Added FAQ 19AS.
  • August 5, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Added clarifications to #C and #AS.
  • August 6, 2007 - FAQ 11b - Edited the photo 3suitgps.jpg to put the fish in the correct suit (thanks to "ithinc").
  • August 7, 2007 - FAQ 25 - changed link for a site whose URL has changed.
  • August 11, 2007 - FAQ 19 - No major wording changes or additions, just added further references (especially my book and official NMJL sources).
  • August 20, 2007 - FAQ 5 - Deleted Mahjong Parlour (discontinued product, no longer available at Aspyr or Amazon).
  • August 22, 2007 - FAQ 7q - Reorganized the FAQ (put large quantities at the end rather than up front). Added FAQ 7r.
  • August 23, 2007 - FAQ 2 - Inserted references to British Empire throughout, since "Vanilla/Classical Western" style is played in nations of the former British Empire. FAQ 13 - Added instructions for the Charleston/goulash for 3P Western/British style.
  • August 24, 2007 - FAQ 19Y - added further clarifying language.
  • August 29, 2007 - FAQ 7g - Added the requirement that an exact flowers/jokers count be given in order to age an American-style set. FAQ 7p - Added another typical dumb question for which I can give no helpful answer.
  • August 30, 2007 - FAQs 19 and 13 - Added crosslinks. FAQ 20 - Added an illuminating exchange with a Q&A Bulletin Board correspondent.
  • September 7, 2007 - FAQ 4b - deleted mahjonged.com link after getting too many spammed reciprocal link requests.
  • 9/11/2007 - FAQ 25 - Deleted a broken example that I couldn't figure out how to fix. Still thinkin' on it...
  • 9/13/2007 - FAQ 25 - Fixed the broken example, thanks to "Tabstop."
  • The Ides of September - FAQ 25 - Another example, thanks to Sylvain Malbec. FAQ 8 - A little clean-up.
  • September 17, 2007 - FAQ 4a - A little clean-up. FAQ 13 - Broke the FAQ up into its component parts, so as to make it easier for people to find the info.
  • September 18, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Filled in a missing question.
  • September 22, 2007 - FAQs 7g, 7h - Added the requirement that photos must be submitted as attachments (not embedded within the email).
  • September 26, 2007 - FAQ 13c - Added an alternative 3P Japanese majan variant, thanks to Robert Lozyniak. And a few minutes later, 2P as well.
  • September 27, 2007 - FAQ 5 - Deleted a dead link, and added a link, thanks to Robert Lozyniak. FAQ 13c - added a link, also thanks to Robert.
  • September 29, 2007 - FAQ 5 - Added a Japanese Flash game.
  • October 3, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Added a clarification to the dead rule.
  • October 6, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Added a clarification to the Charleston rules.
  • October 9, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Added a clarification to line E.
  • 10/10/2007 - FAQ 4b, 25 - Added two links, thanks to Martin Rep. Added link to FAQ 2b also. Ryan Morris' description of Japanese majan is back!
  • October 13, 2007 - FAQ 4b - Added a Polish-language site, thanks to Stephan H. Added MahjongMart.com.
  • October 23, 2007 - FAQ 5 - Added a link, thanks to Robert Lozyniak. FAQ 13C - Added a tidbit from Robert Lozyniak.
  • November 2, 2007 - FAQ 5 - Added Mahjong Tradition, thanks to Nancy Soo.
  • November 4, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Added answer to the question "what does 'like' mean?"
  • November 12, 2007 - FAQ 2b - Added details about Sichuan mahjong, thanks to Morten Andersen.
  • November 13, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Further clarification to 19AK.
  • November 16, 2007 - FAQ 2b - Fixed a numbering problem in the numbered variants list. Turns out there are now 40 known variants, not 39.
  • November 18, 2007 - FAQ 11b - Added 2 images of money-suited cards.
  • November 19, 2007 - FAQs 2b, 4b - Added link to tournament rules of Alan Kwan's Zung Jung.
  • Date forgotten - FAQ 12 - added a link, thanks to Frederick.
  • December 6, 2007 - FAQ 19 - Added a clarification to question M.
  • December 14, 2007 - FAQ 7r - Edited (reorganized and emphasized for enhanced clarity).
  • December 16, 2007 - FAQ 4b - Minor edits to clarify that Western mah-jong is also rightly known as British mah-jong.
  • January 10, 2008 - FAQs 2b, 4b, 25 - Added link to riichi rules in English, standardized for European play. Thanks to Tina Christensen!
  • January 13, 2008 - FAQ 12 - Added the first new Shanghai clone of 2008.
  • January 17, 2008 - FAQ 13c - Belatedly added a link to Walter's Montreal 3P/5P rules for riichi/dora majan.
  • January 25, 2008 - FAQ 20 - Added the answer to the question, "can I claim 3 sequential pairs as both 3 pairs AND 2 chows?" FAQ 7i - minor updates in the description of the AMJA. FAQs 4a, 4b - Added the North American Mahjong Federation.
  • January 27, 2008 - FAQ 7o - Added a tip for how to darken Bakelite tiles (added it directly above another tip for how NOT to darken your Bakelite tiles, coincidentally)
  • January 30, 2008 - FAQ 7g, FAQ 11h - Linked to Column 311 where readers can get information about how jokers and flowers can help age an American-style set.
  • February 5, 2008 ("Super Tuesday") - FAQ 7e - Added identification of some more less-common flower tiles, with a big assist from Edwin Phua. FAQ 5 - Added link to English language instructions for playing Ron2, thanks to Jenn Barr.
  • February 6, 2008 ("Regular Wednesday") - FAQ 7p - Adjusted the probable value range of genuine ivory sets and crosslinked to column 311.
  • February 7, 2008 (Chinese New Year) - FAQ 13a - Added page references in RDWW & NMJL for the 5-player question. Did a mass edit across the entire site, replacing most uses of the word "gaming" with "game."
  • February 8, 2008 - FAQ 4a - Added the website of the 1st Open European Riichi Mahjong Championship.
  • February 10, 2008 - FAQ 7e - Minor correction, thanks to Edwin Phua. FAQ 4b - Added links to the wiki and forum of the Bay Area Mahjong Dojo, thanks to Andrew.
  • February 12, 2008 - FAQ 25 - Clarified the chiitoitsu rule prohibiting two identical pairs.
  • VD, 2008 - FAQ 25 - Edited the links section.
  • February 27, 2008 - FAQs 7q, 7r - Explained how underlined clickable links work.
  • 3/3/08 - FAQ 19 - Added a minor clarification about "any consecutive nos."
  • March forth, 2008 - FAQ 7i - Added that the AMJA card is played using NMJL rules.
  • March 5, 2008 - FAQ 7g - Added information about the Chinese practice of creating fake antiquities. FAQ 20 - Added a reader Q&A that belonged in this FAQ. FAQ 25 - A reader Q&A in FAQ 20 needed to be in FAQ 25.
  • March 6, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Added some info to answer W. FAQ 14 - Minor update to old info (I'd said my book "will be" released. It's since been released).
  • March 9, 2008 - FAQ 4a - Updated the contact info of a teacher.
  • March 10, 2008 - FAQs 4a, 7g, 7h - Added a link to Paul Jaeger's site. FAQ 7e - Added a reader Q&A about flower tiles depicting The Eight Immortals.
  • March 16, 2008 - FAQ 5 - Fixed a broken link, edited the descriptions of two Japanese sites.
  • March 19, 2008 - FAQ 12 - Added a new tile-matcher that had some pretty funny blatant marketer hype attached to it (cafe.com). FAQ 19E - Broke it down into 3 interrelated sub-questions.
  • March 22, 2008 - FAQs 7f, 25 - Fixed broken email address of the mahjong table repair guy, Steve Sera.
  • March 23, 2008 - FAQ 25 - Added a reader Q&A about scoring a concealed hand via discard.
  • March 24, 2008 - FAQ 4b - A minor deletion. FAQ 25 - Added a followup Q&A about the pinfu exception.
  • March 25, 2008 - FAQ 25 - Added a followup Q&A about different Japanese scoring charts.
  • March 29, 2008 - FAQ 7e - Added an image of animal flower tiles.
  • March 31, 2008 - FAQ 0 - Added a general guideline about posting to the rec.games.mahjong newsgroup.
  • April Fool's Day, 2008 - FAQ 7s - Added FAQ 7s. FAQ 19 - Added a special case to items H and I. FAQ 16 - Updated it for the 2008 NMJL card.
  • April 2, 2008 - FAQ 7f - Added a site that makes an American mah-jongg table expander. FAQ 24 - Added a frequent tech support Q&A.
  • April 3, 2008 - FAQ 16 - Minor edit.
  • 4/4/2008 - FAQs 4b, 11 - Added a link to a well-informed article on the development of mahjong by Sergio Mastromarino. FAQ 16 - Added another "questionable" NMJL hand.
  • April 8, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Added a crosslink to FAQ 16. FAQ 5 - Created a separate section for Japanese software; Added "Basic Mahjong," thanks to "Lolle" - and "AppLocale," which you need to run it, thanks to "Shirluban."
  • April 13, 2008 - FAQ 7f - Added a Chinese manufacturer of automatic mahjong tables.
  • The Ides of April, 2008 - FAQs 3, 7e, 18 - Added a book on Chinese characters (thanks to Bruce Bacher), grouped it together with two books on Chinese symbolism, and put the books' descriptions in green on these three pages where they are particularly apropos.
  • April 16, 2008 - FAQ 9 - Minor edit for clarification.
  • April 17, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Overwrote a duplicate answer, AR, with a closely related answer. Cross-referenced it with answer O (the one it had been a duplicate of).
  • April 21, 2008 - FAQs 7c3, 7o - Added a reader Q&A about "Chinese Bakelite"
  • April 22, 2008 - FAQ 7d - Added answer to the question, "why five racks?"
  • April 28, 2008 - FAQ 7j - Added an apropos reader Q&A.
  • April 30, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Added "peek passing."
  • Cinco de Mayo, 2008 - FAQ 2a - Updated it. FAQ 22 - Update (showed current books about MCR). /tour/rulebook - Added link to MCR errata file.
  • May 7, 2008 - FAQ 9 - Added a reader Q&A about slow players. FAQ 16 - Added another 2008 question. FAQ 7f - Added a Chinese source for dealing machines. FAQ 22 - Added a footnote and a link.
  • May 9, 2008 - FAQ 3 - Added links to my MCR errata and Per Starbäck's "Beyond the Green Book." /tour/rulebook - Added link to Per Starbäck's "Beyond the Green Book." FAQ 4b - Added a merchandiser link.
  • May 10, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Slight reorganization of the info in answer E.
  • May 13, 2008 - FAQ 4b - Added link to new Chinese-language site about Japanese mahjong.
  • The Ides of May - FAQ 22 - Some clarifying edits, thanks to reader Oscar Lindberg.
  • May 20, 2008 - FAQs 3, 22 - Updated the link to Per Starbäck's "Beyond the Green Book."
  • May 29, 2008 - FAQ 11b - Added link to Andy Pollett's web page on money-suited cards.
  • May 31, 2008 - FAQ 7g - Corrected some information about a toy store chain that I thought had been shut down.
  • June 3, 2008 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher listing.
  • June 5, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Added a reader Q&A (FAQ 19AX).
  • June 7, 2008 - FAQ 3 - Added the kanji for Hatsune Mai and Kajimoto Takunori.
  • June 11, 2008 - FAQ 19AM2 - Modified the ruling, having gotten the real scoop direct from the NMJL.
  • Father's Day, 2008 - FAQ 5 - Added a link to free mah-jongg tile graphics, thanks to Lana looky.lou.
  • June 16, 2008 - FAQs 2b, 4b - Added link to nice site about Sichuan-style mahjong.
  • June 29, 2008 - FAQ 7d - Changed caption under a photo, thanks to Pwee Keng Ho.
  • July 9, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Added AY, about misnamed discards (after being asked the question 4 times in 2 months).
  • July 14, 2008 - FAQ 25 - Added a reader Q&A about Japanese score conversion.
  • The Ides of July, 2008 - FAQ 7c3 - Added a reader Q&A about Lucite and Bakelite.
  • July 16, 2008 - FAQ 7o - Added a reader Q&A about case repair.
  • July 21, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Crosslinked 19W to FAQ 14. Minor edit.
  • July 23, 2008 - FAQ 21 - Updated the section on recommended rulebooks for tournaments.
  • July 24, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Minor edit to 19P.
  • July 26, 2008 - FAQ 0 - Edited the guideline about troll-handling.
  • July 28, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Added 19AZ (Atomic table rule). How2Search page - added Cuil.com.
  • July 29, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Edited 19AZ, to add flowers (thanks to Anna Rosen). Cleaned up 19AX. Added 19BA, about slow players.
  • 8/8/08 - FAQ 7d - Added detail about rack sizes.
  • August 9, 2008 - FAQ 11b - Added a quote from Neil DeGrasse Tyson on determining origins.
  • August 10, 2008 - FAQ 7d - minor edit. FAQ 19 - Added 19BB (seat rotation).
  • August 29, 2008 - FAQs 7R & 7Q - Added the option of last resort.
  • September 2, 2008 - FAQ 19AG - Minor clarifications.
  • September 3, 2008 - FAQ 7h - Added some detail about tile counts and "completeness." FAQ 7p - Added a rant about the word "complete."
  • September 6, 2008 - FAQs 7g, 7h - Deleted a dead link (Paul Jaeger's site).
  • September 7, 2008 - FAQ 4b - Updated link to Mikko Saari's Mahjong-Opas site.
  • September 8, 2008 - FAQ 5 - Deleted a dead link (MahjongMania).
  • September 13, 2008 - FAQ 7c - Added a note about celluloid / French ivory / Pyralin.
  • September 16, 2008 - FAQ 21 - Added a link to a tournament timer, thanks to Stephan Hilchenbach. FAQ 4a - Added a teacher listing, deleted dead link (JaegerStudio). FAQ 4b - deleted dead link (JaegerStudio).
  • September 26, 2008 - FAQ 12 - Added a baseball-themed tile-matcher.
  • October 5, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Crosslinked B and AM. B is actually duplicated in AM, so the crosslink is to fix that little problem without throwing the whole thing out of whack. FAQ 11h - Added a 1971 Pink Floyd mahjong song.
  • October 6, 2008 - FAQ 19AM - Added new info per a phone conversation between the NMJL and Marsha Solms, as reported this date on the Q&A Bulletin Board. FAQ 5 - Deleted a dead link (CC scoring calculator spreadsheet).
  • October 9, 2008 - FAQ 4a - Fixed a broken link (Wing Hop Fung).
  • October 28, 2008 - FAQs 4a, 15, 21 - Updated a link (MahJonggFunLA). FAQ 21 - deleted a dead link.
  • November 2, 2008 - FAQ 17 - Changed the name from "3 Fan Explained" to "Hong Kong Old Style Mahjong," now that the Yahoo online game isn't as popular as it was when the FAQ was written.
  • November 9, 2008 - FAQ 19AA - Small edit.
  • November 10, 2008 - FAQ 4b - Added Peter Gregory's BMJA site.
  • November 12, 2008 - Added FAQ 7t: Do-It-Yourself Joker Stickers.
  • November 17, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Added entry BC, about indices or the lack thereof.
  • November 23, 2008 - FAQ 7k - Added a reader Q&A about shopping in Chicago.
  • November 28, 2008 - FAQ 7t - Minor edits. FAQ 7q, 7r - Added crosslinks to FAQ 7t. FAQ 7s - Added images, and a crosslink to FAQ 7t.
  • December 3, 2008 - FAQ 23 - Added a link, thanks to Cofa Tsui. (Japanese mahjong demographics.)
  • December 10, 2008 - FAQ 12 - Added a link to a French-language site about tile-matching games.
  • Winter Solstice, 2008 - FAQ 5 - Added Flash riichi game at gamedesign.jp, thanks to Marcio Fujiy 12/21. Added same game in English, thanks to David Willems 12/22. Clarified FAQ 19AM, thanks to Elaine Sandberg. FAQ 4a - Added a link to a photo gallery of old American mah-jongg sets, thanks to Gina Smith. FAQ 23 - Fixed a broken link, thanks to Cofa Tsui.
  • Christmas Day, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Further clarified FAQ 19AM.
  • Boxing Day, 2008 - FAQ 19 - Yet more refinements to FAQ 19AM. FAQ 11 - Minor edit, thanks to Allan Lee.
  • December 29, 2008 - FAQ 7e - Added photos and descriptions of readers' "mystery flowers."
  • January 4, 2009 - FAQs 8, 9 - Added a disclaimer and crosslinks.
  • January 12, 2009 - FAQ 12 - updated a link.
  • January 16, 2009 - FAQ 19 - Added 19BD.
  • Jsnuary 17, 2009 - FAQ 4b - Added links to a 2-part Salon.com blog about a Japanese manga featuring mahjong and lame duck (yay!) president George W. Bush (3 more days, but who's counting?).
  • January 25, 2009 - FAQ 7Q - Edit.
  • Chinese New Year, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Edited a link, thanks to "seigezunt" and Jo Vandeweghe.
  • January 28, 2009 - FAQ 19 - Minor edit.
  • January 29, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Added a PocketPC game, thanks to "seigezunt"
  • January 30, 2009 - FAQ 7e - Added a reader letter about Zhao Gong Ming and his pot of gold
  • February 1, 2009 - FAQs 7e, 7o - Added great stuff from reader Ellejai (LJ). FAQ 4a - deleted a link for a cruise that it's too late to sign up for, and added a new cruise link.
  • February 3, 2009 - FAQ 9 - Added a trumping principle.
  • February 5, 2009 - FAQs 4b, 11h - Added a link to new article by granddaughter of Joseph Park Babcock.
  • February 10, 2009 - FAQ 16 (2008) - Clarified the phrase "Pr & Quints Match"
  • Valentine's Day, 2009 - FAQ 10 - added information about how to bookmark the page for easy return; added a navigation aid.
  • 2/22, 2009 - FAQs 7g, 7h - Added that I don't click links as part of a set valuation or age appraisal.
  • March 1, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Added Tyunma, thanks to Marcio Fujiy.
  • March 5, 2009 - FAQ 7e - Added a reader Q&A about Vietnamese king & queen tiles.
  • March 7, 2009 - FAQ 7c, FAQ 7c3 - Deleted a Bakelite/Catalin link that has expired, and added a new Bakelite/Catalin link thanks to aurelio247 of the eBay MJ group.
  • March 19, 2009 - FAQ 25 - Added scoring for mangan and above, for Sushila.
  • March 25, 2009 - FAQ 25 - Deleted a dead link.
  • March 31, 2009 - FAQs 19J, 19AE - Added discussion of ink colors and suitlessness.
  • April 2, 2009 - FAQ 7h - Highlighted the word "condition" throughout. Nobody ever tells me the CONDITION of the sets they ask me to evaluate! And the condition is IMPORTANT!!
  • 4/4/2009 - FAQ 16 - Wrote the FAQs for the 2009 NMJL card. FAQs 2a, 2b - Added India/Mumbai mahjong.
  • April 5, 2009 - FAQ 16 - Added crosslink to FAQ 19's meaning of the word "only." FAQ 19 - Added "opp. dragons." FAQ 4b - deleted Yakitori Online, added Reach Mahjong and 1189cn.com discussion forums.
  • April 6, 2009 - FAQ 7g - Added a reader Q&A about dating a set to before the 1920s. FAQ 16 - added a crosslink to FAQ 19AU (what does "like" mean?).
  • April 7, 2009 - FAQ 19BF - Added what to do if someone passes you a joker.
  • April 13, 2009 - FAQ 3 - Added a Japanese film that included a mahjong scene, thanks to Lloyd Hugh Allen. And deleted two dead links. FAQ 7o - Added enjoinder not to apply chemicals to your plastic tiles for the purpose of plastic identification. FAQ 21 - Added a clarification about East's role in a tournament when table rotation is involved.
  • The Ides of April (Tax Day), 2009 - FAQ 7t - Added a clarification.
  • April 21, 2009 - FAQ 4a, 4b - Added mahjongmahjong.com.
  • May 2, 2009 - FAQ 7.o - Added an ivory cleaning tip.
  • May 3, 2009 - FAQ 7.Q - Added navigation aids.
  • 5/7/9 - FAQ 15 - Added CraigsList.
  • May 10, 2009 - FAQ 7k - Added links to European resources, thanks to Ian Stanley.
  • May 11, 2009 - FAQ 7k - Another European set-seller, thanks to Ian Stanley.
  • May 12, 2009 - FAQ 19.AP - Added crosslink to column #403 and another reason some people cite in opposition to rolling dice. FAQ 19.AG, AH - Minor clarification edits.
  • May 14, 2009 - FAQs 4b, 25 - Ryan Morris' description of Japanese mahjong is finally back online!
  • The Ides of May, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Updated the entry on MahjongTime as related to American mah-jongg.
  • May 17, 2009 - FAQ 2b - Added that Wright-Patterson players may sometimes add 2 jokers.
  • May 18, 2009 - FAQs 4a, 4b - Added a tournament site in Long Island. FAQs 4b, 25 - Added a strategy blog about Japanese majan.
  • May 22, 2009 - FAQ 4a - Added a tournament in Wisconsin coming up in November 2009.
  • May 24, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Added an iPhone game, thanks to William Austin.
  • May 26, 2009 - FAQs 4b, 17 - Deleted some dead links.
  • June 1, 2009 - FAQ 1 - It still said there were 30 variants so I updated it to 40.
  • June 4, 2009 - FAQ 2b - Corrected a missing tidbit re Shenzhen style.
  • June 8, 2009 - FAQ 4a - Updated the URL for Wright-Patterson OWC.
  • June 9, 2009 - FAQ 3 - Updated the URL for Wright-Pat OWC. FAQs 3, 4a - Noted that visitors to the Wright-Pat site should dismiss the ftp and error messages that pop up. FAQ 2b - Added Chinese Casino Style, thanks to Ian Stanley. Updated a small-print mention of "the 20+ variants" to 40+. FAQ 5 - Added janryumon.plaync.jp.
  • June 11, 2009 - FAQ 4b - Added marvelousmahjongg.com.
  • June 16, 2009 - FAQ 7f - Added a dealing machine manufacturer.
  • June 20, 2009 - FAQ 19G2, 19AM - Added clarifications.
  • June 22, 2009 - FAQ 7e - Added a clarification and some new info about Singapore animal flowers.
  • June 23, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Added TWMJ, thanks to Peter Lee.
  • July 1, 2009 - FAQ 19M - Added a minor clarification after getting a question about it. FAQ 19AD - Added internal links to FAQ 19AD2, 'what does "racking" mean?'
  • 7/8/9 - FAQ 19AE - Added a word and a comma. FAQ 19W4 - Added how to handle maj in error that was recognized only by the bettor.
  • July 12, 2009 - FAQ 9 - Added philosophical principles 5e and 5g (redesignating old 5e to 5f).
  • July 13, 2009 - FAQ 7m - Added an email about shopping in Hong Kong.
  • July 15, 2009 - FAQ 19M3 - Added clarifying wording. FAQ 21 - corrected a word. FAQ 7G - Added a sentence.
  • August 3, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Added an iPhone app; updated the link for Jan Ryu Mon; re-organized platforms. FAQ 25 - added a link to Wortex's wait-training exercises site.
  • August 6, 2009 - FAQ 7i - Fixed a link, thanks to Alexander D.
  • August 7, 2009 - FAQs 25, 4b - Updated links to Riichi rules on the EMA website. FAQ 5 - Added Mahjong Kaki.
  • August 8, 2009 - FAQ 7f - Updated contact info for Aotomo.
  • August 10, 2009 - FAQ 3 - Updated the Whitney listing.
  • August 21, 2009 - FAQ 25 - Added an apropos reader Q&A.
  • August 24, 2009 - FAQs 4a, 4b, 19 - Updated address of Linda Fisher's website.
  • August 25, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Added MahjongLogic and Bamboo Majan.
  • August 26, 2009 - FAQ 19AB - Crosslinked to 19AA.
  • September 4, 2009 - FAQ 19AA - Edit for clarification.
  • September 6, 2009 - FAQ 14 - Edit for clarification.
  • Labor Day, 2009 - FAQ 9 - Minor edit to a link.
  • September 8, 2009 - FAQ 7e - Added a link to a Wikipedia article on the use of jokers.
  • 9/11, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Edited the JanRyuMon link comment, thanks to Josiah.
  • September 12, 2009 - FAQ 8 - Replaced American strategy 10 with something better; added a link to Linda Fisher's site.
  • The Ides of September, 2009 - FAQ 7k - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • September 16, 2009 - FAQ 7f - Edited a broken link.
  • September 18, 2009 - FAQ 7f - Added new info about automatic tables.
  • September 19, 2009 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher in Savannah, GA.
  • 09/20/2009 - FAQ 19 - Added BG (Sandberg's "neutral") and BH (zeroes in consec. runs)
  • September 28, 2009 - FAQ 22 - Modified the wording of the exclusionary rule and added an example, thanks to ithinc.
  • October 10, 2009 - FAQs 4a, 4b - Added link to EverythingMahJongg. FAQ 21 - minor edit.
  • October 13, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Added an HKOS Flash game, thanks to Andreas.
  • October 26, 2009 - FAQ 7e - Added a reader Q&A about Nintendo sets.
  • October 28, 2009 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher in Ft. Lauderdale.
  • November 1, 2009 - FAQ 4b - Deleted MSN mahjong message board since it's been shut down (it had become a spammers' paradise anyway).
  • November 2, 2009 - FAQ 19K - Clarified that this rule is primarily a tournament rule.
  • November 5, 2009 - FAQ 2b - Added a 2P variant, thanks to Chris.
  • November 7, 2009 - FAQ 19AN - Added more citations supporting the rule. FAQ 5 - Deleted a dead link.
  • 11/11, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Added LuckyTile, thanks to Benjamin.
  • November 19, 2009 - FAQ 5 - Added DragonKong.
  • November 24, 2009 - FAQ 7e - Added "leung" and "feng" dragons.
  • November 29, 2009 - FAQs 4b, 7i, 25 - Added new links (new card deck, new transparent tiles).
  • The ides of December, 2009 - FAQ 4b - Added a USC student's web project about majong, "Majong House"
  • December 17, 2009 - FAQ 11e - Modified the image of the Duke/Marquis/Marshal/Premier set to include 16 flowers rather than 8 flowers as previously pictured.
  • December 27, 2009 - FAQ 4 - Added a link, or was it two. I think I deleted a dead link too.
  • January 8, 2010 - FAQ 11b - Fixed a broken link.
  • January 17, 2010 - FAQ 4b - Added a teacher.
  • January 21, 2010 - FAQ 5 - Added MahjongExpress. FAQ 19 - Edited FAQ L.
  • January 22, 2010 - FAQ 5 - Added MahjongClub.
  • January 25, 2010 - FAQs 4b, 25 - Added link to Gamegrunt's "Illustrated Riichi Scoring Reference" on BoardGameGeek.
  • January 27, 2010 - FAQ 22 - Minor edit.
  • January 30, 2010 - FAQ 1 - Added some clarifications and acronyms (fairly minor edits).
  • January 31, 2010 - FAQ 7e - Added a note about Roman wind letters on flower tiles. Removed references to "street performer" (rightfully Liu Hai).
  • February 4, 2010 - FAQ 19g2, 19w - Minor edits for clarity.
  • February 5, 2010 - FAQ 5 - Added a Japanese game for the Android platform.
  • February 8, 2010 - FAQ 12 - Bram from Holland asked me to list his 2 Shanghai-clone aggregator sites.
  • 02/10/2010 - FAQ 21 - Added reader emails about table rotation at tournaments.
  • February 12, 2010 - FAQs 2b, 4a, 4b, 6, 7g, 7h, 7n, 7p, 11c, 13e - Deleted links to Jim May's mahjongmuseum.com, which has apparently unwittingly become a host for malicious software (http://safebrowsing.clients.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?client=Firefox&hl=en-US&site=http://www.mahjongmuseum.com). FAQ 3 - Added Jenn Barr's book. FAQ 11h - Added numerous timeline events of the past 5 years.
  • Valentine's Day, Year of the Tiger - FAQ 12 - Minor edit.
  • February 17, 2010 - FAQ 4b - Added link to USPML site. FAQ 12 - Added Mahjong Titans, thanks to Chris Schumann.
  • February 18, 2010 - FAQ 4b - Deleted several dead geocities links, corrected a Japanese geocities link.
  • February 24, 2010 - FAQ 7d - Added the term "pushers" to go with the pictures of "rulers."
  • February 25, 2010 - FAQ 4a - Put Jim May's link back on the page. Firefox has removed the site from their "suspicious" list (http://safebrowsing.clients.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?client=Firefox&hl=en-US&site=http://www.mahjongmuseum.com).
  • 3/3, 2010 - FAQ 5 - Added Mahjong2.swf, thanks to Chris Schumann.
  • March 19, 2010 - FAQ 4b - Added a teacher.
  • Vernal Equinox, 2010 - FAQ 19 - Rewrote the answer.
  • March 21, 2010 - FAQ 21 - Minor edit.
  • March 26, 2010 - FAQ 19E - Changed "200x" to "201x" and added wording under the image of exposable/joker groupings.
  • March 28, 2010 - FAQ 16 - Updated it for the 2010 NMJL card.
  • March 29, 2010 - FAQ 19 - Changed online dictionary link. FAQ 5 - Deleted a dead link. FAQ 12 - Added another tile-matcher for Pocket PCs.
  • March 31, 2010 - FAQ 16 - Added email from the NMJL regarding the minor typo.
  • April 2, 2010 - FAQ 7e - Added a photo of a "Kibitzer" joker, thanks to reader Sharon. FAQ 16 - Added a 2nd email from the NMJL regarding the minor typo.
  • April 27, 2010 - FAQ 19 - Added FAQ 19bi. FAQ 5 - Added allmj, thanks to Grahame Booth.
  • April 28, 2010 - FAQ 5 - Added 4Mahjong.
  • May 8, 2010 - FAQ 19AL - Deleted some extraneous words (they seem to have confused a reader).
  • May 10, 2010 - FAQ 4b - Added Austria's Mahjong Club Baden website.
  • May 18, 2010 - FAQ 5 - Added mythosware.co.uk
  • May 25, 2010 - FAQ 4a - Updated a link.
  • May 27, 2010 - FAQ 3 - Updated the entries on the DH/BP/MJ booklet and Jenn Barr's book.
  • June 1, 2010 - FAQ 4b - Added Portland (Oregon) Mahjong Society.
  • June 2, 2010 - FAQ 11 - Cross-linked mentions of the DH/BP/MJ to 2010 page with photos of the place. FAQ 24 - Added a reader Q&A; apparently Activision doesn't support any Shanghai customers anymore. FAQ 8 - Deleted some wording that might confuse American readers (again).
  • 6/6/2010 - FAQ 7e - Added a reader letter about flower inscriptions.
  • June 9, 2010 - FAQ 19W - Added info about betting on the wall.
  • June 10, 2010 - FAQ 3 - Fixed broken link to Wright-Patterson Officers' Spouses' Club website.
  • June 27, 2010 - FAQ 21 - Added a line about table rotation.
  • June 29, 2010 - FAQ 21 - Added more stuff about organizing round robin table rotation. FAQ 9 - Added topic of "providing information."
  • July 3, 2010 - FAQ 19AC - Added a comma.
  • July 6, 2010 - FAQs 7d, 11b, 11h and log.html (this file) - Altered references to someone's name.
  • July 9, 2010 - FAQ 19C - Added a crosslink to column #458.
  • July 21, 2010 - FAQ 5 - Added a scoring calculator for iPhone. FAQ 4b - Added link to Steve Willoughby's description of Taiwanese mahjong on The Wayback machine, thanks to Amy Who Feels Uncomfortable With Her Last Name On The Internet.
  • July 23, 2010 - Column 311 - Revised the rather sweeping claim that sets had no jokers prior to 1960. Normally I don't log revisions to past columns on this page, but column 311 is a special case approaching the status of an FAQ.
  • July 30, 2010 - FAQ 7a - Got rid of the word "antique" since it's actually ambiguous what "antique" means as regards to mahjong sets.
  • August 7, 2010 - FAQ 7o - Fixed a broken link, added a pertinent reader Q&A. FAQ 7c3 - Corrected a cleaning product name.
  • August 28, 2010 - FAQ 19 - Added crosslinks to Column 458, about the Window of Opportunity rule.
  • August 30, 2010 - FAQ 11c - Reinstated a previously removed link to MahjongMuseum.com (removed when it seemed that the site was no longer available), thanks to Linda-and-Robert. In checking that the link is still live, Google Chrome "Safe Browsing" reported MahjongMuseum.com to be a host of malware, which may or may not be true. Most likely not.
  • September 8, 2010 - FAQ 19AM - Changed "lifted" to "lifted or moved" after receiving numerous questions about players who "slide" a tile and then want to change their minds and put it back.
  • 9/11, 2010 - FAQ 7H - Added a note about describing all defects of a set.
  • September 16, 2010 - FAQ 4a - Changed a teacher's phone number.
  • Autumnal Equinox, 2010 - FAQ 4b - Fixed/updated link to Steve Willoughby's new URL, thanks to Steve himself.
  • September 26, 2010 - FAQ 7K - Added 2 shops that sell American mah-jongg sets in Los Angeles' Chinatown district.
  • September 29, 2010 - FAQ 20 - Added info about concealed kongs. FAQ 19W - Added info about playing with a "pie."
  • October 4, 2010 - FAQ 7e - Added a reader Q&A about Chinese personages flower tiles.
  • October 6, 2010 - FAQ 73 - Added Edwin Phua's reply to the 10/4 Q&A about Chinese personages.
  • October 12, 2010 - FAQ 7e - Added a reader Q&A about symbolism of animal flower tiles.
  • 10/20/2010 - FAQ 19 - Modified the entry on the Charleston; added that the blind pass is up to 3 tiles, and slightly edited the "stopping" procedure for clarity. FAQ 23 - Added a new Wall Street Journal article on mah jongg demographics.
  • October 21, 2010 - FAQ 4a - Added a link to SimplyMahj.com.
  • October 27, 2010 - FAQ 19AA - Minor edit.
  • October 28, 2010 - FAQ 4b - Added themahjongglady.com.
  • November 1, 2010 - FAQ 19AA - Added what is done with the taken discard when the hand is declared dead.
  • November 14, 2010 - FAQ 7a - Added sizes of bone/bamboo tiles, fixed a minor formatting issue.
  • November 17, 2010 - FAQ 7t - Added .PNG to the list of picture formats preferable to .JPG for tile stickers.
  • November 30, 2010 - FAQ 19 - Added a reader letter about simultaneous claim-and-discard.
  • December 1, 2010 - FAQ 7e - Added the 白 white dragon tile.
  • December 6, 2010 - FAQ 5 - Added Facebook apps to the MahjongLogic / MahjongClub listings.
  • December 17, 2010 - FAQ 22 - Added a link to Chris Schumann's MCR combinatorics analysis.
  • December 18, 2010 - FAQ 19 - Added Heavenly Hand.
  • December 20, 2010 - FAQ 7S - Fixed image links and formatting.
  • December 29, 2010 - FAQ 4a - Updated a teacher's contact information.
  • December 31, 2010 - FAQs 2b, 3 - Added a book on Singapore mahjong, thanks to Edwin Phua.
  • January 25, 2011 - FAQs 2b, 3, 23 - Added information about and from Kingstone Kim's book
  • January 27, 2011 - FAQ 19AD - Added standing a tile on the card as also not constituting what it means to "rack" a tile.
  • January 30, 2011 - FAQ 3 - Added a link to Edwin Phua's review of Celia Ching's book.
  • January 31, 2011 - FAQ 7R - Added a rumor that the NMJL no longer helps rescue sets with replacement tiles.
  • Ground Hog Day, 2011 - FAQ 19T - Added Bill H's suggestion about a possible 1920's Lower East Side origin for Jewish interest in mah-jongg.
  • February 3, 2011 - FAQ 19BJ - Added a follow-up regarding Heavenly Hand.
  • February 4, 2011 - FAQ 19BJ - Clarified the follow-up regarding Heavenly Hand.
  • February 9, 2011 - FAQ 7F - Added a link to a YouTube video of a dealing machine that actually deals.
  • February 10, 2011 - FAQ 15 - Minor touchup.
  • February 15, 2011 - FAQ 7E - Added a reader Q&A about American jokers.
  • February 21, 2011 - FAQs 4a, 15 - Deleted dead links, minor edits.
  • February 26, 2011 - FAQ 19 - Added 19BK.
  • March 1, 2011 - FAQ 4b - Reinstated Jim May's link (now WTWB's site).
  • March 6, 2011 - FAQ 7E - Added a reader Q&A about American jokers.
  • March 10, 2011 - GoStop/Cards.html - Added a reader's info about Korean terminology. FAQ 19 - Added FAQ 19BL, about keeping tiles on racks.
  • March 12, 2011 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher.
  • Pi Day, 2011 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher.
  • March 30, 2011 - FAQ 25 - Added a haiku for my friends in Japan.
  • April 12, 2011 - FAQ 16 - Updated for the 2011 NMJL card.
  • April 14, 2011 - FAQ 5 - Added Mahjong And Friends for Android (thanks to Chris Schumann).
  • April 19, 2011 - FAQ 16 - Added a hand I'd neglected (the 1223 Quints hand) before.
  • May 6, 2011 - FAQ 16 - Added more FAQs to the discussion about the 1223 Quints hand.
  • May 15, 2011 - FAQ 7i - Added a reader email about dead links and other sources of kards.
  • May 26, 2011 - FAQ 7H - Added more about my requirements for free evaluations.
  • May 27, 2011 - FAQ 19 - Added 19BM, about orientation of exposures.
  • May 28, 2011 - FAQ 5 - Added Joyjan.
  • May 31, 2011 - FAQ 7o - Added a note about "Goof Off" versus "Goo Gone."
  • June 5, 2011 - FAQs 2b, 4b - Added link to Filipino rules, thanks to Joseph Smith.
  • June 6, 2011 - FAQ 4b - Added a link to Chris Schumann's basic Chinese rules (PDF file).
  • June 7, 2011 - FAQ 4a - Edited L.A.-area teacher list.
  • June 10, 2011 - FAQ 4b - Added a link to YouthAreAwesome, thanks to King & Faris.
  • 6/11/2011 - FAQ 19BL - Added an overlooked case in 1st position.
  • June 13, 2011 - FAQ 19 - Added the term "Heavenly Hand" to the top-of-page directory.
  • June 28, 2011 - FAQ 4a - Major facelift and edit, including removal of dead links. FAQ 7q - Moved two links here from FAQ 4a.
  • June 29, 2011 - FAQ 19 - Added FAQ BN, why ruling requests to the League should be in writing, not by telephone. FAQ 7o - Added a tip about fabric softener sheets to deodorize a smelly set.
  • 7/7/11 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher, made a clickable index for the page.
  • July 20, 2011 - FAQ 19 - Added FAQ 19BO.
  • July 26, 2011 - FAQ 19 - Added a crosslink from FAQ 19AN to FAQ 19BO. FAQ 7f - added a link, thanks to Derek.
  • August 6, 2011 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher.
  • 8/8/11 - FAQ 19AG - Added a couple words to clarify things.
  • 8/11/11 - FAQ 10 - Added a couple words to clarify things.
  • August 18, 2011 - FAQ 19AM - added a couple words to clarify things.
  • August 24, 2011 - FAQ 7E - Added two posts about personage flower tiles.
  • August 26, 2011 - FAQ 7F - Updated the Aotomo information, added photos.
  • August 28, 2011 - FAQ 19M - Crosslinked to column 497.
  • September 1, 2011 - FAQ 19S - Crosslinked to FAQ 19BN.
  • 9/9/11 - FAQ 19BP - Added FAQ 19BP.
  • September 18, 2011 - FAQ 5 - Added a Japanese mahjong program for smartphone and PC (cross-platform play).
  • October 2, 2011 - FAQ 13b - Fixed a broken link. FAQ 7o - Added a tip about paint.
  • October 21, 2011 - FAQs 4b, 5 - Deleted numerous broken links, and edited/moved some, thanks to Chris Schumann.
  • 11022011 (Palindrome Day) - FAQ 12 - Added another tile-matcher, thanks to Patrick King. And edited the intro, removing references to the now rarely-updated mahjong newsgroup. - FAQ 4a - Edited a teacher listing. FAQ 5 - Reinstated a broken link, now fixed.
  • November 3, 2011 - FAQ 19AQ - Clarified what "exposed" means.
  • November 28, 2011 - FAQ 12 - Added a link, thanks to William Hostman.
  • December 1, 2011 - FAQs 2b, 4b - Added links about Filipino mahjong, thanks to Joseph Smith.
  • December 12, 2011 - FAQ 4a - Added a Marvelous Mah Jongg link.
  • January 24, 2012 - FAQs 11, 11D, 11H - Fixed broken links, thanks to Tony Watson. FAQ 11H - Added some updates to the history timeline.
  • February 1, 2012 - FAQ 2B - Minor edit to the alternate names of Chinese Majiang Competition Rules.
  • February 3, 2012 - FAQ 7I - Added a reader letter about kards.
  • February 13, 2012 - FAQ 7C3 - Updated a broken link (thanks to Grant C.)
  • February 18, 2012 - FAQ 2B - Added 2002 world mah-jongg map (created for my 2002 Smithsonian talk).
  • February 23, 2012 - FAQ 7S - Added clarifying wording.
  • February 24, 2012 - FAQ 19R - Added wording to clarify what exactly would get you called dead in a tournament.
  • February 28, 2012 - FAQ 4A - Added a teacher listing.
  • March 2, 2012 - FAQ 21 - Added a link to more info on round-robin tournaments.
  • March 18, 2012 - Added article about Mah Jongg Madness 2012. FAQ 4a: Added a teacher.
  • March 19, 2012 - FAQ 4b: Fixed the Wright-Patterson link (they keep changing it on me!)
  • March 20, 2012 - rdww.html: Updated the errata file links (because I updated the errata file).
  • March 26, 2012 - FAQ 19 - Deleted an old reader Q&A, having changed my mind about the response (I now prefer Gladys Grad's "rule of simultaneous occurrence")
  • April 5, 2012 - FAQ 19 - Added BQ (about "playing with 14 tiles," a misleading way of saying "picking ahead").
  • Easter Sunday, 2012 - FAQ 19 - Modified the "Window of Opportunity" discussions to cover the eventuality that the next player might exchange her picked tile for a joker.
  • April 11, 2012 - The Shanghai/Ningbo Tianyi Pavilion page - Added information emailed me by Yukio Mori, an important mah-jongg personage from Japan, about the Harvey Diary mystery.
  • April 12, 2012 - FAQ 7i - Added the Marvelous card.
  • Friday the 13th, April 2012 - FAQs 2B, 4A, 4B - Added link to Sushila Singh's Mumbai Style Mahjongg site.
  • April 18, 2012 - FAQ 19 - Added BR (about tournament rulings).
  • April 22, 2012 - FAQ 16 - Updated the FAQ for the 2012 card.
  • April 26, 2012 - FAQ 4a - Fixed a broken link.
  • May 25, 2012 - FAQ 19AA - Adjusted some wording.
  • June 3, 2012 - FAQ 16 (2012) - Added the fifth 369 hand.
  • June 5, 2012 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher. FAQ 16 (2012) - Added some clarifying words.
  • June 8, 2012 - FAQ 4a - Deleted a broken link, replaced it with a phone number.
  • June 13, 2012 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher.
  • July 2, 2012 - FAQ 13a - Strengthened the wording about table rules.
  • July 6, 2012 - FAQ 8 - Added a reader Q&A, did some minor cleanups as long as I was there.
  • July 20, 2012 - FAQ 21 - Added a reader Q&A.
  • July 23, 2012 - FAQ 19 - Minor touchups; made FAQ 19AG easier to find; added crosslinks.
  • July 26, 2012 - FAQ 16 - Added two hands. FAQ 19 - Minor edits to items AG, AH, and AO.
  • August 9, 2012 - FAQs 4a, 5 - Added link to the Mah Jongg Groove app. FAQ 13A - Added some wording and emphasis.
  • August 12, 2012 - FAQ 13a, FAQ 19AS - Added a link to column 532.
  • August 15, 2012 - FAQ 19H - Minor edit.
  • August 24, 2012 - FAQ 19 - Added 19BS (a link to column 534).
  • September 3, 2012 - FAQ 8 - Added info about sorting the tiles in American mah-jongg, based on a reader Q&A.
  • September 12, 2012 - FAQs 2b, 4b, 22 - Added term "Guóbiāo Májiàng," and links to its Wikipedia listing.
  • September 14, 2012 - FAQ 19E - Minor edits. FAQ 24 - Added a reader Q&A.
  • September 25, 2012 - FAQ 7D - Added an image to illustrate rack length. Created FAQ 26.
  • September 29, 2012 - FAQ 7B - Rewrote the entire FAQ, changed all the images. FAQ 7H - Added a picture to show best way to lay out tiles.
  • September 30, 2012 - FAQ 7G - Added same picture. FAQ 26 - Added picture of "the big square."
  • October 6, 2012 - FAQ 19AY - Added some introductory language and reformatted the answer so readers won't miss that there are two situations covered.
  • October 8, 2012 - FAQ 4A - Added a teacher.
  • October 14, 2012 - FAQ 8 - Added a reader Q&A. FAQ 5 - Modified a listing.
  • October 18, 2012 - FAQ 19, FAQ 11H - Added material about Jews in China.
  • October 21, 2012 - FAQ 8 - Minor edit.
  • October 27, 2012 - FAQ 7E - Added pronunciation "baida" for the Chinese "100 uses" tiles, with help from Khang T and Ray H. And made assorted formatting touchups on Oct. 28.
  • 11/7/2012 - FAQ 8 - Added a reader Q&A.
  • November 8, 2012 - FAQ 22 - Added a reader Q&A.
  • November 20, 2012 - FAQ 3 - Updated a listing, added a book, cleaned up some formatting issues and a bad link.
  • November 23, 2012 - FAQ 7E, 13C - Added a reader comment on Japanese 3P and special red tiles.
  • November 29, 2012 - FAQ 26 - Added a reader Q&A.
  • December 3, 2012 - FAQ 12 - Added a link, deleted some dead links.
  • December 9, 2012 - FAQ 7E - Added another mystery tile, ting yong, discussed in reader Q&As.
  • December 10, 2012 - FAQ 7E - Added more about the ting yong tile, from noted mah-jongg scholar Michael Stanwick.
  • 12/12/12 - FAQ 17 - Added a reader Q&A about pin woo; added a detail about pin woo based on Amy Lo's book.
  • December 17, 2012 - FAQ 5 - Fixed a broken link.
  • December 18, 2012 - FAQ 5 - Added info about the NMJL game on Mac, and deleted some dead links.
  • December 19, 2012 - FAQ 4B - Deleted a dead link.
  • Winter Solstice, 2012 - FAQ 2B - Fixed a broken link.
  • Boxing Day, 2012 - FAQ 4B - Added a link.
  • December 29, 2012 - FAQ 19 - Changed FAQ 19K and 19AA due to a new rule issued by the NMJL.
  • January 3, 2013 - FAQ 4A - Added a teacher.
  • January 5, 2013 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher. FAQ 7H - Minor edits.
  • January 20, 2013 - FAQ 26 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • Martin Luther King Day, 2013 - FAQ 26 - Added another Q&A.
  • January 22, 2013 - FAQ 19 - Added a Q&A.
  • January 27, 2013 - FAQ 4a - Added a vendor link.
  • February 16, 2013 - FAQ 5 - Added FlipMahjong, thanks to Joe S.
  • Presidents Day, 2013 - FAQ 5 - Deleted a dead link, updated a link, and added a link, thanks to Nicholas C. FAQ 4a - Added a teacher.
  • February 23, 2013 - FAQ 7N - Updated it a bit, added a picture, deleted a broken link, put in better links.
  • March 30, 2013 - FAQ 19 - Added 2 FAQs.
  • April 3, 2013 - FAQ 19L - Minor modification.
  • April 11, 2013 - FAQ 19AE - Minor modification. FAQ 16 - Updated for the 2013 card.
  • April 21, 2013 - FAQ 7c3 - Added a reader Q&A about celluloid. FAQ 12 - Updated a link.
  • May 2, 2013 - FAQ 4A - Updated a teacher link.
  • May 8, 2013 - FAQ 11H - Added some events to the timeline. FAQ 4A - updated teacher links.
  • May 10, 2013 - FAQ 26 - Added a reader Q&A.
  • May 27, 2013 - FAQ 16/2013 - Added a quints hand I missed before.
  • June 3, 2013 - FAQ 3 - Added a book.
  • June 7, 2013 - FAQ 16/2013 - Added W-D #3 and #4 (copied from FAQ 16/2009).
  • June 11, 2013 - FAQ 8, FAQ 19 - Added tip about saying "same" when discarding a joker.
  • June 15, 2013 - FAQ 19AA - Minor edit.
  • June 16, 2013 - FAQ 5 - Added a link, deleted dead link, fixed formatting, and uploaded the FAQ (apparently I'd forgotten to upload it on Presidents Day).
  • June 23, 2013 - FAQs 7o, 4a, 7c3 - Added links; reorganized the intro section in 7o (moving non-Sandy tips to the same section where other tips reside).
  • June 30, 2013 - FAQ 21 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • July 1, 2013 - FAQ 11H - Added Emperor Kangxi's banishment of the manufacturing and sale of cards in 1691. Noted discrepancy between two descriptions of You-hu.
  • July 5, 2013 - FAQ 4a - Changed a teacher listing. FAQ 5 - Minor edits to the American programs.
  • July 6, 2013 - FAQ 3 - Edited the entry on the Mahjong Museum Bulletin. FAQ 11H - Added some entries on the Mahjong Museum.
  • July 8, 2013 - FAQ 21 - Added info about a tournament scoring program. FAQ 19 - Fixed broken NMJL website links.
  • July 17, 2013 - FAQ 20 - Added some stuff.
  • July 22, 2013 - FAQ 26 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • August 13, 2013 - FAQ 19 - Added 19BW.
  • August 14, 2013 - FAQ 17 - Deleted dead links.
  • August 21, 2013 - FAQ 17 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • August 26, 2013 - FAQ 26 - Added a teacher tip from a helpful reader.
  • August 27, 2013 - FAQ 19Q - Added images, used previously in a reader Q&A.
  • August 28, 2013 - FAQ 7J - Added a crosslink.
  • September 5, 2013 - FAQ 3 - Added a new book.
  • Friday the 13th, September, 2013 - FAQ 7M - Modernized the article (replaced all references to faxes and faxing).
  • September 14, 2013 - FAQ 5 - Added some apps. FAQ 4a - deleted a link.
  • September 16, 2013 - FAQ 7F - Added a reader Q&A about tablecloths.
  • September 20, 2013 - FAQ 4A - Updated a teacher listing.
  • September 23, 2013 - FAQ 19BW - Added RDWW and NMJL references.
  • October 13, 2013 - FAQ 7U - Added new FAQ 7U; added crosslinks to it in FAQs 7G and 7H.
  • October 17, 2013 - FAQ 7J - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • October 21, 2013 - FAQ 26 - Added two pertinent reader Q&As.
  • October 24, 2013 - FAQ 7C2 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • October 26, 2013 - FAQ 7M - Added a pertinent reader comment.
  • November 7, 2013 - FAQ 19 - Added wording to 19G3.
  • November 13, 2013 - FAQ 16/2013 - Minor edits.
  • December 6, 2013 - FAQ 20 - Added some Qs and As. Revised the Window of Opportunity rule (which is different for Asian forms than for the American/NMJL game).
  • December 12, 2013 - FAQs 2B, 3, 4B - Added notes about mahjongbritishrules.com and the Headley/Seeley book (they do not go into enough detail about the rules, specifically there's no mention of how to handle a conflicting claim).
  • January 10, 2014 - FAQ 7E - Added a set of flower translations from Ray H.
  • January 14, 2014 - FAQ 19 - Added to FAQ 19AM, based on latest NMJL bulletin.
  • January 21, 2014 - FAQ 2B - Closed a hanging parenthetical.
  • January 22, 2014 - FAQ 16/2013 - Prompted by a reader Q&A, retracted an earlier claim that spaces on the NMJL card are never meaningful (identified an exception).
  • January 24, 2014 - FAQ 7C - Added ox bone, thanks to Logan S. FAQ 7D - Added a rack with chips cup, thanks to Donna L.
  • January 28, 2014 - FAQ 4B - Deleted dead links, fixed broken links, thanks to Colin B.
  • Groundhog Day, 2014 - FAQ 19 - Added another clarification on closing the window of opportunity.
  • February 7, 2014 - FAQ 19 - More modifications to various points about the window of opportunity.
  • February 11, 2014 - FAQ 4A - Added 2 teachers.
  • February 12, 2014 - FAQ 4A - Added a teacher.
  • February 13, 2014 - FAQ 7S - Minor edit.
  • V.D., 2014 - FAQ 4A - Added a teacher.
  • February 16, 2014 - FAQ 7F - Added a pertinent reader email. FAQ 20 - Added a pertinent reader email, reorganized some reader emails, and modified entry 20B. FAQ 19R - added recent NMJL rule about the fourteenth tile.
  • February 24, 2014 - FAQs 20, 26 - Added pertinent reader emails.
  • February 27, 2014 - FAQ 12 - Added a tile-matching game aggregator site. FAQ 4a - Added a teacher and deleted a teacher.
  • March 9, 2014 - FAQs 19, 20 - Added an FAQ.
  • March 13, 2014 - FAQ 19.AM.1 - Corrected the reference and added more references.
  • March 31, 2014 - FAQ 4B - deleted Israeli Mahjong Association link (no longer working).
  • April 1, 2014 - FAQ 7T - deleted link to now-defunct eBay mah-jongg group. FAQ 19.AK - modified some wording. FAQ 19.BY - added FAQ about how the color-coding works ("read the back of the card"). FAQ 19.BZ - added FAQ about colors of a zero.
  • April 5, 2014 - FAQ 19.AA - Added some examples.
  • April 10, 2014 - FAQ 16 - Updated the FAQ to reflect the 2014 card.
  • April 17, 2014 - FAQ 7C2 - Added news about the ban on ivory sales in the US. This info was also added to the Wanted and For Sale bulletin boards, where ivory items will no longer be permitted.
  • April 18, 2014 - FAQ seven oh - Added a reader Q&A about finding engravers.
  • April 19, 2014 - FAQ 11H - Added some recent news, and modified the entry on Chen Yumen, thanks to "bitorrent". FAQ 2A - made a change suggested by reader Robert C.
  • April 21, 2014 - FAQ 22 - Added links to the 2014 revision of the official Mahjong Competition Rules, and the new "Primary" MCR. Deleted a dead link.
  • April 24, 2014 - FAQ 11H - Added a scan of the pertinent quote from the MJM "Big Encyclopedia." FAQ 4A - Deleted dead links. FAQ 7o and FAQ 7s - Added engraver/restorer links.
  • April 25, 2014 - FAQ 7E - Added a reader Q&A about some weird mystery tiles.
  • April 29, 2014 - FAQ 8 - Added a strategy tip.
  • April 30, 2014 - FAQ 19H - Confused the hell out of what was a crystal clear rule, based on a reader's phone call with the League.
  • May 1, 2014 - FAQ 19H - Added direct quotes from the NMJL's written rulebook and newsletters about timing of conflicting claims.
  • May 9, 2014 - FAQ 19BT - Added a sentence or two.
  • May 11, 2014 - FAQ 19CA - Added CA. I really need to massively reorganize that FAQ!
  • May 18, 2014 - FAQ 7D - Added Japanese stick counts; changed "chips" to "sticks" where talking about sticks.
  • May 20, 2014 - FAQ 4A - Moved a teacher, added a teacher.
  • May 26, 2014 - FAQ 7C - Added more about the new ivory ban. FAQ 19 - added crosslinks between FAQ 19BY and FAQ 19J. FAQ 16 - Added more about W-D #s 4 & 5.
  • May 29, 2014 - FAQ 7c2 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • June 2, 2014 - FAQ 22 - Updated the links to resources.
  • June 9, 2014 - FAQ 3 - Minor edit.
  • June 14, 2014 - FAQ 4A - Added a teacher.
  • June 17, 2014 - FAQ 19P - Deleted an unresolved asterisk.
  • June 18, 2014 - FAQ 7R - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • Juneteenth, 2014 - FAQ 3 - Minor edit.
  • June 22, 2014 - FAQ 7A - Added a picture and a crosslink; reorganized a bit. FAQ 7E - Added [Zhao Gong Ming] to every instance of "Rich Man."
  • June 28, 2014 - FAQ 7c - General cleanup, fixed formatting inconsistencies.
  • June 29, 2014 - FAQ 7 - Updated, cleaned up.
  • July 1, 2014 - FAQ 19 - Updated a link. FAQs 21, 2b - General cleanup.
  • July 10, 2014 - FAQ 19 - Added question about numbers on flower tiles. FAQ 11e - added copyright notice to an image's name since it was being used without authorization.
  • July 13, 2014 - FAQ 4A - Major cleanup, reorganization.
  • July 16, 2014 - FAQ 4A - Update.
  • July 23, 2014 - FAQ 7E - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • July 30, 2014 - FAQ 4A - Added Carli van Emde Boas' collection.
  • August 1, 2014 - FAQ 19M - Made it clearer.
  • August 5, 2014 - FAQ 19 - Added Google references for "any" and "like". FAQ 16 - Added questions about the 2014 card (what does "like" mean).
  • August 6, 2014 - FAQ 19 - Added FAQ 19-CC.
  • August 10, 2014 - FAQ 16 - Added a hand.
  • August 19, 2014 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher.
  • August 20, 2014 - FAQ 9 - Added disclaimer to Philosophies 5a and 5e.
  • August 26, 2014 - FAQ 25 - Added a reader Q&A.
  • September 2, 2014 - FAQ 7E - Added a reader Q&A about some interesting flower tiles. FAQ 4a - Added Michael Stanwick's site.
  • September 4, 2014 - FAQ 4b - Deleted a link.
  • September 7, 2014 - FAQ 7E - Added some pictures and links.
  • September 8, 2014 - FAQ 7C - Deleted material about tests that might discolor or leave a mark on a mah-jongg tile.
  • September 12, 2014 - FAQ 7B - Added The Big Square.
  • September 14, 2014 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher.
  • September 29, 2014 - FAQ 19.BJ - Rewrote it for greater clarity.
  • October 16, 2014 - FAQ 19.AA - Added some wording, fixed a typo.
  • October 19, 2014 - FAQ 19.E - Reformatted the multi-part answer, since people often miss the third part.
  • October 23, 2014 - FAQ 5 - Updated the section on American mah-jongg, thanks to Nathan T. FAQ 7s - Added a reader Q&A with information about tiles for color-blind players, from Where The Wind Blows.
  • November 2, 2014 - FAQ 21 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • November 9, 2014 - FAQ 3 - Added 2 books (I had a hand in both of them).
  • November 12, 2014 - FAQ 19.AY - Added an answer about what happens when a request for a misnamed tile is stated too late.
  • November 25, 2014 - FAQ 7D - Added introductory text to the section on sticks and chips.
  • December 2, 2014 - FAQ 4A - Deleted a retired teacher; made the FAQ mobile-friendly.
  • December 6, 2014 - FAQ 19.E - Clarifying wording added.
  • December 10, 2014 - FAQ 7D - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • December 14, 2014 - FAQ 7E - Added pertinent reader Q&As.
  • December 17, 2014 - FAQ 20 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • December 27, 2014 - FAQ 4A, 4B - Added links, deleted a dead link.
  • December 29, 2014 - FAQ 4A - Added a link.
  • January 6, 2015 - FAQ 13A - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • 1/11/2015 - FAQ 7S - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • January 14, 2015 - FAQ 13A - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • January 16, 2015 - FAQ 19-Q - Added an illustration. FAQ 13A - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • January 19, 2015 - FAQ 7H - Added some disclaimer wording.
  • January 31, 2015 - FAQ 19 - added an FAQ. FAQ 4A - added some teachers.
  • February 17, 2015 - FAQ 26 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A, complete with files a reader can download. FAQ 15 - Deleted a link that turned into spam.
  • March 2, 2015 - FAQ 19-AM - Made an important correction based on a reader email showing an NMJL ruling in writing.
  • March 3, 2015 - FAQ 19, FAQ 20 - Added a frequently asked question.
  • March 8, 2015 - FAQ 19 - Added a frequently asked question.
  • St. Patrick's Day, 2015 - FAQ 19-BH - Added more clarifying wording about the use of zeroes.
  • March 24, 2015 - FAQ 22 - Added some reader Q&As. FAQ 4B - Fixed a broken link and deleted a dead link, thanks to reader パメラ S.
  • March 31, 2015 - FAQ 16 - Made FAQ 16 answer questions about the new 2015 card.
  • April 12, 2015 - FAQ 16, FAQ 19 - Added some clarifications.
  • April 13, 2015 - FAQ 19 - Added FAQ 19-CG.
  • April 16, 2015 - FAQ 19-H - Deleted some dubious wording.
  • April 26, 2015 - FAQ 2B - Added Bashi-Bashi B, thanks to Vladimir ലൈംഗിക-ബന്ധം.
  • April 28, 2015 - FAQ 2B - Abbreviated the Malaysian text after Vladimir's first name to ല after using translate.google.com to find out what language the text was written in (and finding out what that Malaysian text means).
  • May 3, 2015 - FAQ 22 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • May 16, 2015 - FAQ 7E - Added an email from Ray Heaton about "mystery" flowers.
  • June 1, 2015 - FAQ 8 - Added a note that there is usually no "best" or "correct" strategy, with a general reminder to be flexible depending on circumstances.
  • June 4, 2015 - FAQ 11-H - Added listing for the passing of Sheng Qi.
  • June 12, 2015 - FAQ 19-AP - Reworded.
  • June 13, 2015 - FAQ 7-C - added info about bone.
  • June 18, 2015 - FAQ 19 - Added some citations to NMJL newsletters.
  • June 21, 2015 - FAQ 19 - did a minor fix.
  • June 25, 2015 - FAQ 27 - created FAQ 27.
  • June 29, 2015 - FAQ 16/2015 - minor fix. FAQ 7i - minor fix.
  • July 2, 2015 - FAQ 9 - Fixed an internal link so it would open in a new tab, and made the page mobile-friendly.
  • July 13, 2015 - FAQ 19-CI - added answer to the frequently asked question, "What are the probabilities/statistics about [something/anything/whatever]?
  • July, 2015 - FAQ 4a - added a teacher listing.
  • July 30, 2015 - FAQ 7e - fixed a typo.
  • August 5, 2015 - FAQ 19 - Added introductory text about how to use the FAQ on an iPad. And added an image to the answer about serving the first wall (FAQ 19-CH).
  • August 7, 2015 - FAQ 26 - Added an email about a new teaching aid.
  • August 11, 2015 - FAQ 7F - Added an automatic table manufacturer.
  • August 12, 2015 - FAQ 11H - Added some newsworthy upcoming tournaments, thanx to Scott D. Miller and Josephine Lee.
  • August 13, 2015 - FAQ 19-CF - Added some more words.
  • August 18, 2015 - FAQ 4A - Added a teacher listing.
  • August 21, 2015 - FAQ 19-N - Slight rewording in response to a BB post.
  • Sept. 1, 2015 - FAQ 7I - Updated the NMJL snailmail address.
  • Sept. 17, 2015 - FAQ 7E - Added a Q&A.
  • Sept. 24, 2015 - FAQ 9 - Slight rewording.
  • Sept. 26, 2015 - FAQ 15 - Added a reader tip.
  • Oct. 5, 2015 - FAQ 19 - Minor edit.
  • Oct. 11, 2015 - FAQ 19M - Added a reference.
  • Nov. 20, 2015 - FAQ 4A - Added a teacher. FAQ 7T - struck through references to a now-defunct eBay group.
  • Nov. 30, 2015 - FAQ 17 - Reworded the intro to clarify that the FAQ was written for a now-defunct online game, but still provides useful information. Still need to remove dead links therein.
  • Dec. 3, 2015 - FAQ 11h - Added recent events to timeline. FAQ 3 - Added new book.
  • Pearl Harbor Day, 2015 - FAQ 19Q - Added a reference to a reader Q&A from October 15, 2015.
  • Dec. 16, 2015 - FAQ 4b - Deleted two dead links, thanks to Karen Parks, who wanted me to add two links that are off-topic with my website. Maybe I ought to make a page of SEO links?
  • Jan. 7, 2016 - FAQ 7T - Added a reader-submitted tip.
  • Jan. 8, 2016 - FAQ 7i - Updated NMJL address.
  • Jan. 18, 2016 - FAQ 17 - A little more cleanup (removing old Yahoo references), and added a crosslink to FAQ 20.
  • Jan. 22, 2016 - FAQ 19M - Added procedure for redeeming a joker.
  • Feb. 1, 2016 - FAQ 19 - Updated some source references.
  • Feb. 6, 2016 - FAQ 7P - Updated the ivory answer.
  • Valentine's Day, 2016 - FAQ 2B - Edited the New Style entry.
  • Feb. 18, 2016 - FAQ 19AD - Added an illustration.
  • 2/22/2016 - Added FAQ 19CJ.
  • Feb. 28, 2016 - FAQ 19BN - Added the NMJL address. FAQ 13A - Added a reader Q&A.
  • Leap Year Day, 2016 - FAQ 13A - Added a crosslink and an image.
  • March 1, 2016 - FAQ 19 - Several edits.
  • March 6, 2016 - FAQ 11H - Added some entries.
  • Vernal Equinox, 2016 - FAQ 19M - updated the source list to include the 2016 NMJL newsletter.
  • March 27, 2016 - FAQ 5 - Added MyJongg, and updated the NMJL link.
  • March 28, 2016 - FAQ 5 - Modified the MyJongg entry.
  • March 29, 2016 - FAQ 2b - Added a link to Beijing rules, thanks to Joseph Smith.
  • March 30, 2016 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher.
  • April 2, 2016 - FAQ 21 - Added a reader Q&A.
  • April 4, 2016 - FAQ 21 - Added a reader response.
  • April 5, 2016 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher.
  • April 7, 2016 - FAQ 5 - Noted a broken link. FAQ 16 - Wrote the FAQ for the 2016 NMJL card.
  • April 9, 2016 - FAQ 16 - Added some more answers about the 2016 NMJL card.
  • April 11, 2016 - FAQ 4a - Updated a teacher listing.
  • April 18, 2016 - FAQ 16 - Added another hand FAQ. FAQ 19AJ - Added clarifying wording.
  • April 23, 2016 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher listing.
  • April 25, 2016 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher listing.
  • May 11, 2016 - FAQ 7E - Added a pertinent reader email.
  • Friday the 13th, May, 2016 - FAQ 19 - Added a citation.
  • May 14, 2016 - FAQ 19 - Updated a citation.
  • May 16, 2016 - FAQ 7E - Added a pertinent reader email.
  • May 17, 2016 - FAQ 8 - Crosslinked to columns describing the Four Step strategy for the Charleston. FAQ 7E - Added a pertinent reader email.
  • May 18, 2016 - FAQ 7E - Added a pertinent reader email.
  • May 19, 2016 - FAQ 2B - Added Raymond Lee's table of flowers and jokers.
  • May 29, 2016 - FAQ 19 - Updated FAQ A (when is a tile "down") and FAQ BT (why do we get so many wall games).
  • June 5, 2016 - FAQ 4a - Added a teacher listing.
  • 6/6/16 - FAQ 7E - Added 2 pertinent reader emails.
  • June 21, 2016 - FAQ 7E, FAQ 13C - Added information from reader Raymond L.
  • June 26, 2016 - FAQ 19 - Added FAQ CK.
  • July 12, 2016 - FAQ 16 - Added a hand.
  • July 21, 2016 - FAQ 4a - Updated a teacher listing.
  • July 25, 2016 - FAQ 12 - Added a new link, and a request to report dead links. Got back a list of dead links, deleted those on July 26.
  • August 2, 2016 - FAQ 19T - Added a pertinent suggestion from a reader.
  • August 5, 2016 - FAQ 19AA - Deleted a reference to the card.
  • August 6, 2016 - FAQ 21 - Fixed a typo, and discussed compass directions.
  • August 22, 2016 - FAQ 7S - Added a reader email.
  • September 27, 2016 - FAQ 2B, 7A - Added wording about how American flowers and jokers fluctuated during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.
  • September 30, 2016 - FAQ 19 - Added a mention of the League's late president, Ruth Unger, agreeing with me about pickandrack being aggressive and unkind.
  • October 7, 2016 - FAQ 13A - Changes to the formatting, some minor edits.
  • October 9, 2016 - FAQ 2B, FAQ 4B - Added links to siamesemahjongg.com.
  • October 13, 2016 - FAQ 19G - Added words to the pointer link to make it easier to find and recognize.
  • October 25, 2016 - FAQ 19 - Deleted some misleading words in the Window of Opportunity section.
  • October 29, 2016 - FAQ 19 - Added a reader email about the window of opportunity.
  • November 5, 2016 - FAQ 19AM - Minor edit, with crosslinks.
  • December 11, 2016 - FAQ 7F - Updated an address.
  • December 15, 2016 - FAQ 5 - Deleted some dead links (probably not enough), did some reorganization.
  • December 16, 2016 - FAQ 5 - A little more cleanup.
  • December 23, 2016 - FAQ 5 - Updated the entry on Mahjong Helper.
  • December 25, 2016 - FAQ 13A - Added an email about a reader's 2-player variant.
  • January 2, 2017 - FAQ 19BB - Changed the rule, per the 2017 NMJL newsletter.
  • January 8, 2017 - FAQ 7E - Reorg: moved Vietnamese tiles next to one another.
  • Friday the 13th, January, 2017 - FAQ 7U - Minor edit. FAQ 16 - Added a reader Q&A.
  • January 25, 2017 - FAQ 7o - Added a reader Q&A.
  • January 27, 2017 - FAQ 19AM - Added a clarification.
  • February 7, 2017 - FAQ 16 (2016 card) - Added a clarification and an image. FAQ 27 - Minor wording addition.
  • February 23, 2017 - FAQ 19AH - Added "or even three."
  • March 8, 2017 - FAQ 7P - Softened up the snippiness a bit, and added a better explanation of why I have a hard time with vague "tell me anything" questions.
  • March 12, 2017 - FAQ 19BJ - Added crosslink to column 666.
  • March 16, 2017 - FAQ 19CJ - Updated answer based on new rulebook.
  • March 17, 2017 - FAQ 19BN - Edited the NMJL address.
  • March 18, 2017 - FAQ 19L - Cited 2013 rulebook.
  • March 30, 2017 - FAQ 16 - Updated it for the 2017 card.
  • March 31, 2017 - FAQ 16 - Edited the new FAQ.
  • April Fool's Day, 2017 - FAQ 16 - More edits.
  • April 6, 2017 - FAQ 16 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A. FAQ 9 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • April 8, 2017 - FAQ 19M - Added crosslink to column 580. FAQ 11H - Added timeline entries about Mahjong being inducted into Mind Sports, and the 2013 revision of the NMJL rulebook.
  • April 15, 2017 - FAQ 19AM - Modified my wording regarding naming a discard "completely."
  • April 21, 2017 - FAQ 16 - Modified a Q&A based on a reader email.
  • April 24, 2017 - FAQ 19AM - Modified wording, based on a written NMJL ruling to Donna E.
  • April 28, 2017 - FAQ 19AY.4 - Reversed what I'd written there before.
  • May 3, 2017 - FAQ 16 - Added links to the NMJL's FAQ.
  • May 4, 2017 - FAQ 4A - Added a link to Johni Levene's Facebook group, "Mah Jongg, That's It!"
  • May 6, 2017 - FAQ 19L - Added the term "non-joker" in hopes visitors can find the answer more easily. FAQ 5 - Added realmahjongg.com, thanks to Sheila W.
  • May 7, 2017 - FAQ 19AC - rambled about rage-quitting.
  • May 9, 2017 - FAQ 5 - Corrected the realmahjongg.com yearly price. FAQ 19AL - Another case in which "non-joker" may be more understandable than "natural."
  • May 12, 2017 - FAQ 19 - Added a bulletin (newsletter) source.
  • May 15, 2017 - FAQ 19 - Major reorganization at top, sorting all questions by category to make answers easier to find. FAQ 19K - updated ruling based on a reader letter. FAQ 19 - Changed all instances of "bulletin" to "newsletter." Then had to change all instances of "newsletter board" back to "bulletin board" and all links to "newsletterbd.htm" back to "bulletinbd.htm" (sigh).
  • May 18, 2017 - FAQ 13A - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • May 21, 2017 - FAQ 16 - Added Q&As about Consec #4 (2017 card).
  • May 22, 2017 - FAQ 19CK - Added clarifying wording to the question.
  • May 27, 2017 - FAQ 5 - Edited the MyJongg listing. FAQ 19Y - Added wording, and made more links to question Y in different sections of the index.
  • June 1, 2017 - FAQ 19 - Found and replaced every incidence of the word "trump." Then I did the same thing in FAQ 20, FAQ 13E (tried but couldn't remove every instance), FAQ 11H, FAQ 9, FAQ 8, and the 2004 and 2015 versions of FAQ 16. That word is unwelcome on my website; it unfairly takes the job of other perfectly capable words (for example, "overrule," "override," and the phrase "takes precedence over"). That dirty rotten bad dude of a 5-letter word is a grandstander and a showboat. I'm getting it out of my website, and you know who's going to pay to keep it out? That's right: Mexico. Or maybe Slovenia.
  • June 4, 2017 - FAQ 19-AF - Added additional wording based on a reader Q&A. And added more crosslinks to FAQ 19-AM (a multi-question answer) in the index.
  • June 9, 2017 - FAQ 5 - Removed some ancient wording and a dead link.
  • July 9, 2017 - FAQ 4a - Removed a retired teacher.
  • July 27, 2017 - FAQ 16 (2017) - Added an answer about Like Numbers #1. And an answer about wall games. FAQ 19-BT, added an answer about wall games in the 2017 card, with a request for reader theories.
  • August 3, 2017 - FAQ 7i - Added the Next Generation League Mah Jongg Card.
  • 8/8/2017 - FAQ 24 - Updated.
  • August 10, 2017 - FAQ 4a and 7u - Removed MahjongMuseum.com, which sadly no longer exists. FAQ 07 - Simplified and decluttered.
  • August 13, 2017 - FAQ 6 - Added terms from Scott D. Miller's book on riichi/dora majan. FAQ 3 - updated the listing of Scott D. Miller's Riichi Mahjong.
  • August 14, 2017 - FAQ 15 - Deleted dead links, added new links, and updated the info. FAQ 21 - Added an applicable reader Q&A. FAQ 5 - deleted bunches of dead links.
  • August 18, 2017 - FAQ 20k - Added an illustration.
  • August 27, 2017 - FAQ 2b, 3, 4b - Deleted some remarks which I now think may have been unnecessarily unkind.
  • September 10, 2017 - FAQ 16 - Added a reader Q&A so I could explain something else I said.
  • September 12, 2017 - FAQ 5 - Added Kemono Mahjong. FAQ 19AA - removed a death penalty that isn't actually recognized as such by the League.
  • October 5, 2017 - FAQ 19E - Rewrote the intro to the answer.
  • 10/10/2017 - FAQ 4B - Added Sylvain Malbec's site, ooyamaneko.net.
  • October 14, 2017 - FAQ 5 - Added another riichi/dora majan game link.
  • October 15, 2017 - FAQ 11H - Added some events, cleaned up some formatting errors. FAQ 3 - Added "The Riichi Mahjong Pro-spective." FAQ 4A - Added a teacher.
  • October 27, 2017 - FAQ 19-AY - cited back of the NMJL card.
  • October 29, 2017 - FAQ 19-AM2 - Reconsidering the controversial Q&A of October 24 ("What if the winner picked up the wrong discard by mistake, part 3") and column #691 (and wanting to see if I was right on both counts), I rechecked the 2007 newsletter and deleted "or for mah-jongg" in FAQ 19-AM2. Not that I really needed to (after rechecking the 2017 newsletter).
  • November 3, 2017 - FAQ 4B - Added 2 sites to the list of Western/British/Australian rules sites.
  • November 19, 2017 - FAQ 5 - Added Tenhou.
  • November 25, 2017 - FAQ 3, FAQ 11h - Added Benjamin Boas' book.
  • December 28, 2017 - FAQ 19P - Edited.
  • January 3, 2018 - FAQ 2B - Added Taoist Mahjong, thanks to Jeff G.
  • January 4, 2018 - FAQ 19 - Edited and updated per the 2018 NMJL newsletter.
  • January 27, 2018 - FAQ 2B - Added a link.
  • January 28, 2018 - FAQ 19-AA - Modified per 2018 NMJL rulebook revision. FAQ 19-H - Added a mention of slam-exposing.
  • January 30, 2018 - FAQ 19 - Added a note that some higher source page numbers from MJME may have changed with the 2018 revision.
  • February 1, 2018 - FAQ 19-AM2 - Added a source citation.
  • Galentine's Day, 2018 - FAQ 15, FAQ 4B - Added a link to ILoveMahj.com.
  • February 20, 2018 - FAQ 4A, FAQ 7I - Deleted dead links to AMJA site. Repaired broken image links in 7I.
  • 2/22/2018 - FAQ 4A, FAQ 7I - Reinstated AMJA links (outage had been only temporary). 4A: deleted a dead link, added a few links.
  • 3.14.2018, Pi Day - FAQ 7R - deleted old info, added updated info.
  • The Ides of March, 2018 - FAQ 4A - Fixed a defunct email address.
  • St. Patrick's Day, 2018 - FAQ 19I - referenced FAQ 19H2.
  • 1st Day of Spring, 2018 - FAQ 20 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • March 22, 2018 - FAQ 4A - Added a teacher.
  • April 4, 2018 - FAQ 16 - Updated it for the 2018 card.
  • April 6, 2018 - FAQ 26 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • April 7, 2018 - FAQ 19 - Navigation aids added.
  • April 5, 2018 - FAQ 5 - Added Eight Bam LLC's American Mahjong Practice app.
  • April 9, 2018 - FAQ 16/2018 - Corrected a typo. FAQ 9 - Added a navigation aid.
  • April 10, 2018 - FAQ 7H - Added details about condition of tiles.
  • Friday the 13th, April 2018 - FAQ 16/2018 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • April 19, 2018 - FAQs 8,9 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • April 20, 2018 - FAQs 8,9 - The reader from yesterday had poster's regret, so I anonymized the pertinent Q&As.
  • May 1, 2018 - FAQ 7E - Split the file into 3 files: Mystery Flowers, Mystery Jokers, and Other Mystery Tiles.
  • May 2, 2018 - FAQ 7E, FAQ 7F - Organized the Q&As chronologically and added crosslinks.
  • May 10, 2018 - FAQ 20 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • May 12, 2018 - FAQ 13E - Added Mahjong Bingo.
  • May 13, 2018 - FAQ 24 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • May 15, 2018 - FAQ 4B - Fixed a broken link.
  • May 25, 2018 - FAQ 7D - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • May 28, 2018 - FAQ 11D - Added Ma Tsüo Pai, thanks to Marcellinus P.
  • May 30, 2018 - FAQ 4B - Deleted a broken link.
  • May 31, 2018 - FAQ 2B - Fixed a broken link.
  • June 15, 2018 - FAQ 19-BO - Rewrote the answer for enhanced clarity, based on a reader email.
  • June 22, 2018 - FAQ 16-2018 - Added an answer, prompted by a reader Q&A.
  • June 24, 2018 - FAQ 2A, FAQ 7E, FAQ 8, FAQ 9 - Appended pertinent reader Q&As. FAQ 11 - Added a link.
  • June 26, 2018 - FAQ 19AM - Small edit.
  • June 28, 2018 - FAQ 11H - Fixed a typo. FAQ 19R - Improved findability of the 2nd part.
  • July 3, 2018 - FAQ 26 - Added an internal name anchor. And added a follow-up reader Q&A.
  • July 5, 2018 - FAQ 7E - Added a reader Q&A about an unknown mystery tile (not mah-jongg).
  • July 15, 2018 - FAQ 4B - Deleted several broken links.
  • July 23, 2018 - FAQ 5 - Added info about a Filipino mahjongg app for iOS devices, thanks to reader Joe Smith.
  • July 27, 2018 - FAQ 19Z - Added reference to the 2018 rulebook.
  • August 13, 2018 - FAQ 19 - Added additional discovery aids for H3 and H4 (errors in MJ declaration).
  • August 23, 2018 - FAQ 11H - Added an entry, thanks to Ray Heaton.
  • August 31, 2018 - FAQ 5 - Deleted a link to a discontinued game.
  • September 5, 2018 - FAQ 13A - Fixed broken internal links. FAQ 13 - Minor wording edit.
  • September 6, 2018 - FAQ 8 - Added a couple of pertinent reader Q&As.
  • September 22, 2018 - FAQ 15 - Deleted a dead link.
  • October 9, 2018 - FAQ 20 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • October 16, 2018 - FAQ 8 - Edited/improved the American strategy somewhat. FAQ 19 - Crosslinked to FAQ 8.
  • October 21, 2018 - FAQ 19-A - Added more to entry A.
  • October 23, 2018 - FAQ 19-W5 - Added entry W5.
  • October 31, 2018 - FAQ 19-M - Minor edit.
  • November 1, 2018 - FAQ 11-H - Deleted a dead link.
  • November 4, 2018 - FAQ 7-K - Deleted some defunct shops.
  • November 14, 2018 - FAQ 19-S - Added crosslink to FAQ 11-H.
  • November 16, 2018 - FAQ 11, FAQ 4A - Added long-overdue links to Michael Stanwick's vitally important website. FAQ 19-CM - added info about blanks.
  • November 18, 2018 - FAQ 2B - Added Duplicate and Siamese to the list of variants. FAQ 11H - Added some recent events, especially as related to mind sports.
  • November 21, 2018 - FAQ 7O, 7Q, 7S - Deleted links to Arkay Engravers (went out of business).
  • December 6, 2018 - FAQ 20 - Added a note to a reader Q&A.
  • December 11, 2018 - FAQ 26 - Added a reader Q&A.
  • Winter Solstice, 2018 - FAQ 13B - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • January 4, 2019 - FAQ 2A - Modified the reference to Hakka.
  • January 13, 2019 - FAQ 16-2018 - Modified the definition of a "run."
  • January 24, 2019 - FAQ 17 - Removed Yahoo logo while removing an ad.
  • January 28, 2019 - FAQ 4A - Removed dead links, renamed a link.
  • February 3, 2019 - FAQ 19-P - Added language to cover the controversial "joker viability in a dead concealed hand" question.
  • February 7, 2019 - FAQ 7E-F - Added a pertinent reader Q&A, with a Ray Heaton translation.
  • February 10, 2019 - FAQ 4A - Added a link, deleted a dead link.
  • February 12, 2019 - FAQ 2B - Deleted a dead link. Renumbered checklist.
  • March 3, 2019 - FAQ 19-AY - Edited for clarity.
  • The Ides of March, 2019 - FAQ 4A and FAQ 19-T - Added link to Gregg Swain's website.
  • St. Patrick's Day, 2019 - FAQs 7G, 7H - Asked that checklists be pasted, not attached. FAQ 8 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A, with links to new DLC ("DownLoadable Content").
  • April 4, 2019 - FAQ 19-H - Added new wording per the NMJL's FAQs page.
  • April 14, 2019 - FAQ 16 - Updated for 2019 card.
  • April 16, 2019 - FAQ 16 - Added stuff, prompted by reader Q&As. FAQ 5 - Added 2 riichi links thanks to Lloyd W.
  • April 19, 2019 - FAQ 16 - Added more stuff based on a reader Q&A.
  • April 25, 2019 - FAQ 16 - Added stuff based on a reader Q&A.
  • April 26, 2019 - FAQ 8 - Fixed 2 broken links.
  • May 2, 2019 - FAQ 8 - Added a pertinent reader Q&A.
  • Cinco de Mayo, 2019 - FAQ 5 - Updated a link.
  • May 9, 2019 - FAQ 19 - Made several edits.
  • May 29, 2019 - FAQ 19 - Added an exception to the rule described in FAQ 19-AF.
  • May 30, 2019 - FAQ 19-AN - Added some links in the index to make the question easier to find.
  • May 31, 2019 - FAQ 5 - Deleted some dead links.
  • June 4, 2019 - FAQ 19 - Added text to the index to improve its usability.
  • D-Day+75Y (June 6) - FAQ 19-N - Changed page number in source citation for question answered in Mah Jongg Made Easy, the official NMJL rulebook, which was heavily edited in 2018. FAQ 4-B - Added a link.
  • June 13, 2019 - FAQ 19, FAQ 16 - Added some wording. FAQ 14 - Removed blatant sales pitch for my book.
  • Bastille Day, 2019 - FAQ 19-AD - revised the discussion of why people aggressively pickandrack.


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