Guides
Five write-ups from the bench and the game room: how the two games differ before you spend anything, how we lay a table for four, what melamine and rubber actually want from you, how a full set travels without rattling, and how to read a tile face on the first evening.
American or Chinese: which set are you actually shopping for
The two games share a name and almost nothing else at the table. Tile counts, faces, racks and what each style needs before four people can sit down.
At the tableSetting the table for four
What goes down first, how much table four seats really need, and the small placements that stop a game stalling. Our own setup order, from bare wood to first wall.
CareKeeping melamine tiles clean, and the mat under them
Melamine resists scratches and hates hot water. What we use on tiles, what the mat instructions actually mean, and the storage habits that decide how a set ages.
On the movePacking a set to travel
Soft bag or aluminum case, what fits in each, and the packing order that keeps 166 tiles from rattling loose in a car. Plus the count that stops a set going home short.
Learning the facesReading the suits on a tile face
Dots, bams and cracks, then the honors and the jokers. What the letters and numerals on our faces are doing, why color helps a new player, and how to teach the wall in one evening.
Read enough, ready to lay the table
Four questions about how you play and we will put the pieces in the order you need them.