[dnlrn]

In the west, Riichi Mahjong seems to be the most well-known form of Mahjong. After living in China, I started to notice that the most popular form of Mahjong here is called "Sichuan Bloody Rules". It is completely different from other forms of Mahjong:

1. The game doesn't end after the first person finishes

2. Many tiles like flowers and wind directions are removed from the game

3. At the start of the game you have to decide one color which you ban from your hand. Your final hand isn't allowed to have a tile of this color inside.

4. You are not allowed to 吃 chi from players

5. There is a pretty complex scoring system

I have the impression that this form of Mahjong is the most unique one. The rules are very different than most other forms of Mahjong, including Riichi Mahjong, and make for really interesting games. So if you're interested in Mahjong feel free to try it out.

[lae]

I think your sample might be a bit skewed. In the west, I find people typically associate "mahjong" with mahjong solitaire.