I’ve been playing Mah Jongg for about four years but never for money. I’ve heard many comments and opinions from other Mah Jongg enthusiasts about the differences in play between games for money versus those where nothing is at stake except the right to say you won a game or two. Most expressed that they placed a more defensive game when playing for money.

I recently started playing Mah Jongg with a new group of women and they usually play for money. I had been eager to add this new angle to my game.  I brought $4 in coins to the game as instructed.  I never removed it from my purse the entire evening. I won the first game and $1.  I won the third game and another $1. The tiles and a few Jokers were with me.

There were a few wall games as well. They were real defensive battles, with each of us holding a tile or two coveted by the others. We were all at about the same skill level so luck likely played a part in the outcome. I gave back $1 throughout the rest of the evening for three wins by other players. So I went home with an extra $1 after several hard-fought games. I found that I enjoyed playing with this group as well as playing for money. I did enjoy the defensive battles. I don’t expect I’ll come out ahead every time. After all, I tend to be a streaky player. But this did add another dimension to the game.