Historical Questions on Ma Diao

The following is a quote from the "The Late Ming Game of Ma Diao". It
appeared at the very end of the article by Andrew Lo in The Playing-
Card Volume xxix, Number 3.

My questions are inserted inside the paragraph in square brackets. Any
readers with in-depth knowledge of the Ma Diao game or Chinese
political and cultural history of the Ching and Ming dynasties are
invited to write their answers here.

"The Qing [Ching] law code finally caught up in 1740 and banned the
game [Ma Diao].

"Players however, ignored the officials and the law code. In the Qing
Dynasty, the game of Ma Diao developed further,"

[Ching Dynasty is from 1636-1911. Any evidence in newspapers of
citizens disobeying the law? What were the consequences?]

"with more combinations and the remaining deck of eight cards all
contributing to play."

[What combinations? And which 8 cards remaining in the deck?]

"Rules became more complicated, with some manuals listing hundred
rules of play, and rules differing slightly in different areas."

[Any known published manuals referred to and what are some of the
hundred rules?]

"This game became a craze amongst all walks of life, from nobles,
scholar-officials and courtesans to sedan-chair carriers for over two
centuries, before giving way to the popularity of other card games
around the mid nineteenth century."

[What game is this? It was popular for two centuries between mid
seventeenth and mid nineteenth century. Mahjong historians and
scholars, what was this game? And what other games more popular in or
since the mid nineteenth century? Where does mahjong fit in the time
frame?]

I find it hard to believe a game with a hundred more rules and
complicated as Ma Diao, could be a craze amongst a range of
population as described. What do you think?
++++++++++++++
Cheers.....al

Andrew Lo wrote:
> "with more combinations and the remaining deck of eight cards all
> contributing to play."

al <a... DeleteThis @ntl.sympatico.ca> wrote:
> What combinations?

Do you know what's "六红“/”七同”/“八大”/“八么”/“百肩四极”/etc.?

> And which 8 cards remaining in the deck?

You know nothing about Madiao. Your questions are valueless.

ithinc