An introduction to Jiangdu Mahjong

Jiangdu is a county of Yangzhou municipality of Jiangsu province and
locates nearly to the north of the Yangtse River.

Jiangdu Mahjong uses 144 tiles, including the three Suits plus the
Honors, plus the four Seasons and the four Baida(百搭, hundred
matchings, joker). Astoundingly, the four Seasons are called 外花
(waihua, Outer Flowers), while the four Jokers are called 内花(neihua,
Inner Flowers), and also called 总王(zongwang, General King). In Jiangdu
Mahjong a hand is 16 tiles before winning. Jiangdu Mahjong may score
points and doubles, or score doubles only, according to the players.
The settlement between the losers is also an optional feature. People
of today prefer to play simply. "East Doubling" feature exists.The
four zongwang/baida/jokers/Inner Flowers can act as any tile of the
three Suits and the Honors.

I take Jiangdu Mahjong as a descendant of the "hua ma que"(see
"Flowers and Kings: A Hypothesis of their Function in Early Ma Que",
in The Playing-card, Volume 37, No.1).

Cheers,
ithinc

On Oct 15, 10:25 am, ithinc <ithi... RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote:
> [..]
>
> Jiangdu Mahjong uses 144 tiles, including the three Suits plus the
> Honors, plus the four Seasons and the four Baida($BI4Ek(B, hundred
> matchings, joker). Astoundingly, the four Seasons are called $B302V(B
> (waihua, Outer Flowers), while the four Jokers are called $BFb2V(B(neihua,
> Inner Flowers),[..]
> [..], according to the players.
++++++++++
As I said in another post in response to "A New Article", $B2=(B is NOT $B2V(B.
++++++++++++++++
> [..]The
> four zongwang/baida/jokers/Inner Flowers can act as any tile of the
> three Suits and the Honors.
++++++++++++++++
The jokers are wild. That is because they can change to whatever a
player want it to be. The word $B2=(B means mutation, change,
transformation etc.

$BFb2V(B is wrong, $BFb2=(B is right. $BFb2=(B means internal change which is exactly
the case when one card maintains its external look but it can act as a
wild card; its internal characteristics change. $BFb2=(B matches the
functional meaning. Uneducated players had it mixed up calling it
inner flower. $B2=(B and $B2V(B sound exactly the same. Then educated people
carried the notion forward as learned knowledge. Only people with
simple minds have doubts and ask questions.
>
> I take Jiangdu Mahjong as a descendant of the "hua ma que"(see
> "Flowers and Kings: A Hypothesis of their Function in Early Ma Que",
> in The Playing-card, Volume 37, No.1).
>
> Cheers,
> ithinc
+++++++++++++
I have no question about genealogy of the two games nor the functions
of joker cards. My comments are on the terminology. Again,
$BFb2=(B is not $BFb2V(B.
$BFb2=(B = internal transformation which applies to a wild card.
+++++++++++
Allan Lee