Mah-Jongg Variants

There are many variations of Mah-Jongg. In many places, players often observe one version -- and are either unaware of other variations or claim that different versions are incorrect. Although many variations today differ only by scoring, there are several main variaties:

Chinese Classical Mah-Jongg is the oldest variety of Mah-Jongg, and was the version introduced to America in the 1920s under various names. It has a small, loyal following in the West, although few play it in Asia.
Hong Kong Mah-Jongg or Cantonese Mah-Jongg is the most common form of Mah-Jongg, differing in minor scoring details with the Chinese Classical variety.
Japanese Mah-Jongg is a standardized form of Mah-Jongg in Japan, found prevalently in video games. In addition to scoring changes, the rules of riichi and dora are unique highlights of Japanese Mah-Jongg.
Western Classical Mah-Jongg is a descendant of the version of Mah-Jongg introduced by Babcock to America in the 1920s. Today, this term largely refers to the Wright-Patterson rules, used in the U.S. military, and other similar American-made variants that are closer to the Babcock rules.
American Mah-Jongg is a form of Mah-Jongg standardized by the National Mah Jongg League and the American Mah-Jongg Association -- and makes the greatest divergence from traditional Mah-Jongg. It uses Joker tiles, the Charleston, plus melds of five or more tiles, and eschews the Chow and the notion of a standard hand. Purists claim that this makes American Mah-Jongg a separate game. In addition, the NMJL and AMJA variations, which differ by minor scoring differences, are commonly referred to as Mah-Jonggg or Mah-jongg (with two Gs, often hyphenated).
Other variants include Fujian Mah-Jongg (with Dadi Joker 帶弟百搭), Taiwanese Mah-Jongg (with 16 tiles for each player), Vietnamese Mah-Jongg (with 16 different kinds of joker), and Filipino Mah-Jongg (with the Window Joker).  In addition, Pussers Bones is a fast-moving variant developed by sailors in the Royal Australian Navy; it uses a creative alternative vocabulary, such as Eddie, Sammy, Wally, and Normie instead of East, South, West, and North.'

In the American variations, it is required that before each hand begins, a Charleston is enacted. This consists of a procedure where three tiles are passed to the player on one's right, followed by three tiles passed to the player opposite, followed by three tiles passed to the left. The dealer can demand for a second Charleston, followed by an optional pass to the player across of one, two or three tiles. This is a distinctive feature of American-style Mah-Jongg that may have been borrowed from card games.