My Quadjong Game- Modified Mahjong Game

The David B Katague Clan Playing Mahjong (Asian) during Alix Katague Wedding Reception 

Playing Mahjong since I was 5 years old in the Philippine Jungles hiding from the Japanese Invaders, I found the 13 tiles, Hongkong Style Game boring. Even with the Philippines style modification using 16 tiles with 2 Jokers, the Game is still not conflicated enough for me. 

So, I have been thinking of modifying the 13 tiles Hongkong ( Asian) Style of Mahjong Game, to make it more conflicated by using JOKERS.  My Version Of the Game I called Quadjong. 

The Quadjong Mahjong set will have 152 tiles similar to the American Mahjong, 144 plus 8 Jokers.  Here are my modifications.  

1. Each Player receives 20 tiles( instead of  13 or 16).  To Win you need to complete 5 sets of 4's Runs( Consecutives) or a Quad( 4 of a Kind)  plus 1. A pair is not needed.    Example, 1,2,3,4 ,  6,7,8,9,  3333, RRRR,  9999, NNNN, or NEWS. Winner will have 21 tiles.   

2. Both  Runs or Quads Can be obtained from any player. ( In the Standard Game the 3 tiles run can only be obtained from the player on your Left) 

3. The winds can be mended either as a Quad (NNNN) or one of each such as NEWS 

For Special Hands: Instead of 7 pairs, the Quadjong will have the 10 Pairs Game. All other special hands will be the same as the standard Style Game, All Runs, All Quads, all Same Suit, All one Suit plus winds or Dragons. 

The Big Difference is the Presence of Eight Jokers in the Set. Jokers can be any tiles you want it to Be. 

For Those Not FAMILIAR WITH THE MAHJONG SET :   

 

A. There are 3 suits: Bamboos, Characters( Symbols)  and Circles (Dots),  from 1 to 9, four of each   

B There are 4 winds: North (N), East (E), West (W) and S ( south), four of each

C. There are 3 Dragons: White (W), Green (G) and Red (R), four of each 

D. There are 4 Flowers: and 4 Seasons, Numbered 1 to 4 

The Regular Mahjong sets has no Jokers. However the American Style Mahjong set has at least 8 Jokers or more.       

Try it and Have Some FUN. Let me know if you find Quadjong more challenging. 

Meanwhile, If you want to Purchase a Mahjong Set:

Traditional Chinese (Asian) mahjong sets do not include joker tiles. 

A classic Chinese mahjong set contains exactly 144 tiles (or 148 if it includes 4 blank replacement tiles). Joker tiles are a modern invention popularized by American Mahjong sets, which require 8 jokers for a total of 152 tiles. 

However, because the game has many regional variations, the relationship between Chinese sets and jokers depends on the type of set you have:

Types of Chinese Sets and Joker Availability

• Standard Chinese Sets (144–148 Tiles): These are the most common. They feature three suits (Dots, Bamboos, Characters), Winds, Dragons, and 8 Flower/Season tiles. They do not have jokers. 
• Hybrid / Export Sets (152–166 Tiles): Many modern manufacturers produce "conversion" or universal sets. These are packaged as Chinese sets but come with 8 extra matching joker tiles so players can use the same set to play American Mahjong rules. 
• Regional Chinese "All-Purpose" Jokers (百搭 - Bǎidā): Some specialized regional variants in China, Singapore, or Malaysia use four unique jokers (often marked with the character 百搭, meaning "100 uses"). 
• Rank-Restricted Jokers: Certain specialized Chinese sets include jokers that can only substitute for specific numbers (e.g., a "1-4-7" joker or a "2-5-8" joker). These are entirely different from American wild-card jokers. 

Can You Play Chinese Mahjong With Jokers?

If you are playing traditional Chinese rules (such as Hong Kong Old Style or MCR), jokers are removed from the game completely. If you only own an American set and want to play Chinese mahjong, you can simply take out the 8 joker tiles and play with the remaining 144 standard tiles. 

I owned 3 Mahjong Sets, 1957, 1990 and 2005 Sets.  Here are photos: 

1957

1990

2005 

Meanwhile, here are ten of the biggest news items today, May 22, 2026, drawn from major outlets and current headlines.

Top 10 news of the day

1. Trump postponed an AI executive order signing ceremony, citing the need to compete with China.

2. U.S. officials reportedly tried to ban half of the country’s voting machines over national-security concerns.

3. The Trump administration is temporarily moving immigration lawyers to the Justice Department to accelerate citizenship-related enforcement.

4. White House officials have delayed Trump’s planned AI and cybersecurity signing ceremony.

5. The U.S. State Department says Americans returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo must enter through Washington Dulles for Ebola screening.

6. Reuters reports the acting head of the NIH infectious disease institute has stepped down as the U.S. responds to Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks.

7. The U.S. House canceled a vote to end the Iran war without congressional authorization.

8. Trump will swear in Kevin Warsh on Friday to lead the Federal Reserve.

9. Daylight saving time year-round is being proposed again in Congress.

10. North Carolina has sued VinFast over alleged delays in its EV project.

Notable global stories

• BBC highlights a record 274 climbers reaching Everest via Nepal in one day.

• BBC also reports that the U.S. paused a $14 billion weapons sale to Taiwan because of the Iran war.

• Reuters and AP both note continued fallout from the Iran conflict and related U.S. policy moves.

One-line view

Today’s news is dominated by the Iran war, Trump administration policy moves, immigration enforcement, public health alerts, and major legal and political developments.