A Game of Skill and Chance

If there is one sight that is most common during Chinese New Year gatherings, it would be that of people sitting around a table in
total concentration at a row of tiles in front of them. They are, of course, engrossed in that time-honoured Chinese New Year pastime of mahjong - a practice that has become synonymous with the occasion as much as firecrackers, lion dances and feasting.

It would not be entirely correct to dismiss mahjong as just a game of chance. While Lady Luck plays a not unimportant role in the proceedings; one also needs skill, strategy and a good deal of bluffing ability. We have all heard of the poker face where one strives to keep impassive so as to prevent others from gauging his hand; we shall now meet its Asian cousin - the mahjong face.

Just like the poker face, the mahjong face is utilised in order to throw the opposition off the scent. Since Chinese New Year is considered to be the time when a person’s luck is at the best, it is no surprise that mahjong is such a popular pastime.