Chinese women play, believe me. My MIL lived to play mahjong with her friends all day and night.
I play both American Mah Jongg and a Chinese Mah Jongg (I don’t know if it’s the only version, but I doubt it). They are quite different, in that the melds and runs are distinct - for example, a run in Chinese is 1-2-3 of a suit, but in American, it tends to be 1-1-1, 2-2-2, 3-3-3 of the same or different suits. There are patterns in Chinese mah jongg that carry different points, but there are no set hands. It’s easier to see what someone is playing based on their exposures in American mah jongg as you can compare what’s show to the possible hands, and often can avoid throwing out the other person’s winning tile. Because the patterns are a little looser in Chinese, it’s harder to play defensively.
They’re both a lot of fun.
Yes I play once a week, the “Jewish” version. I used to play the Chinese version but all my friends who play are so skilled and fast that I feel I ruin the experience for them. One woman I play with just taught her granddaughters 12-14 years old and they in turn have taught a couple of friends. The girls sometimes play past midnight and the youngest one has mahjongged on the hardest combination several times.
It’s really a lot of fun and keeps the mind sharp.
Very addictive too. My instructor told us that usually the Chinese women set either a number of games or a time limit (1-3) or they’d play right through picking their kids up from school or making dinner.
When buying tiles, some have roman numbers and some just Chinese characters. It is much easier to play with the roman numbers, especially for those of us who struggle with Chinese.
Also, when buying a set, note that you can play Chinese mah jongg with an American set but not vice versa. Chinese sets have only 4 flowers and 4 jokers, while American sets have 8 (sometimes with extras). I made that mistake when I bought a set in Chinatown.