Mahjong

Mahjong (also known as Mah-Jongg) evolved from 18th and 19th-century gambling card games in China. Variations spread to Korea, Japan, and other areas of Asia before becoming popular in the United States in the 1920s. As played in the U.S., Mah-Jongg played like gin rummy but was changed in the 1930s when the National Mah Jongg League established more formal and limited rules. In recent years, the game is experiencing what NPR called a “surge in interest” and increased popularity among a new generation of players.