Although it has some recognizable ancestors, Mahjong, as it's known today, has been around since the mid-19th century. The popular Chinese game spread to other countries in the early 20th century. It was brought to America in about 1920 by Joseph P. Babcock, who discovered it being played aboard a ship on the Yangtze River.
In Mahjong, players are dealt 13 tiles and must discard or draw them with the aim of creating four sets and one pair. Played in casinos, the game includes elements of skill, strategy and luck. There are many regional variations in the playing of Mahjong, though the basic rules essentially stay the same.