Beginner's Guide to Shaanxi Mahjong
Not Shanxi. Shaanxi. Different province. This variant pays you instantly for Kongs and has a pre-round ante system. Straightforward rules, but the money moves fast.
Beginner's Guide to Hangzhou Mahjong
Hangzhou Mahjong has a move called Explosive Pair (爆头) and another called Fortune Gambit (财飞). It also limits stalling with a flat draw rule. Zhejiang Province doesn't play around.
Beginner's Guide to Changsha Mahjong
Also called 258 Mahjong in Hunan Province. Known for fast rounds and special instant-scoring hands that can pay out before anyone else even gets close to winning.
Beginner's Guide to Modern American Mahjong
American Mahjong has jokers, a yearly card that changes which hands are valid, and a completely different structure from every other variant. If your group plays this version, the rules you learned elsewhere won't transfer.
Beginner's Guide to Malaysian Mahjong
Three players instead of four. Malaysian Mahjong keeps Pongs, Chows, and Kongs but speeds everything up with fewer people at the table.
Beginner's Guide to Hefei Mahjong
Hefei Mahjong chops the tile set down to ranks 2 through 8 only. No flowers, no honors, no terminals. What's left is a stripped down, fast game from Anhui Province.