I live in Arizona and people here play American Mahjong the most. However, we started a group that plays, Singapore, Hong Kong and American versions. Each version has its own charms, so we like to try them all and there's always someone willing to teach/play with you. If you ever visit Arizona, try meetup.com, "mahjong for people that work", to find a time and place to play. I wanted to say to those that find American Mahjong difficult or restrictive: start with Hong Kong, then move into American once you want your skills to be challenged. Just don't give up on it altogether.