01/05/26 🀄 Your Guide to Smarter Mah Jongg Play

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The Mah Jongg Insider 🀄
January 05, 2026

🧨️ Happy Mah Jongg Monday!️

January always feels like a fresh shuffle, and it’s good to start the year surrounded by people who love this game as much as you do. We’re here every Monday morning with practical ideas, steady guidance, and encouragement to keep you connected to the game and the community you belong to. The Mah Jongg Insider is for people who love Mah Jongg and want more of it in their week. So glad you’re part of it.

Here’s a quick preview of today’s issue. Scroll down to read each section in full.

🖥️ Behind the Tiles — A new Club series watching real decisions in real time.

💡 Table Wisdom — Master the order and purpose of the Charleston.

🖐🏻 A Hand to Play — Which three tiles help you least?

🎁 Winning Picks — Simple self-care favorites that actually help.

🎥 Max’s Minute — Tile tapping, racking, and dead-hand calls.

❓ Ask Auntie — Helping a slow player without breaking harmony.

🎓 Instructor Feature — A formal path to Mah Jongg accreditation.

📸 Spotlight — Tournament wins and growing groups nationwide.

🎂 Birthdays — This week’s AMJA members.

🖐🏻 Free Practice Sessions — See if we called your name.

… and more!

🖥️ A New Series: Behind the Tiles

We’re trying something new inside the Mahj Insiders Club.

It’s called Behind the Tiles, and we wanted to share a preview with you.

Behind the Tiles is a weekly series for Club members where we’ll watch an experienced American Mah Jongg player play in real time. You’ll see decisions as they’re being made. It feels like pulling up a chair and watching how someone thinks at the table.

Each month, we feature a different experienced player. Club members are exposed to a range of styles, instincts, and decision-making approaches. Sometimes you’ll nod along. Sometimes you might disagree. Both are useful.

The first Behind the Tiles episode drops this Wednesday, and we’re starting with Mister Mahjong.

To introduce him, we recorded a short conversation so you can get to know him and his approach to the game.

Watch the short interview here 👇🏻

If you’d like to catch the premiere and follow along each week, you’ll want to join before this Wednesday.

Learn more about the Mahj Insiders Club, where the focus is winning more games over time.

⬇️ Mahj Insiders Club ⬇️

You can subscribe here to get a weekly email of events in the Bay Area.

💡 Table Wisdom

Be a smart player! Know the order of the Charleston

The goal of the Charleston is to shape a hand mature enough to pick, call, and win. To move beyond simply passing tiles, you need to know the Charleston’s direction and rhythm.

Let’s ROLLOR
A simple acronym helps: ROLLOR. It shows the order of passes:

  • First Round:  Right, Over*, Left

  • Second Round:  Left, Over, Right

Blind pass is allowed on the Left in the first round and on the Right in the second.

Two Rounds to Shape Your Game

The first round helps you see what’s possible. Pass Right, Over, and Left. Watch what comes in and what goes out.

If you pass valuable tiles and they don’t return, assume another player is using them. If they do return, they may be able to help you later. Stay open during this round, as your direction may shift when you see more tiles.

Next, you pass Left, Over, and Right. Use these passes to build toward a Section and, if possible, two potential hands (to help you pivot if needed). It’s still OK if you remain at the section level, but take notice if you’re not reaping any tiles.

You may stop the Charleston after the first round, but it also prevents the development of your hand. The Insider advises you to use this option only when you are so close to Mah Jongg that you don’t have three tiles left to pass. 

A Final Courtesy 

After the two rounds of the Charleston, you have the option to do another pass over the table.  This can help you gain a needed tile, reclaim one you passed earlier, or bluff. For example, passing an extra Wind while aiming for a NEWS hand can mislead opponents.

Takeaway:  Know the order and use it. Each pass offers information about your tiles and your opponents’ choices. By watching what flows around the table, you’ll leave the Charleston better prepared to complete a winning hand.

* The term ‘over’ means “over the table” or across.

🖐🏻 A Hand to Play

Which three tiles are the least useful to your strategy?

The Charleston can set the tone for your entire Mah Jongg strategy. Passing three tiles may look simple, but each choice shapes your path forward. Do you keep it safe or take a calculated risk?

This week, we’re challenging your tile-passing skills with a tough deal. Take a close look at your starting hand and ask yourself: Which three tiles contribute the least to any possible hand? For this one, consider all the possibilities and position yourself with the most flexibility.

Make your choice, cast your vote, and see how your strategy measures up against others!

🀄 Tile Spotlight: Today’s hand uses Miss Mahjong’s Miss Classic set.

Which three tiles are the least useful to your strategy?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Last Week’s 🖐🏻 Hand to Play Results:
4,133 Insiders Played, 58% chose right. Did you?  » CLICK HERE «

🧘‍♀️ Self-Care & Wellness Picks
A little everyday care goes a long way, especially this time of year. These simple upgrades make your routine feel calmer, smoother, and more intentional — nothing fancy, just small things that help you feel more put together.

😌 Pampering Face Masks
Two easy options for a quick reset: a collagen sheet mask for a firmer feel, or an overnight gel mask for deeper hydration. Treat yourself →

🚿 Aromatherapy Shower Steamers
Drop one in the corner of your shower for a spa-like moment. Eucalyptus and citrus are especially good for clearing the mind. Breathe easy →

📚 Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life
A gentle guide to clarifying what gives your days meaning. Simple ideas, steady wisdom. Explore here →

💆‍♀️ Ice Roller
A simple way to calm puffiness and give your skin a cool, refreshing wake-up. Refresh here →

🛁 NIVEA In-Shower Body Lotion
Put it on in the shower, rinse, and you’re done! Warm skin, no chilly lotion, and all-day softness.  Try it here →

(**As an Amazon Associate, The Mah Jongg Insider earns from qualifying purchases.)

This week’s top questions:
1️⃣ Is tapping a tile considered the same thing as racking a tile?
2️⃣ Is there any penalty for calling another player’s hand dead and being wrong?

Watch Max’s 1-minute video answer.
🎥 [Click here to watch]

Have a question for Max?
🎤 Leave him a [voicemail]

❓Ask Auntie Anything 

⬅️ Last Week’s Question
Auntie, We have a player who is extremely slow during the Charleston and frequently asks for more time during play. She has been playing for about six months. How do we tactfully fix this? We don’t want to scare her off!
- Barb

🥠 Auntie’s Advice 🥠

🗨 My dear, it makes sense that this bothers you. A very slow pace breaks the table’s rhythm, creates quiet impatience, reduces the number of hands you play, and builds tension. That is the real issue, not anything she is doing on purpose.

There are two truths. One: the frustration comes from expecting her to match the table’s pace. Letting go of that eases a lot of strain. Two: the table still needs a rhythm. Beginners slow down because they are working hard to choose the right hand, and that effort can make them freeze.

The gentlest fix is not to push her. It is to lower the stakes. A simple cue like, “In the Charleston, we just pick a section and keep moving,” reminds everyone that this step is about flow, not precision. It removes the pressure that slows her down.

A lighter table helps her learn without fear, and that keeps the harmony.

📢 Readers’ Responses 📢

🗨 I would tactfully tell a slow person that: 1.) It is just a game and not life or death. 2.) Just pick tiles that just don’t go with the others. 3.) Pick tiles that you like. I love Dragons. I keep them even if I think they don’t go, until I can’t keep them anymore.
- Susan R.

🗨 I tell all beginners that they really do not have a hand until the Charleston is over. There is not much point in slowing things down because of what "could" be. Simply watch the passing tiles, try to make a semblance of a recognized pattern and only decide your play when the Charleston is done. Scrutinizing every tile and every move so early is just folly. It will most likely change with the next pass.
- Stacy H.

🗨 Sounds like she needs a little more one on one time. Ask the other players to individually sit down with her to practice (at another time). They may be able to guide her to recognize her next move more quickly. OR Start humming the final Jeopardy song.
- Martha B.

Whose response do you like best?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

➡️ This Week’s Question
What do you do when a particular player is overly boisterous and is full of "I-I-I" and "me-me-me" stories?
- Lynne J.

🤗 Want to share your advice?
🤔 Have a Mah Jongg manners or table moment dilemma?

📩 Send it to Auntie: [email protected]

️🎓 Instructor Feature

If you already teach, or you’re sure teaching is next and want a clear, formal path to accreditation, this program was built for you.

Debbie Barnett has launched a Mah Jongg Instructor Accreditation Program through the School of American Mah Jongg.

It’s designed for instructors who want to teach confidently, professionally, and in alignment with NMJL standards.

Whether you’re:

  • Already teaching and ready to make it official, or

  • Thinking seriously about becoming a Mah Jongg instructor

This program lays out a clear, structured path to accreditation.

There are two options, depending on your experience:

If teaching Mah Jongg is part of your world (or your next chapter), this is worth a look.

📸 Get In the Spotlight

This wonderful group of Mah Jongg ladies invited my friend Liz and I to join in for a tournament in Lafayette, La. We carpooled from Baton Rouge. It was my 1st tournament. The tournament theme was patriotic and was put on by a lady that still plays and teaches in her 90s! It was well run and so much fun! The beautiful lady in the red jacket came in 2nd out of APX 100 players!
-Linda G.

Our Mah Jongg Group is a part of the Scripps Ranch Women's Club, based in San Diego's North County. Since it was established by club member Pam Madigan 2 years ago, the group has grown to 12 regular players and 8 occasional players. Always a fun afternoon with both new and longtime friends!
-Madeline Pantalone (founding member)

📸 Share your Mah Jongg moments!
Send us a photo and a quick note — big wins, themed nights, or fun group shots — for a chance to be featured.

📩 Email: [email protected]

🎂 This Week’s Birthdays

Happy Birthday to these wonderful members of the American Mah Jongg Association!

Jan 05
Deborah T. (AZ), Patti E. (KS)

Jan 06
Gigi S. (PA), Joni K. (CO)

Jan 07
Carol H. (FL), Leslie S. (FL)

Jan 08
Diane T. (CA), Melisa L. (PA), Paula K. (CT), Vicki W. (TX)

Jan 09
Lisa K. (MD), Nancy W. (CA), Paula K. (FL), Regina C. (NC)

Jan 10
Brenda W. (AZ), Fraya W. (FL), Joan M. (HI), Patricia P. (CA)

Jan 11
Elizabeth Kelly P. (SC), Oma Olive M. (LA)

If your name is Gwen , enjoy a FREE Practice Session 🖐🏻 on us!*

*Just reply to this email by this Friday at midnight—your email name must match!

🏁 Milestones

These milestones come from TheWinningHand app.

Players use it in different ways. To warm up. To stay sharp. Or simply to spend more time with the game you already love.


Connor Harrison 🔥🔥🔥🔥 — 400 games played
Nancy Rank 🔥 — 100 games played
Sharon Zimmerlin 🔥 — 100 games played

👏 Consistent play adds up.

🎥 New to TheWinningHand app?
Short videos walk through each game mode:
➕ Hand Builder | ☑️ Finish the Hand | 🔃 Scrambled Hand | 💃🏻 Charleston

🎁 Earn FREE gifts!
Share the Insider with your Mah Jongg friends 👇

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  • 15 → Free Practice Session w/ Max or Phyllis

  • 25 → Large 2025 NMJL Card

  • 50 → Virtual Bootcamp Access

  • 100 → VIP Membership

  • 1000 → Self-Shuffling Table

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