02/16/26 🀄 Become a More Natural Mah Jongg Player

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The Mah Jongg Insider 🀄
February 16, 2026

🧨️ Happy Mah Jongg Monday!️

As we welcome the Lunar New Year, we want to share a little history of mahjong.

Many people assume Mahjong is an ancient game, but that’s just not true. Mahjong originated in China in the mid to late 1800s, around the same time the United States was living through the Civil War and completing the transcontinental railroad.

When the game became popular in America, players adapted the rules, introduced joker tiles, and even changed the spelling to Mah Jongg to reflect this new version.

Then, in 1937 — nearly 90 years ago — the National Mah Jongg League was formed and began producing the official annual card. That card standardized hands and scoring, shaping the game American players know today.

If you’ve ever seen games played without a card and wondered how players know what to make, now you know. They’re probably playing the original version. Those Chinese characters on your tiles are the quiet clue telling the story.

We wish you a happy and healthy Year of the Fire Horse, and many good games ahead. If you’re looking to add a little extra luck as you celebrate, wearing red is a long-standing Chinese custom for good fortune.

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

🧧🐴 Lunar New Year Special — Bootcamp is 40% off this week.

💡 Table Wisdom — Why appreciation changes the whole table.

🖐🏻 A Hand to Play — Can you spot the hand in a scrambled rack?

🎁 Winning Picks — Small home helpers that quietly fix daily annoyances.

🎥 Max’s Minute — Calling a hand dead and reshuffling rules.

❓ Ask Auntie — When a player keeps trying to use Jokers in pairs.

➡️ This Week’s Question — How to stop tiles being thrown across the table.

📸 Spotlight — Hong Kong tile shops, 100-player tournament, and a 90th birthday.

🎂 Birthdays — This week’s AMJA members.

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

…and more…

⬇️ Lunar New Year Special
Bootcamp is 40% OFF ⬇️

💡 Table Wisdom

Setting the Mood: The Power of Appreciation

In How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie reminds us that people crave appreciation more than almost anything else, not flattery, but genuine gratitude.

At the Mah Jongg table, a simple “I love how you spotted that!” or “You always make the game so fun” can shift the entire atmosphere. It costs nothing and builds trust, goodwill, and connection.

Appreciation takes sportsmanship a step further. Yes, you may need to enforce the rules from time to time, but consistent gratitude and kindness make the game more enjoyable for everyone, even when the rules hammer comes down.

To bring more appreciation to your table, look for opportunities like these:

  • Thank your host or hostess. Acknowledge their effort in opening their home and setting up the game. If they’ve added special touches, a themed tablescape, or matching tiles, be sure to include this.

  • Celebrate every win. When a player takes a risk on a challenging hand, recognize their skill and courage.

  • Show grace during conflicts. If two players call for the same tile and one steps back to let the other claim it, thank them for their generosity.

  • Give them the tile. When you rack at the same time as someone says “call,” remember that even if you just racked a Joker, the tie goes to the caller. Sportsmanship with a smile also goes a long way to saying “I appreciate you and the group we play with.”

Appreciation doesn’t just make for good manners; it builds a positive, connected Mah Jongg community where everyone enjoys coming to the table.

🖐🏻 A Hand to Play

Can You Recognize a Scrambled Hand? 

How quickly can you recognize a Mah Jongg hand when the tiles are scrambled, just like they are at the start of a deal?

This skill is key to mastering the Charleston: it helps you break free from the Consecutive Run rut that comes from lining up tiles by suit and number. When you can see patterns in a mixed-up rack, you’ll spot possible hands faster and make smarter Charleston choices.

Here’s your challenge: pull out your 2025 card, study the scrambled tiles below, and decide which hand it is before being organized. It’s a full hand, like an East deal.

Think you know the answer? Pick your choice and VOTE to see how your instincts compare with other players!

🀄 Tile Spotlight: Today’s Hand to Play uses Mah Jongg Maven’s tiles.

Which hand do you see in this scrambled hand?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Last Week’s 🖐🏻 Hand to Play Results:
9,876 Insiders Played, 41% chose right. Did you?  » CLICK HERE «

🏠 Winning Picks: Little Things That Make Life Easier
These are the small, practical upgrades that remove daily annoyances you didn’t realize you’d gotten used to. Nothing fancy — just smart helpers that quietly make life smoother.

🍯 Easy Jar Opener
This one always delivers. Opens tight lids with almost no effort and works on jars of all sizes. A true “why didn’t I buy this sooner?” item. Try it here →

🧽 Magnetic Clean/Dirty Dishwasher Sign
No more guessing or re-washing. A simple fix that instantly improves kitchen flow. See it here →

🚪 Motion-Sensor Night Lights
Soft, cordless lighting for hallways and bathrooms. Turns on when you need it, off when you don’t. Light the way →

🧹 Reusable Lint Roller
Great for clothes, furniture, pets — and Mah Jongg mats. Washable, effective, and always handy. Grab one →

🀄 Mah Jongg Kitchen Towel
A fun, low-key way to add personality to the kitchen — and an easy gift for any Mahj friend. Hang one up →

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

This week’s top questions:
1️⃣ Are you able to call a player dead based on their exposures? Can you be penalized if you’re wrong?
2️⃣ Do you have to reshuffle all the tiles after someone gets Mah Jongg even if the wall wasn’t pushed out?

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

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

⬅️ Last Week’s Question
Dear Auntie,
One player tries to use a joker in a pair every week even after being reminded. Any suggestions?
-Debbie M.

🥠 Auntie’s Advice 🥠

🗨 My friend, a broken rule shouldn't create a problem for the whole table. It's only a problem for the player who breaks it.

So, the response can stay very simple. Each time it happens, say, “Jokers can’t be used in pairs,” and the hand is corrected or declared dead.

📢 Readers’ Responses 📢

🗨 We have a player, who has been playing for years, that asks about using a joker with a pair every week. She's 88 and her memory isn't what it used to be. We patiently tell her the rule every time she asks. Don't think she doesn't still win in a regular basis.
We cherish our time with her, not knowing how much longer she'll be able to play. I hope when the time comes, a group will be patient with me so that I can keep playing.
- Susan A.

🗨 We have a group of newer players and as a joke I sent them in our group text this reminder: I used a real pear (fruit) and then with an ink pen wrote "NO JOKER"  To remind them No jokers with a pair. Funny part several did not get the connection but once at the gathering it was shared and laughter ensued.
- Evelyn D.

🗨 I would simply state before the game gets underway, a general reminder to the table that Jokers can never be used in a pair. That should do it unless the offending player is suffering from some form of dementia in which case, reminders throughout the game may help.
- Andrea B.

Whose response do you like best?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

➡️ This Week’s Question
One player consistently throws her discards across the table. It is distracting and some think she does it to prevent others from seeing the tile. How do we ask her to place tiles neatly near her rack?
-Amy K.

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

📩 Send it to Auntie: [email protected]

📸 Get In the Spotlight

Back in November, my sister and I traveled to Hong Kong with our husbands for a vacation. Since we both love mahjong, we researched tile shops around the city and made a point of visiting several. Our favorite was the oldest mahjong shop in Hong Kong, where we were able to watch the owner carefully hand-work a Chinese mahjong tile—no American-style sets in sight.

We also visited a small town and came across a group of women playing mahjong in a back room. It was a wonderful experience from start to finish.
- Wendy Freyschlag and Julie Kellogg

One hundred players. Ten years of partnership with the City of Santa Maria’s Recreation Department. One unforgettable day.
Donna Eschen’s Year of the Horse Showdown brought the Mah Jongg community together in full force.

Friends gathered for an evening of “Galentines” Mah Jongg in Chico, CA to celebrate each other and their love for the game. Our group has been playing for about a year. We started with a core of four and grew from there. We now are a very eclectic group of 12 active fun-loving women who always look forward to our weekly Mah Jongg gatherings!
- Allison Finkle

📸 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!

Feb 17
Carolyn N. (FL), Cynthia S. (CO), Marianne C. (CT)  

Feb 18
Julie Allen (SC), Sherry B. (NC), Sherry B. (NC), Tamesha S. (CA)  

Feb 19
Andrea B. (NY), Debi B. (CT), Kimber J. (FL), Lin H. (MS), Valerie T. (OK)  

Feb 20
Carolyn O. (KS)  

Feb 21
Candice G. (CA), Janet B. (OH), Pat S. (TX), Stacey S. (TX), Susan R. (NC)  

Feb 22
Dana S. (GA), Jan L. (CA), Judy S. (AL), Kelly S. (GA), Monica M. (CA)

If your name is Jean , 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 (included with Mahj Insiders Club membership — join here.)

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

BOBETTE ENDERSON 🔥🔥🔥🔥 — 400 games played
KAREN DEROSA 🔥 — 100 games played
TERRI BAIRD 🔥 — 100 games played
CINDY JOHNSTON 🔥 — 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

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