02/23/26 🀄 Your Mah Jongg Game Plan Made Easy

Author

The Mah Jongg Insider 🀄
February 23, 2026

🧨️ Happy Mah Jongg Monday!️

Some groups love the scoreboard. Others just love the gathering. Both are perfectly fine.

That said, many of you have been asking for help with scoring rules, and our recent scoring issue sparked a flood of requests for a printable guide. So we made one. You can download it for free and keep it with your tiles.

And one more thing we’re excited about: Mah Jongg Genius, a new scoring app, is almost ready. It’ll be free to use, and soon all you’ll need is your phone to handle the totals, whether you play for money or just points. No math, no debates, no guesswork.

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

🔊 Hear Every Tile Called: The hearing tip that could seriously level up your game and your enjoyment.

💡 Table Wisdom — How to support beginners without slowing the joy.

🖐🏻 A Hand to Play — Which Section would you build from this deal?

🎁 Winning Picks — Smart golf finds for Mah Jongg players.

🎥 Max’s Minute — When you’re committed to a tile and Joker steals.

🌟 In the News — Mah Jongg featured in Kiplinger and D Magazine.

❓ Ask Auntie — When players throw tiles across the table.

📸 Spotlight — 90th and 100th birthdays at the table.

🎂 Birthdays — This week’s AMJA members.

🏁 Milestones — Players hitting 100 games in TheWinningHand app.

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

… and more!

⬇️ Last Week of Lunar New Year: Bootcamp 40% OFF ⬇️

💡 Table Wisdom

Be Encouraging to Beginners

Mah Jongg has grown rapidly in recent years, attracting many new players. This growth strengthens the game’s community, and experienced players play a key role in helping it thrive.

New players may play slowly at first, and it’s natural for the rest of the players to prefer a faster game, but a little patience goes a long way. Try these ways to make beginners feel welcome and supported:

  • Invite learners to observe. Once new players have finished lessons, invite one or two to watch a regular game. Seat them between experienced players so they can see how hands are built and played.

  • Let them sit in. After observing, allow them to play a game or two. Have an experienced player nearby to guide them through the Charleston and hand selection.

  • Include a beginner’s table. In community centers or open playgroups, set aside a table for learners. Ask a knowledgeable player to sit with them, answer questions, and model good play. As their skills grow, rotate them into other games.

Beginner’s Takeaway: If you’re lucky enough to be invited to play with an experienced group, work to play at their pace. You will likely lose until you learn the card, how to pass and discard quickly, but it will help you get invited back. It’s perfectly acceptable to say “I need a minute” once in a while, when you have a tough decision to make.

Advanced Moves: Inviting a beginner in and slowing down the pace is an act of generosity.  Know which of your games includes players who are willing to slow down a bit vs. those that don’t. 

Supporting new players isn’t just about teaching, it’s about growing the joy and camaraderie that make Mah Jongg so special.

🖐🏻 A Hand to Play

Which SECTION Would You Play? 

After the initial deal, it’s time to make your first pass. The key is to identify which tiles don’t support your strongest potential hands. To do that, you need to consider which Section, or Sections, align with your tiles.

Take a close look at the tiles below and identify the dominant patterns you see. Which Section offers the best potential for building a winning hand? 

Choose your answer, then VOTE to see how your pick compares with other players!

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

Which section would you build on, based on this deal?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Last Week’s 🖐🏻 Hand to Play Results:
5,622 Insiders Played, 77% chose right. Did you?  » CLICK HERE «

🏌️‍♂️ Golf Picks for Mah Jongg Players
There’s a surprising amount of overlap between Mah Jongg tables and golf carts. If you enjoy both, these smart accessories make time on the course easier, more personal, and more fun.

📱 Magnetic Golf Cart Phone Holder
Strong, secure, and perfectly placed for GPS, music, or quick check-ins between shots. Keep it handy →

⛳ Golfdotz Transferable Ball Markers
Apply in seconds, last for rounds, and look great on your ball. No pens, no stamps, and no confusion about whose ball is whose. Mark it clearly →

🦚 Peacock Glitter Ball Marker
Extra sparkle on the green for anyone who likes a little personality in their game. Easy to spot and hard to forget. Bring the bling →

⛳ Play Nine Golf Game
All the strategy of golf in a shorter, faster format. Perfect for casual rounds or friendly competition. Play a round →

🧣 Golf Cart Seat Blanket
Adds comfort on cool mornings or breezy days. One of those items you’ll use more often than you expect. Stay comfortable →

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

This week’s top questions:
1️⃣ When are you committed to taking a tile?
2️⃣ Can I steal a Joker in order to have enough tiles to call for a previously discarded tile?

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

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

🌟 Mah Jongg just landed in Kiplinger, where a wealth advisor outlines eight money lessons hidden in the game. From managing risk to thinking long term, the article draws real parallels between the table and your finances. It’s a fascinating look at how the skills you use in a hand might show up in the rest of your life.

🌟 D Magazine just published a feature on The Mahjong Line, telling the story of how the brand launched, weathered intense criticism, and continued to grow. It’s an honest look at the people behind the company and the broader moment mahjong is having right now. If you’re interested in the evolution of the modern American mahjong scene, this one is worth your time.

⬅️ Last Week’s Question
Auntie, 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.

🥠 Auntie’s Advice 🥠

🗨 My friend, before correcting the behavior, it helps to understand it. Some players were never taught differently. Others are rushing or don’t realize it’s distracting.

A quiet question can help: “You have a unique way of discarding tiles. Where did you learn that?” Often the reason is simple.

Once you know the why, the fix is easy. “It helps everyone if discards are placed carefully.” Understanding first, adjustment second.

📢 Readers’ Responses 📢

🗨 Without seeing this "throwing" in real life, I'm guessing that this player is like me: sometimes a little dramatic when maybe being one tile away from Mah Jongg and disgusted that said tile is not appearing. I will put the tile out into the mix with a flair, maybe a sigh, naming it with a vocal downturn. As long as the tiles she is discarding are face up and she's not hurting another player or someone's precious tiles, it's ok.
- Teresa C.

🗨 I use humor to diffuse situations like this. I’d say, “Whoa! It’s not the tile’s fault.” Or, “What did that tile ever do to you?” “You ate your Wheaties, didn’t you?” “Let me get my catcher’s mitt.” I think after a few of those, she’d get the idea.
- Rosie O.

🗨 Sometimes we make things more complicated than they need to be, possibly out of a desire to be gentle with others’ emotions. The next time she throws her discard, simply say something like, “Please don’t throw your discards. It prevents us from seeing them and hearing your call. It may also damage the tiles.” Straightforward and emotion-free.
- Vicki M.

Whose response do you like best?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

➡️ This Week’s Question
Players show up without RSVP and bring guests, causing people who did RSVP to leave or rotate. The organizer will not address it. What should we do?
-Cathy G.

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

📩 Send it to Auntie: [email protected]

📸 Get In the Spotlight

We have coined ourselves the TMG (Terrific Mah Jongg Group) from the suburbs of Colorado. Our group of four started in June 2023 and is still going strong. We meet weekly, and nothing gets in the way of our Tuesday game days. We’ve not only grown as great players but have also developed lifelong friendships.

Our main focus each week is to play Mah Jongg, but we also share stories of fond family events that have taken place, nana and grandma stories, and the birth of new grandchildren. We also discuss articles from The Mah Jongg Insider each week.

Here’s to Mah Jongg from the TMGs of Colorado.
- Nancy N.

We celebrated Maxine’s 90th birthday!!
- Christina L.

One of our players celebrated her 100th birthday. 
Joy Luck Mah Jongg Group, Arden, NC

📸 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 23
Benjamin C. (CA), Mary Jane K. (NV), Sam L. (CO)

Feb 24
Pepper L. (OR), Sherri K. (MI), Stacey J. (VA) 

Feb 25
Jennifer H. (MS), Melissa K. (NC) 

Feb 26
Dawn-Lynn F. (FL), Pearl L. (FL) 

Feb 27
Jeannie S. (CA), Rhonda R. (CA) 

Feb 28
Linda M. (WI), Patricia B. (MD), Suzanne E. (TX) 

Feb 29
Beverly K. (OH) 

If your name is Annette , 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.

🔥 100 games played — Cindy Heymann
🔥 100 games played — Carolyn Pinto

👏 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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