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- 03/16/26 🀄 Mah Jongg Wisdom You’ll Love
03/16/26 🀄 Mah Jongg Wisdom You’ll Love
The Mah Jongg Insider 🀄
March 16, 2026
🧨️ Happy Mah Jongg Monday!️
The 2026 NMJL card is shipping soon, which means a new Mah Jongg season is about to start.
Every year, players do the same thing.
First, they buy the card from the National Mah Jongg League.
Then the real questions begin:
Which hands should I focus on?
What changed this year?
What should I practice first?
That’s where the American Mah Jongg Association comes in.
Think of it this way:
Step 1: ✅ Buy the NMJL card
Step 2: ⬜ Join the American Mah Jongg Association
This year we’ve added something new that makes learning the card much easier.
Association members now get access to TheWinningHand app, where you can practice building hands from the new card, work through Charleston decisions, and sharpen your instincts between games.
7,000+ players are already members.
The 2026 season is about to begin, here's your next step.
Join the Association →
Already a member? Log into your dashboard to access TheWinningHand app.
Here’s a quick preview of today’s issue. Scroll down to read each section in full.
💡 Table Wisdom — What your first Charleston pass quietly reveals.
🖐🏻 A Hand to Play — Which three tiles should you pass first?
🎁 Winning Picks — Smart snacks and simple upgrades.
🎥 Max’s Minute — Calling tiles on the final wall and organizing discards.
❓ Ask Auntie — How to steer conversations away from husband-bashing.
📸 Spotlight — Themed drinks, a Mah Jongg cake, and the “Crakheads.”
🎂 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!
💡 Table Wisdom
What Your First Charleston Pass Reveals
Your first Charleston pass quietly signals how you plan to build your hand. Players watch what leaves your rack just as closely as what stays and use that information to guess your strategy.
Passing specific tiles gives clues about the Section or Line you are avoiding and can also suggest where you are already committed.
Passing a Wind often signals you are avoiding NEWS, or Wind-heavy hand,s while passing a Dragon can suggest the suit you are not playing.
For example, passing a Green Dragon may point toward Crak or Dot hands.
Passing all even tiles, both high and low, is a pretty good indicator you’re playing 13579 (odds) hand.
Passing three strong tiles together is especially revealing, like Flowers, Winds, Dragons, or Consecutive Numbers suggest an early, focused hand, indicating you’ve already selected a direction.
Learning to read the first (and subsequent) passes can help you play more defensively and avoid playing the same tiles as others.
Beginner’s Tip: Vary your first pass when possible. Don’t always pass the lone Wind, two consecutive tiles, or Dragons that don’t work in your hand. A little unpredictability protects your strategy and limits the information you reveal.
Advanced Moves: Work towards learning your opponent’s strategy. Notice which tiles don’t come back around. Hold any tiles they could need to avoid helping them build a mature hand during the Charleston, and then discard them right away.
Look What’s Included for 2026
American Mah Jongg Association Members
🖐🏻 A Hand to Play
Last Week’s 🖐🏻 Hand to Play Results: 4,723 Insiders Played, 79% chose right.
👉 See the correct answer & explanation here.
Charleston Challenge: Which Three Tiles Are the Least Useful to Your Strategy?
Whether you are using the brand-new 2026 or still playing with the 2025 NMJL Card, the first Charleston goal remains the same. You want direction without locking yourself into a single line too early.
Here is your challenge: Look at the tiles shown below and decide which three fit the least with the rest, while not giving too good a pass to your opponent. Those are the tiles you would pass first in the opening Charleston.
Make your choice, then VOTE and see how your decisions compare with those of other Mah Jongg players.
🀄 Tile Spotlight: Today’s Hand to Play uses Mah Jongg Maven’s tiles.
Which three tiles are the least helpful to your strategy (whic would you pass)? |
🍽️ Winning Picks: Smart Snacks & Simple Upgrades
March is a good time to refresh what you’re reaching for between meals. These picks make it easier to fuel up, snack well, and keep things simple — whether you’re at home or heading out.
💪 Extra Protein
An easy add-in for smoothies, yogurt, or baking when you want a little more staying power. Simple, neutral, and versatile. Add it in →
🪰 Keep the Flies Away
Great for patios, snack tables, or outdoor gatherings. Keeps bugs away without sprays or fuss. Protect the spread →
🌱 Super Greens
A daily scoop for greens and natural energy. Clean ingredients and easy to mix into your morning routine. Start fresh →
🥜 No-Shell Pistachios
All the flavor, none of the mess. Perfect for travel, hosting, or a quick handful between errands. Snack smarter →
🍬 Gingies Ginger Chews
Sweet with a little kick. Great to keep in your purse for travel days or after a heavier meal. Chew on this →
(**As an Amazon Associate, The Mah Jongg Insider earns from qualifying purchases.)
This week’s top questions:
1️⃣ Are you allowed to call tiles for exposures even on the final wall, or can you only call tiles for Mah Jongg at that point?
2️⃣ Can you arrange discarded tiles in order so you can easily see what has been played?
Watch Max’s 1-minute video answer.
🎥 [Click here to watch]
Have a question for Max?
🎤 Leave him a [voicemail]
⬅️ Last Week’s Question
Auntie, One player often remarks on others’ exposed hands like 'maybe check your hand,' which intimidates newer players. Is this rude or a tactic?
- Linda
🥠 Auntie’s Advice 🥠
🗨 My friend, whether her remark is meant as a tactic or simply habit matters less than its effect. When comments about another player’s exposed hand unsettle the table, the atmosphere shifts.
You don’t need to debate whether it’s rude or strategic. You simply decide what behavior is allowed at your table. If commentary on others’ hands isn’t welcome, say so clearly and calmly: “At this table, we don’t comment on another player’s hand.” Then move on.
📢 Readers’ Responses 📢
🗨 My hunch is it’s a tactic. Respond to a repeated request like hers with “I just did” or “I’m good.” Keep your response brief and keep playing. She’s not calling your hand dead, so she doesn’t actually know what you’re doing. She may just be trying to rattle your concentration.
- Lily L.
🗨 Usually you are playing with people who have become friends. The comment is meant to help the player who may have put up a wrong tile or maybe needs one less tile or add a tile because they need 4 not 3 or visa versa. The goal for all of us is to make a Mah Jongg. A little help to avoid a dead hand is friendly play. If you are in tournament play or playing for money you keep quiet.
- Kathie S.
🗨 One simple response to this kind of rudeness is simply to say, “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” Sometimes having to repeat a rudeness makes the other person wake up to it. But sometimes not! 😂
- Joy A.
Whose response do you like best? |
➡️ This Week’s Question
I play Mah Jongg each week with a small, close-knit group. Lately, our time together often turns into a session of criticizing husbands. I’m not naïve about marriage, but I was raised not to air those struggles publicly, and I actually like my husband.
How can I gently suggest that we use our time together to support one another, rather than turning it into a weekly “whose husband is the worst” conversation?
- Anonymous
🤗 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 like to do themes for our food, even if just a fun festive drink like this ‘green with envy’ dragon drink for St Patrick’s Day. We also did Hawaiian retirement party for one of our gals.
- Laura B.
For Rose’s 90th birthday I decided to make a Mah Jongg cake for her. Of course she choose a joker piece, as she loves jokers.
We are a group of ladies that play at the Lansing, NY library weekly, as well as the local senior center Lifelong, Ithaca, NY.
- Mimi Harris
On Monday's we Mahj!! Our group lovingly know as the Crakheads!!
Lakeland, Tennessee
📸 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
The American Mah Jongg Associaion would like to wish these members a very Happy Birthday!
March 16
Lois H. (NH), Shirley L. (TX)
March 17
Kathleen S.K. (TX), Vicki J. (FL)
March 18
Connie L. (SC), Cynthia W. (TX), Kathy S. (MS), Wanda H. (TN)
March 19
Rita C. (CA)
March 20
Dana B. (TN). Francine D. (CA), Patty L. (AL)
March 21
Alexandria A. (NY), Cynthia C. (GA) ,Laura V. (CA) ,Sandy S. (CA) ,Vicki C. (SC) ,Vicki B. (TN)
March 22
Dana N. (LA), Joanna L. (MA)
If your name is Kristin , 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 players using The Winning Hand, the practice app included with membership in the American Mah Jongg Association. [Join Here]
Members use it in different ways. To warm up. To stay sharp. Or simply to spend more time with the game you already love.
🔥 LILA FARNIN
100 games played
🔥 DEBRA LAPPIN
100 games played
👏 The more you play, the better your game gets.
🎥 New to TheWinningHand app?
Short videos walk through each game mode:
➕ Hand Builder | ☑️ Finish the Hand | 🔃 Scrambled Hand | 💃🏻 Charleston
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