03/23/26 🀄 The 2026 Card Is Hitting Mailboxes Now

Author

The Mah Jongg Insider 🀄
March 23, 2026

🧨️ Happy Mah Jongg Monday!️

Mah Jongg players know the moment.
The new NMJL card arrives… and suddenly everyone is asking:

What changed?
What should I play first?
Where do I even start?

Most players guess.
Our members don’t.

Every year, we host a live Card Reveal exclusively for Association members so you can understand the card before you sit down to play.

This year, Phyllis Drucker will walk you through the 2026 NMJL card and show you exactly what to look for right away.

📅 April 9
🕐 1:00 PM Eastern

Inside the session, you’ll learn:

• what’s new (and what actually matters)
• which sections are likely to be played most
• patterns that give you an early advantage

Can’t attend live?
The replay will be waiting for you inside your member dashboard.

The 2026 cards are already arriving and games are starting now.
If you wait, you’ll be learning the card at the table instead of ahead of it.

👉 This Card Reveal is included with Association membership.

Join now so you can go into your next game with a clear plan.

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

💡 Table Wisdom — How to retire your 2025 card like a pro.

🖐🏻 A Hand to Play — Can you calculate the correct payout?

💖 Winning Picks — Simple beauty fixes that actually work.

🎥 Max’s Minute — Risky discards and Consecutive Run rules.

🌟 In the News — 2026 cards arriving, new clubs, and early reviews.

❓ Ask Auntie — When a player ignores the card entirely.

📸 Spotlight — Birthday parties, big hands, and Year of the Horse.

🎂 Birthdays — This week’s American Mah Jongg Association members.

🏁 Milestones — Progress inside TheWinningHand app.

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

… and more!

💡 Table Wisdom

How to Retire Your 2025 Card like a Pro

The new card arrives and last year’s hands exit with a whimper…

Retiring your 2025 American Mah Jongg card like a pro is all about honoring the old while embracing the new. The transition from one card to the next is a ritual in itself, a bit of nostalgia and a lot of excitement about what comes next.

Whether you turn the day into a party with Mah Jongg-themed snacks and decorations or just want to introduce some fun, try these challenges:

  • Play a round of favorites: Challenge everyone to play their favorite hand from the 2025 card.

  • Play the unusual hands: Challenge the players to play a quirky hand they usually avoid, whether it's 112345 1111 1111, 11333 NEWS 333 55, or FFF 123 DD DDD DDDD.

  • Play a round of Concealed Hands, including those in the Singles and Pairs section.

  • Play a blind option: Put each section on a slip of paper and have each player draw one. They play a hand in the section they’ve drawn.

  • Play Flowers are wild! Allow Flowers to be used as Flowers or Super Jokers. As Super Jokers, they can be used for a single or a pair.

At the end of the game, have everyone share their favorites from 2025: near-misses, great wins, and put the card to rest powerfully.

🖐🏻 A Hand to Play

Last Week’s 🖐🏻 Hand to Play Results:
6,929 Insiders Played, 40% chose right.
👉 See the correct answer & explanation here.

What's the total value the player should receive?
You just picked a tile you can exchange for a Joker. That Joker gives you Mah Jongg, so it is time to collect.

Before you do, pause and calculate your hand. According to the NMJL Mah Jongg Made Easy guide, players must announce the value of their own hand.  

Need a refresher? [Use our scoring guide here.]

Your challenge: figure out the total value you’ll collect, using the rules for playing for fun (non-tournament style).

Look closely at the hand shown below, straight from the 2025 NMJL card. Decide what you would collect, then cast your vote. See how your answer compares with others.

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

What’s the correct total value for this hand?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

💖 Winning Picks: Tried-and-True Mah Jongg Favorites
These are the pieces players come back to again and again. Simple upgrades that make game nights smoother, travel easier, and the table a little more enjoyable.

🟦 Mah Jongg Gaming Mat
Soft, non-slip, and quieter for shuffling. A noticeable upgrade the moment you start playing. Play in comfort →

🃏 Chinoiserie Mah Jongg Card Holders
A softer, more elevated way to protect your card. The printed fabric adds color and style to the table while keeping your card in perfect shape. Protect your card →

🧳 Mah Jongg Luggage Tag
Easy to spot on a carousel and a fun nod to the game. Great for tournaments or girls’ trips. Tag your bag →

☕ Mah Jongg Ceramic Mug
A simple favorite for coffee or tea — with just enough Mah Jongg detail to make it personal. Sip and play →

👜 Clear Mah Jongg Tile Bag
Keeps your tiles protected, visible, and ready to go. Waterproof and easy to grab for game night or travel. Pack it up →
(**As an Amazon Associate, The Mah Jongg Insider earns from qualifying purchases.)

This week’s top questions:
1️⃣ If you are one tile away from getting Mah Jongg, but you think your discard may give someone else Mah Jongg, what should you do?
2️⃣ Can you play Consecutive Run hands in descending order instead of ascending order?

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

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

🌟 The 2026 NMJL cards are starting to arrive in mailboxes. Have you gotten yours yet? We’re seeing a few unofficial trackers circulating online, but we won’t be sharing those here out of respect for copyright. There’s just something about opening that envelope and spending an afternoon with the new card that never gets old.

As a reminder, we’re not the National Mah Jongg League, so for questions about your card, it’s best to reach out to them directly. ☎️ 212-246-3052

🌟 The Phoenix Mahjong Club has opened a permanent space designed entirely for Mah Jongg. Think chandeliers, automatic tables, a boutique, and a full calendar of games and events, all under one roof. It’s a fresh take on what a Mah Jongg community can look like, and a fun glimpse at where the game is headed.

🌟 Missy Mahjong shared her first take on the new card. She walks through what stands out right away, from flower-heavy hands to lots of consecutive pungs and kongs, plus a few early picks for easier hands. It’s a great way to start wrapping your head around the new hands and see what you notice too.

⬅️ Last Week’s Question
Auntie, 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

🥠 Auntie’s Advice 🥠

🗨 My friend, what you’re noticing is less about husbands and more about how the group uses its time together. Complaining can feel like bonding, but over time it turns the table into a place of comparison rather than support.

You don’t need to defend your marriage or correct anyone else’s. The gentlest way to shift the tone is to name what you do want. A simple line like, “I’d love for this to be a place where we support each other, not just vent,” sets a new direction without judging the old one. Then model it by sharing something neutral or kind.

📢 Readers’ Responses 📢

🗨  If the others are playing, whose husband is the worst, turn the tables.
Talk about how nice your husband is or other people’s husband are, or some man in general. Find a way to change the subject.
- Sue R.

🗨  Every marriage has its ups and downs. There are rare ones where everything is always smooth sailing. Sometimes, someone is going through a rough spot, and feels the need to air their grievances. Give them some space, but then encourage the group to move on. And sometimes spouses do really funny things, or something I would never imagine doing. Men & women are different creatures!
- Susan R.

🗨  Mah Jongg is an excellent way to spend time with friends and acquaintances, to maintain a polite and comfortable atmosphere you should try to avoid discussing sensitive, deeply personal, or polarizing subjects. You are there to have fun, keep it light!
- Cindy R.

Whose response do you like best?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

➡️ This Week’s Question
Hi Auntie, I have a group that comes to my home once a month to play Mah Jongg. They are newer players, though they are well aware of the rules. One person truly wants to learn. The other two can be somewhat defiant, but they still come.

My dilemma: one player often just “messes” (her words, not mine), collecting tiles that aren’t connected to a hand on the card. For example, she tries to collect 1–9 in a single suit. More often than not, it results in wall games.

Is this considered a defensive strategy, or should it be addressed? If so, how? Thank you,
- Nancy

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

📩 Send it to Auntie: [email protected]

📸 Get In the Spotlight

I treated myself to a Mah Jongg birthday party. I made a Mah Jongg-themed birthday cake. I had red and black plates and napkins, and gave door prizes! There were 14 people there and we had a blast!
- Sue Fegler

It's easy to win when you get 5 Jokers! A long time player who wins a lot, but this is a concealed hand.
- Theresa F.

Happy Year of the Horse! Players in Midlothian, VA gathered to play and enjoy a themed Lunar New Year luncheon. We have our lucky tokens ready for the arrival of our 2026 cards. Bring on the MAHJ!
- Barbara S.

📸 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!

Mar 23
Ashley B. (TN), Bridget C. (AL), Patricia B. (MN) 

Mar 24
Marilee C. (WA), Marilee C. (WA), Marti R. (NY), Nancy W. (CA) 

Mar 25
Lynn S. (NC), Sara C. (VA) 

Mar 26
Kathy U. (IL), Lucy B. (NJ), Rachel S. (AZ) 

Mar 27
Robin H. (WI)

Mar 28
Trish C. (IL), Virginia G. (DE

If your name is Cheryl , 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.

🔥🔥 HOFER WONG
200 games played
 
🔥 BETH STILLMAN
100 games played

🔥 PHYLIS AUSTINSON
100 games played

👏 The more you play, the better your game gets.
(These stats reflect the 2025 card. Starting next week, everything resets for 2026 and everyone begins fresh.)

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

 📲 Want a backup for the weekly email?
Add your phone number to get a short text when new content is published, just in case you ever miss it. 👉 [Notify Me]

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