04/13/26 🀄 The Smart Way to Approach the 2026 Card

💡 Table Wisdom

Charleston Strategy for Playing With a New Card: Start With What You Already Know
A new Mah Jongg card can feel overwhelming at first. The key is to start with what is familiar and build from there.

Veteran players know the structure of the card changes less than it seems. Sections repeat. Hand shapes repeat. The Charleston stays the same. When you focus on those constants, learning the new card becomes much easier.

Here is a simple way to approach it.

Step 1: Look for the Familiar Sections
Start by scanning the Sections on the new card. They remain the same in 2026.

When a Section repeats, it gives you a comfortable place to begin. You already understand the general structure of those hands.

Spend your first few games focusing on those familiar Sections. This reduces the pressure of learning everything at once.

Tip: Circle or highlight the Sections that repeat. Use them as your starting point in early games.

Step 2: Notice Pattern Changes
Many returning hands look similar but change in Pattern.

A Pattern refers to how the tiles are grouped. The hand may use Singles, Pairs, Pungs, Kongs, or Quints. When a hand returns, the numbers or suits may stay the same while the Pattern shifts. Let’s look at 2 hands over the course of the last two years (2024, 2025):

2468 Line 1: Pung, Pung, Kong, Kong (222 444 6666 8888) or Pung, Kong, Pung, Kong (222 4444 666 8888). Here’s how it looks in tiles:

2024 and 2026 (new card):

2025:

Consecutive Run, Line 1: Pung, Pair, Kong, Pair, Pung (111 22 3333 44 555) or Pair, Pung, Kong, Pung, Pair (11 222 3333 444 55). Here’s how it looks in tiles:

2024

2025

This is why a hand may look recognizable yet still require careful reading. 

Tip: When reviewing a familiar Line, check the Pattern first. Small Pattern changes can completely change the hand. The 2026 pattern for this hand is new!

Step 3: Identify Repeat Hands
Once you recognize the repeating Sections, look more closely at individual Lines.

Many hands return with only minor adjustments. The numbers may shift slightly, or the Pattern may change. Identifying these repeat hands helps you learn faster because the structure already feels familiar.

Use your tiles to physically build the hands. Setting up the tiles makes the Pattern easier to remember. Work through each variation on the Line until the hand's shape feels natural.

Tip: Lay out repeat hands with your tiles at home. Seeing the shapes speeds up recognition during play.

Step 4: Practice the New Hands
After you feel comfortable with familiar Lines, begin exploring the new hands.

This is where practice helps most. Use your tiles to build the hands or try digital tools that generate practice situations.

Apps such as The Winning Hand: Charleston Challenge (Now included in your Association membership!) can show possible hands and help you recognize patterns more quickly.

Still, nothing replaces handling the tiles. Building each hand variation strengthens your memory of the Pattern.

Tip: Set up every hand on a new Line at least once. This builds quick visual recognition during games.

Winning Strategy Reminders
The fundamentals of Mah Jongg do not change with a new card.

Hold your Flowers early. Guard your Dragons until you know your direction. Avoid passing Pairs during the Charleston whenever possible.

Most importantly, focus on the Section first, then narrow down to a specific Line. This keeps your decision process simple.

Near the end of the Charleston, take a moment to study the card carefully. Choose a main hand and one backup option.

Start with familiar hands, then expand as your confidence grows.

Final Tip: Be patient with yourself, but learn the card quickly. The more hands you recognize, the faster and more flexible your play becomes.

🖐🏻 A Hand to Play

Last Week’s 🖐🏻 Hand to Play Results:
4,361 Insiders Played, 85% chose right.
👉 See the correct answer & explanation here.

Here’s a fun and important challenge for you: Which of these hands is valid? We’ve added some new spice for you: we’re now playing with the NMJL 2026 Card 🤔

Knowing what counts as a valid hand is key to winning, because it ensures your tiles form a valid Mah Jongg hand and helps you decode your opponents' hands. 

We’ve chosen some of this year’s hands that are a bit tricky to help you learn the ins and outs of the new card.

So, let’s see how sharp you really are! Take a good look at the hands below, and pick the one that follows all the right rules and tile combinations. 

In other words, which of these is a valid hand? Go ahead, cast your vote, and find out how your answer stacks up against others!👇

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

📚 Winning Picks: Books Worth Opening This Spring
Spring is a nice time to slow down with a good book — whether it’s something thoughtful, something funny, or a story you can disappear into for a while. These recent favorites cover a little bit of everything.

🀄 If These Tiles Could Talk – Cris Bonser
A humor-filled collection of the little moments every Mah Jongg player recognizes — the looks, the pauses, and the stories that happen between the draws and discards. If you know, you know. Would make great hostess gifts! Read it here →

💌 The Correspondent – Virginia Evans
A thoughtful novel about a woman who makes sense of life through letters. Quiet, reflective, and deeply human — the kind of book that stays with you. Discover it here →

🥟 Death by Dumpling – Vivien Chien
A cozy mystery set in a family-run noodle shop where a suspicious dumpling delivery leads to murder. Light, witty, and perfect if you like a little intrigue with your reading. Start the series → 

💰 The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel
One of the most widely recommended books on how people really think about money. Short stories and insights that make you look at wealth, saving, and happiness differently. Explore it here → 

🖋 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion – Beth Brower
Sharp, witty, and very British in the best way. Fans of Jane Austen-style humor will love Emma’s observations about the strange and charming people around her. Meet Emma →

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

This week’s top questions:
1️⃣ If you make an exposure for the wrong number of tiles, what should you do?
2️⃣ If you win a hand with no Jokers and it is self-picked, is it worth four times the value of your hand? 

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

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

🌟 Mah Jongg, But Make It Texas
Texas Monthly takes a closer look at the glitzy Mah Jongg boom coming out of Dallas, from boutique tiles to styled game nights and a fast-growing social scene. As the game expands, the growth is also bringing up questions about tradition, cultural roots, and how the modern version is evolving. It’s a thoughtful look at the momentum behind Mah Jongg right now and the conversations happening alongside it.

🌟 Mah Jongg Retreats Are in Full Swing
Mah Jongg is officially a travel plan. This roundup highlights retreats across the country, from mountain weekends to resort-style getaways, all built around time at the table. If you’ve been thinking about turning your next trip into a Mah Jongg trip, this is a fun place to start, and you can explore even more options in the American Mah Jongg Association Events Directory.

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

📩 Send it to Auntie: [email protected]

📸 Get In the Spotlight

Two years ago, the Women of Or Shalom Sisterhood began hosting “open play” for members of our congregation.

It started as guided play, with one experienced player there to help. Now, we’ve all grown into that role, ready to answer questions and support one another at the table.

What began as a simple two-hour game has expanded into something more. New and returning women come to play, reconnect, meet new members, and strengthen community within our larger congregation.

Once a month, we add a “Lunch Bunch” outing at a local restaurant. It’s more than lunch. It’s our grown-up version of playtime, filled with stories and connection, before we head back to the synagogue for Mah Jongg.|

- Patti Nisenholz
Vernon Hills, Illinois

This is one of my “many” Mahj groups playing our annual “opening the new card.” We open our envelopes at the same time, look for 10 mins, and begin play. We look forward to it all year.
- Melanie

Mussell Center, Santa Maria, CA, had a "New Card Party". There were 7 tables and we had some newer players too which was great! If you got one of the hands on the wall, you took the card with the money. It was fun to see the hands that were not made at the end of the afternoon. You also got tickets to put into the prize box of your choice. We had a 50/50 for Alzheimer's and donated $120. 
- Donna Eschen

📸 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 Association would like to wish these members a very Happy Birthday!

Apr 13
Barbara S. (PA), Charlene W. (VA), Joyce D. (CO), Marilou T. (ID), Susan S. (NY), Susan S. (NY)

Apr 14
Anne M. (CT), Diana W. (NV), Jeanine D. (FL), Karen D. (PA), Sarah S. (MD), Susan R. (FL)

Apr 15
Barbara D. (MI), Cat L. (MA), Elizabeth M. (FR), John S. (NC), LK P. (TX), Paris H. (FL)

Apr 16
Carla S. (IL), Diane L. (FL), Janelle C. (TX), Theresa J. (TX), Tracy B. (CA)

Apr 17
Caroline E. (NC), Iris P. (FL), Lisa D. (NY), Lori M. (AL), Susan A. (WA)

Apr 18
Tony Y. (TX)

Apr 19
Alison O. (CA), Joanne K. (CA)

If your name is Janice , 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.

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

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