🧨️ Happy Mah Jongg Monday!️
AROUND THE TABLE by Dottie
This is Hal. Dottie's husband. She asked me to write. I said yes.
My father taught me to play cards when I was eight, in our basement in Trenton, New Jersey. Gin rummy, poker, hearts. He never taught me Mah Jongg. He didn't know how. He would have hated it for twenty minutes and loved it for the rest of his life.
I learned this game in 1996 from our youngest, Kate. She was twelve. She had picked it up at a friend's house and asked if I wanted to learn. I said yes. There were four of us at the table that day. Kate, me, Dottie, and Dottie's mother. Dottie's mother was the best of us. She had been playing for fifty years. But Kate was the one who taught me, because she still remembered what it was like to not know. She explained the hands with her finger on the card. I lost twenty-six games before I won one. It took months. When I won, I cried. I am not sure why. Maybe because I had not expected to be taught anything by my own child.
I’ve played for thirty years now. I’m better than I was. I’m not as good as I think I am.
If you taught someone to play, or someone taught you, today is a good day to remember that. The card and the hand and the strategy are not the point. The chairs next to yours are.
To the men reading. This game is for us, too but Dottie wants the column back next week.
— Hal
Here’s a quick preview of today’s issue. Scroll down to read each section in full.
🏆 Behind the Tiles — The moment every hand is quietly decided. Join the Club.
💡 Table Wisdom — How to spot flexible hands early in the Charleston.
🖐🏻 A Hand to Play — Which tile hands your opponent the win?
🛒 Winning Picks — Fourth of July finds, with a Mah Jongg touch.
🎥 Max's Minute — Can you steal a Joker after calling an exposure?
🏪 Marketplace — A full-size set that weighs 1.6 pounds.
🥠 Ask Auntie — What marks a replacement blank tile best?
📸 Spotlight — A MeowJong fundraiser and a table of first wins.
🎂 Birthdays — This week's AMJA members.
🙋🏻♂️ Free Practice Sessions — See if we called your name.
🏁 Milestones — Progress inside The Winning Hand app.
… and more!
How to Spot Flexible Hands Early
The best way to come out of the Charleston with a good chance of winning the game is to collect tiles that allow flexibility as the game progresses. As the Charleston develops, continue to opt for flexibility as you decide what to pass.
Build flexible tile groups early
Start by collecting tiles that fit more than one Section or Line. For example, if you have low numbers in a single suit, hold any Winds or Dragons that come your way while building towards a Consecutive Run.
As the Charleston progresses, watch how your tiles develop. When you get to the point that you need to decide your direction, if the tiles are just about evenly split, go for the Consecutive Run hand.
Why? If you’ve collected a fair number of tiles in a run, there’s far more flexibility with Consecutive Run hands than with Winds. If you’ve held Dragons as well, this supports Consecutive Run, Line 5. If the Pairs don’t come in, several lines offer a pivot opportunity.
Use overlap to stay alive longer
Flexibility comes from the overlap between hands. Even or Odd tiles can support several Sections. If a Consecutive Run stalls, you can pivot to evens or odds and vice versa. This keeps your hand moving instead of getting stuck.
Strong players do this constantly without hesitation. They follow the tiles, not a fixed plan.
Beginner’s Takeaway: Study the card carefully and use your tiles to make up hands with flexibility. Change between the hands until you have seen how to flex tiles between several hands. Then try solo Charlestons to see how well this works.
Advanced Moves: Don’t forget Quints and the Singles and Pairs Section while practicing flexibility. These offer great pivot hands and a high payout.
Last Week’s 🖐🏻 Hand to Play Results:
2,218 Insiders Played, 30% chose right.
👉 See the correct answer & explanation here.
Spotting the winning tile is a skill that sharpens your defense and strengthens your endgame. That awareness helps you avoid feeding their HAND and guides your safest discards.
So today’s challenge is to look at the exposures below and ask one focused question: Which tiles should I avoid throwing because they could give my opponent Mah Jongg?
Check the Section and Line that their pattern suggests. Notice whether they still need a Pair, a Pung, or a final matching tile to finish the structure. Your task is simple. Identify any tile that gives your opponent Mah Jongg.
Then cast your vote and see how your answer compares with other players.
Which tile(s) could give this player Mah Jongg?
Fourth of July Party
BBQ, fireworks, and all things red, white, and blue. These festive picks bring the flair to your Independence Day, with one piece for the table that is pure you.
🀄 Mah Jongg Tile Cheese Spreaders Hand-painted tile handles on little steel spreaders, so the cream cheese and the jam get served in pure Mah Jongg style. They go from your table to a friend's gift bag without missing a beat. See the set →
🧁 American Flag Cupcake Toppers Instant party upgrade. Pop these into any dessert and it is celebration-ready. Grab them here →
🌟 Patriotic Door Wreath Set the tone before a single guest walks in. A warm, all-American welcome for the front door. Shop it here →
🧊 Countertop Nugget Ice Maker The chewable Sonic-style ice everyone steals from the freezer, made fresh on your counter all party long. No more ice runs. Keep it flowing →
📚 The Small and the Mighty Twelve true stories of unsung American heroes, perfect for the history lover in your life or a quiet morning of your own. Get the book →
Bring the spirit, set the table, and let the ice maker do the rest. Here is to a Fourth to remember.
(As an Amazon Associate, The Mah Jongg Insider earns from qualifying purchases.)
This week, Max takes two questions from Insiders and answers both in a quick 60-second video.
🕔 This week’s questions:
1️⃣ Under 2468, Line 8, can the Pungs shown as 8s be any even number?
2️⃣ Can you steal a Joker after you call for an exposure of tiles?
Max’s answer is ready.
🎥 [Click to watch]
Have a question for Max?
🎤 [Click to leave a voicemail]
Where are you with the game this year?
A Full-Size Set That Travels Light
Most travel sets shrink the tiles or thin them out, so you trade away the real game to save the weight.
Spools didn't.
These are full-size American Mah Jongg tiles with the heft and the shuffle you know, and the whole set weighs 1.6 pounds, down from the fourteen a traditional set can run.
Made in the USA, they float if they hit the pool, and for America's 250th they come in red, white, and blue.
⬅️ Last Week’s Question
Auntie, as a new player, I hide jokers within my exposures, but experienced players tell me to separate them. Must I?
- Adelaide M.
🥠 Auntie’s Advice 🥠
🗨 My friend, one of the nice things about Mah Jongg is that every group develops its own table culture. There are the rules, and then there are the preferences of the players.
No, you are not required to separate your Jokers. But if your group prefers exposures to be displayed clearly, it may be worth asking yourself what you gain by resisting.
And trust me, you are not really hiding Jokers from experienced players. They see them. Keep the harmony.
📢 Readers’ Responses 📢
🗨 Hiding Jokers? Really!? For a moment I thought someone was hiding them in their lap or possibly up a sleeve. If the author means that someone is placing Jokers between the tiles recently exposed, it's a great idea. That practice helps identify which exposure the Joker is with. It stays clear to you as well as the other players. If the Joker seems separated from the exposure it belongs with, it could easily migrate and then it gets truly confusing.
-Nancy F.
🗨 I have been playing and teaching MJ for over 15 yrs. I always teach MJ etiquette - which I think is very important to keep the game friendly and efficient. Although not a rule, I think Jokers should be placed in the middle of the exposure to prevent it appearing to belong to any exposure next to it. This also supports the general practice of separating exposures on your rack in case a Joker is at the end of your exposure so it is clear for other players to assess your hand. It is a polite and friendly way to play and players do not have to keep asking "What do you have there?"
-Diane M.
🗨 They aren't really hiding if they're included within the exposure instead of at the beginning or end. It makes it easier to see what the exposure is intended to be, such as 5 flowers.
-Judith M.
Whose response do you like best?
➡️ This Week’s Question
What paint or marker works best when marking a blank tile to replace a lost one?
- Patsy B.
🤗 Want to share your advice?
🤔 Have a Mah Jongg manners or table moment dilemma?
📩 Send it to Auntie: [email protected]
Our wonderful two tables with two Bobs.
Beginners and seasoned players melding so beautifully and for pure enjoyment.
One very first Mahj…
One beginner with two Mah Jonggs…
Seasoned players melding with two Mahj…
And others one tile away!
A great day for all!!
- Carol
Here’s a picture of my group playing at the first MeowJong event as part of Oktopurrfest benefiting O’Malley Alley Cat Rescue of Tyler, TX.
- Sheila A.
📸 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]
The American Mah Jongg Association would like to wish these members a very Happy Birthday!
June 22
Anne P. (OH), Marjorie T. (RI), Mary Kay A. (IL)
June 23
Andrea Z. (PA), Ethlyn M. (MS), Jennie W. (AZ), Michele L. (GA), Patricia S. (FL), Sheryl A. (WA)
June 24
Becky C. (TX), Carolyn P. (NY), Dot S. (FL/NY), Jane R. (TX), Kathleen R. (CA), Katrina A. (AZ), Susan G. (AZ)
June 25
Ann C. (AL), Lawanna S. (OK), Marcia V. (CA), Nancy D. (AZ), Susan F. (TN), Trish M. (FL)
June 26
Barbara S. (VA), Cathy C. (FL), Gale K. (NC), Kathleen B. (FL), Sara O. (OH)
June 27
Cherry A. (PA), Robin F. (PA), Stacey R. (TX)
June 28
Barry O. (PA), Colleen M. (SC), Karen C. (MA)
If your name is Martin, enjoy a FREE Practice Session 🙋🏻♂️ on us!*
*Just reply to this email by this Friday at midnight—your email name must match!
These milestones come from players using The Winning Hand, the practice app included with membership in the American Mah Jongg Association. [Join Here]
10,000+ members use it in different ways: To warm up. To stay sharp. Or simply to spend more time with the game you already love.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 500 games played
Donna H
🔥🔥🔥🔥 400 games played
Yvonne Lanoux
🔥🔥 200 games played
Linda Nuber
Susan Huhndorf
Patricia Lee
🔥 100 games played
Cindy Thompson
Barbara Gerber
Kate Clark
Cindy Womack
👏 The more you play, the better your game gets.
🎥 New to The Winning Hand app?
Short videos walk through each game mode:
➕ Hand Builder | ☑️ Finish the Hand | 🔃 Scrambled Hand | 💃🏻 Charleston
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