🧨️ Happy Mah Jongg Monday!️
AROUND THE TABLE by Dottie
Friday I did something I have not told a single person about.
Until now.
I drove to a senior center I had never been to. Walked into an afternoon Mah Jongg drop-in.
Folding tables, decorative napkin holders, a coffee thermos on a side table that looked older than me. The host had a chain on her reading glasses and said "honey" at the end of every sentence.
"First time, honey? Sign in over there. I'm Helen."
I signed in. I gave my real name.
I sat down at table four. Three other women were already there. The one across from me looked up briefly when I sat. She had hands that knew what they were doing.
We played.
I did well enough. Not so well that anyone looked twice.
When it was over, I picked up my purse and walked out into the July heat.
In the parking lot, I realized I was going back next Friday.
I haven't told anyone. Not Marlene. Not Patty. Not Hal, who spends his Friday afternoons at the golf course.
I've been married to Hal for most of my life, but I am not going to tell him about this just yet.
Pour the coffee. Let's go.
— Dottie
Here’s a quick preview of today’s issue. Scroll down to read each section in full.
⬇️ Lock In $25 Before Bots Arrive Aug 1 — Join the Association.
🦻🏻 Hear Every Tile Called: A hearing tip worth knowing about.
💡 Table Wisdom — When your call comes too late.
🖐🏻 A Hand to Play — Can you crack the scrambled hand?
☀️ Winning Picks — Sun-smart skincare picks.
🎥 Max's Minute — Two Joker exchanges in one turn?
🏪 Marketplace — Mah Jongg tiles that actually float.
📰 In the News — How players rallied after the storm.
🥠 Ask Auntie — The player who directs every turn.
📸 Spotlight — Three generations at the table.
🎂 Birthdays — This week's AMJA members.
🙋🏻♀️ Free Practice Sessions — See if we called your name.
🏁 Milestones — Progress inside The Winning Hand app.
… and more!
When Is a Tile "Racked"?
According to the National Mah Jongg League rules, a tile is racked only when it is placed on the sloped part of the rack.
According to Mah Jongg Made Easy, p. 17:
“A racked tile is defined as a tile that has been placed on the sloped part of the rack along with the player’s other tiles. Tapping or clicking the rack with the tile is not considered racking.”
This distinction matters because racking is one of the ways the window to call the previous discard closes, but it is not the only one. The window closes once the player to the discarder's right draws a tile and either racks or discards it, once another player begins a Joker exchange, or once another player declares Mah Jongg. Racking is not required. A discard alone will close it.
Why It Matters
Imagine you pick a Joker and pause to admire it before placing it on your rack. Before you rack it, another player calls the previous discard. The call is valid because the tile was never racked. The Joker must be returned, and play continues.
Now consider the reverse. You want a discarded tile and you call it just as the next player racks their pick. Until that pick is officially racked, the discard is still up for grabs, so in a tie the caller has priority and the tile is yours. Once the pick is fully racked, though, the window is closed and you are too late. This is why clear, decisive calls matter.
Disputes often happen when players rush their turns or hover near the wall, but building consistent habits helps prevent confusion.
Good Habits to Build
Pick and rack your tile in one smooth motion every turn.
Watch each discard carefully and listen for the tile to be named.
Say "hold" or "wait" immediately if you need time to evaluate a discard.
Keep your hands behind your rack until it is your turn to pick.
Habits to Avoid
Do not click a tile on top of the rack and consider it racked.
Avoid holding a picked tile while deciding whether to keep it.
Speed racking is not sportsmanlike. Don't rush to rack a tile simply to close the calling window.
Using the Rule to Your Advantage
The strongest habit is simple. Pick your tile and rack it. Evaluate it once it’s racked, and then make your discard after completing any Joker exchanges.
That routine keeps the game moving, reduces disputes, and helps you make better decisions under pressure.
Key Takeaway
If the tile is not on the sloped part of the rack, it is not racked. Build a consistent pick-and-rack routine every turn, and many common table disputes disappear before they start.
Last Week’s 🖐🏻 Hand to Play Results:
8,014 Insiders played, 44% chose right.
👉 See the correct answer & explanation here.
Recognizing hands on the NMJL Card, even when they're scrambled, incomplete, or seen only through exposures, is one of the fastest ways to learn the National Mah Jongg League Card.
The hand below has been scrambled, but a few key tiles provide important clues. If you look carefully, you'll find that it can come from only one Section of the Card. Your challenge is to identify the correct Line.
Before reaching for your Card, take your best guess. Then check the National Mah Jongg League Card to see if you're right.
When you're ready, review the answer choices below and select the hand you think matches the tiles. Cast your vote, then compare your answer with other players and see how your Card-reading skills stack up.
Think you've got what it takes to spot the hand? Give it a try!
Which hand is this on the 2026 NMJL Card?
Sun-Smart at the Table
Summer means more time outdoors before and after game day, so this week is about protecting your skin all season, plus one piece for the table itself.
🀄 Mah Jongg Tile Cheese Spreaders Your friends will spot these the second the board comes out, and they turn any snack plate into a little table moment. A hostess gift that plays as good as it looks. Set your table →
🕶️ Magnetic Sunglasses Holder Your good sunglasses stop disappearing into the bottom of your bag, because this one keeps them clipped and ready by the door or in the car. Small thing, daily relief. Clip yours on →
☀️ Tinted Mineral Face SPF One step that shields your face and evens your tone, so you skip the white cast and walk out the door already looking pulled together. The kind of protection you will actually reach for every morning. Protect your glow →
💡 LED Light Therapy Mask Ten quiet minutes on the couch that go to work on fine lines and tone while you rest, no appointment and no downtime. This is the treat-yourself piece of the week. Treat your skin →
👒 Packable UPF 50 Sun Hat Full-brim shade that folds flat into your bag and pops right back into shape, so your face stays covered in the garden, at the market, and on every walk. Wide enough to matter, light enough to forget. Grab one for the porch →
Whatever's on your list this week, take care of your skin out there. See you next Monday.
(As an Amazon Associate, The Mah Jongg Insider earns from qualifying purchases.)
Max takes questions from Insiders and answers in a quick 60-second video.
🕔 This week’s question:
Can a player make more than one Joker exchange on their turn?
Max’s answer is ready.
🎥 [Click to watch]
Have a question for Max?
🎤 [Click to leave a voicemail]
Tiles That Float
Knock one into the pool and it bobs right back up.
Spools makes full-size American Mah Jongg tiles that float, with splash-resistant artwork that stays bright and easy to read in any light.
The whole set is 1.6 pounds, made in the USA, and built for the deck, the dock, and the beach house.
Add the floating dice so nothing sinks.
A Community Comes Together on Geneva Lake
When a devastating storm struck Lake Geneva, Wisconsin over the July 4th weekend, the Water Safety Patrol went straight into action, many of them high school and college students who were first on the water that day.
In the weeks since, the local Mah Jongg community has rallied to thank them, raising support and signing cards of gratitude for the crew.
Led by Missy Mahjong alongside instructors Amy Hartwell, Isabelle Hartwell, and Angela from Mahjong Mischief, along with so many players, they are proof of what this community does best: show up for each other when it matters most.
⬅️ Last Week’s Question
Hi Auntie,
This past week, as four of us played our regular Mah Jongg game, we came across an unusual event. Four times in a row the wall beat us! None of us declared Mah Jongg. Does that indicate anything, like we are terrible players, very good players or know each other too well? Thanks for your insight.
- Nancy C.
🥠 Auntie’s Advice 🥠
🗨 My friend, four wall games in a row does not mean you are terrible players or brilliant ones. It usually means the tiles were stubborn, the hands were close, or everyone held just enough of what everyone else needed.
That is part of Mah Jongg. Some days the wall wins.
If anything, take it as a reminder not to read too much into one session. Shuffle well, laugh about it, and play the next hand.
The wall gets a turn too.
📢 Readers’ Responses 📢
🗨 Yes! A wall game means players are playing a strong defensive game and is a reason to rejoice. As my Mah Jongg mentor taught me, "There is no winning in Mah Jongg. There's only PAY and NO PAY."
- Debbie P.
🗨 In response to the wall winning four times: Blame it on this year's Card!
- Michael L.
🗨 We like to think we win because of our wonderful skills, but Mah Jongg is still a game of chance. Sometimes a person wins three games in one afternoon, and sometimes none of us gets winning tiles all afternoon. Four times in a row seems excessive, but shuffle well and try again! And be sure unused walls get added to the shuffle.
- Beverly S.
Whose response do you like best?
➡️ This Week’s Question
We have one player who is constantly telling each player "it's your turn," "you dealt so you throw out," etc. Basically directing the entire game verbally. It is to the point that it takes the fun out of playing. What is the best way to deal with this?
- Debbie D.
🤗 Want to share your advice?
🤔 Have a Mah Jongg manners or table moment dilemma?
📩 Send it to Auntie: [email protected]
Three generations playing Mah Jongg on a nice fall day.
- Andrea Kranc, Colchester, CT
I did it. I made Mah Jongg at the end of the Charleston and courtesy pass.
- Gloria Heiberger
Our Mah Jongg group has played weekly for the past two years. Most of us were beginners, but after several "mock" tournaments we feel quite accomplished. This is a photo from our most recent tourney.
- Linda
📸 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!
July 6
Donna W. (AZ)
July 20
Karen Z. (FL), Rene S. (AR), Vicki M. (AZ)
July 21
Marianne D. (CA), Misse D. (IL), Nancy J. (FL), Patti B. (KY), Suzanne C. (NJ), Tanda J. (CA), Tess B. (VA)
July 22
Barbara G. (ON), Helga R. (CA), Sue M. (KS), Sue D. (MI)
July 23
Deb D. (IL), Joann F. (CT), Judy H. (FL), Kelly S. (VA), Marcy W. (AR), Sandra A. (PA)
July 24
Ann H. (AZ), Ann C. (NY), Donna B. (TX), Keree F. (AZ)
July 25
J.J. V. (TX), Judy W. (TX), Sue M. (FL)
July 26
Annette M. (FL), Jeri D. (WA), Julie S. (MS), Luanne P. (PA), Sheilah G. (OH)
If your name is Vicki , 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
Valeria Paget
Cindy Thompson
🔥🔥🔥 300 games played
Erin Beuka
Barbara Kruger
Patricia Lee
🔥🔥 200 games played
Susan Cederbom
🔥 100 games played
Rachel Ahmed
Chris Blauer
Jan Brier
👏 The more you play, the better your game gets.
🎥 New to The Winning Hand app?
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