If you're lucky enough to have two or more jokers, consider the quint section (since you will need jokers to make those hands). It's likely your opponent won't be able to claim these discards because their combinations may not be far enough along and/or they don't have enough jokers at this stage. There are 4 instances of each tile. The American version consists of the following: 4 racks (and pushers) 2 die 152 tiles consisting of the following: 8 Flowers 8 Jokers Towards the middle of the game, the strategies outlined in the early game section need to evolve. How do I make sense of this jumble of tiles and match them to one of the ~50 possible hands? If you prefer a more linear method, below is tutorial that should help. Numbered Tiles. This post will focus on American Mah Jongg (National Mah Jongg League rules) because this is the style we are most familiar with, though many of these tips will apply to all styles of Mah Jongg. As the end of the game draws closer, a more defensive approach is required. For example, do you have: Again, remember that at this point, you only need to pick a section (not necessarily a hand). 371. Don't do this too early in the game since it's less likely someone will pick it up at this stage, When someone discards a joker, it's a clue they are potentially getting close to mah jongg and usually waiting for a single tile or to complete a pair. First originating in China, millions of people across the globe now play the game of Mah Jongg. By picking a discard, you are exposing part of your hand. The American Mah-Jongg Association was formed in 1999 to promote, foster, expand, and increase the popularity of the game of Mah-Jongg. You just need to determine which section(s) of the card (evens, odds, consecutive runs, etc) your tiles lend themselves to. This collage jigsaw puzzle features the wonderful game of American Mah Jongg from it's history and growth in USA. American Mah Jongg Instructor Association (AMJIA) is a program designed to help American mah jongg instructors achieve their potential. In the Charleston section above, we discussed avoiding passing in-demand tiles such as flowers, white dragons and other tiles (depending on the year). You may be excited to get two pairs, but if no hand on the card can use them both, one of them is useless (but may be used later as joker bait). If the exposure is a pung or kong, quickly scan the card for potential matches, narrowing down your search by the type of tile. If you don’t receive the blast please send us an e-mail so we can put you on our mailing list. As soon as you get the first deal, look for pairs and triples first, and see if they suggest a particular section of the card. Here are a few strategies to help you master the card: For other interesting forms of practice, check out Michele Frizzell's youtube channel. We hope you found these strategies helpful. Some people seem to systematically do a second Charleston (some even get angry if you stop it, even though the rule book clearly allows it). It’s best to place your exposures to the left of the rack, and follow with the next exposure to the right of that and so on. This tutorial has been based on the one found at Yellow Mountain Imports. Be careful not to jump to a conclusion too quickly based solely on discards. Doing so gives another clue to the players at your table. In this case, discard a tile that will be the easiest to replace. This section is typically the easiest since it offers a lot of flexibility. Finished Size 20" x 27" Quick View. Discards are another clue to help you identify others players' hands. Find over 49 American Mah Jongg groups with 5877 members near you and meet people in your local community who share your interests. Avoid discarding tiles you think someone else needs to win the mahj game. Try to keep your body language under control as you do, so that you don't give yourself away. 5,877. members. This way you retain the strength the jokers add to your hand by leveraging their ability to complete other exposures or make other combinations. We are thankful to all those who have helped us to improve our game. Through each step of the Charleston, you are eliminating options and getting a more precise direction of where you're going. So sit back, get yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of Manischewitz and let's get started! Brought to the U.S. in the early 1900s, Mah Jongg has become very popular. The only awkward scenario can occur on the second "across". On the other hand, by calling the player dead, you are preventing them from picking tiles from the wall, which increases your number of picks and therefore your odds of getting what you need. Alternatively, players can decide to skip the second Charleston and move on to the Courtesy pass. With two or more exposures, it's likely others will know what you're doing. © Copyright - The American Mah-Jongg Association. Your exposures do not need to be in the order they are on the card (you can reorder your tiles when you call Mah Jongg), Keeping a "trash pile" on the right-hand side of the rack is also a common occurrence. But if you are able to use the two pairs in one hand, you have a strong contender. As the last wall gets shorter, the stakes for bad discards are progressively higher. The exception would be if you already have a definite hand chosen and that hand (and any potential fallback) would never need that pair. We’re so glad you found your way to our website, if you have a copy of American Mah Jongg for Everyone, or even if you’re just curious about this wonderful game. For instance, if someone discards a North Wind, don't assume they're playing a hand with no North Winds. The object of the game is to create melds until you can go out, or go “Mah Jongg!” A game of Mah Jongg features 16 rounds and at the end of each round, players calculate their scores. As discussed above, if you leave a clear gap to the left of that block, this will give a clue to others as to how far along you are (by looking at the number of tiles in that block). An American Mah Jongg set consists of 152 tiles of different types. The object of modern American (sometimes called "Jewish") Mah-Jongg If you've played wisely, you will have a "plan B" option in case you're not getting anywhere with your initial choice. Think of them as a continuum rather than three rigid and disparate phases. This post assumes you have mastered at least the basics of American Mah Jongg and are familiar with its rules and practices. After the first Charleston, there is an option to do another three passes during a second Charleston. So, don't give up too soon. Your discards could potentially help other players to get ahead, so it would be wise to avoid passing tiles that could be valuable, such as: Also, it's best to not pass groups of tiles that naturally fit together in a section. It may be wiser to keep your flowers elsewhere or rack the flower in a random spot, then move it to the left later once the attention is no longer on you, When making an exposure, the temptation is to place it in the "right" order in relation to the remaining tiles on your rack. Add to cart. When a clue is given (in the form of Charleston pass, discard or exposure), you need to be able to quickly assess where those tiles belong. That means potentially discarding tiles that were crucial to your hand and jokers. You can narrow them down by correlating them with your Charleston analysis (see section above) and the player's discards (see section below). The 2-handed game of SIAMESE MAH JONGG was created in April 2015, by Gladys Grad. American mah-jongg is hard because you can only play the hands listed on the card. Visit Where The Winds Blow for all your Mah Jongg gifts, we carry American Mah Jongg Sets, Gifts and More! American mah-jongg is the oddball variant of the mah-jongg world. Categories: AMJA Exclusives, AMJA Year Cards, Featured We are the premiere source for Mah-Jongg tournaments, games, help and more. For example, familiarize yourself with things like: During the Charleston, pay attention to the tiles you receive from each player and which of the tiles you passed end up coming back to you. It feels like you're making progress and often locks in your hand choice, removing the mental strain of potentially tracking several options. Fall colors are being knitted now. Mah Jongg Sets - Fully equipped American Mah Jongg sets with combo racks/pushers - Premium engraved, hand-painted tiles - Choose from stylish soft carrying bag or hard aluminum case; 18-inch Map Backgammon Set - White Board. Metro American Mah Jongg Set - White Tiles - Blue Canvas Bag With White Stitching (All In One Rack/Pushers) PlayitAgainGames. Dots. We are made up of a consortium of expert players, developers, and enthusiasts, all dedicated to bring you the best in service, support, and news—exclusively for players of the game of Mah-Jongg! At the same time, you cannot hold off forever and pass up tiles you really need. Be sure to keep checking out our tournaments page for the latest!!! This is the best way to learn the 2020 card. Join American Mah Jongg groups. This is the common lament of many Mah Jongg players once they rack their initial tiles. What would you discard? Find out what's happening in American Mah Jongg Meetup groups around the world and start meeting up with the ones near you. 5 … Play American Mah Jongg online against computers and your friends on your computer, iPad or tablet. Your mahjong set has 166 tiles. A group of us started a knitting club and we named it the Knit Wits. Try to not overtly give away your game by: The way you organize your tiles on your rack is a matter of personal preference and there's no official right or wrong way. But keep in mind that astute players will notice you placing your picked tile on the left (along with a slight grin perhaps) giving them one more potential clue to the hand you are playing. The White Dragon tile may appear as a blank white tile or in most cases a white tile with a… Be in Mah Jongg style with our lovely Mah Jongg masks. In a non-competitive game, a good compromise is to leave a few seconds after the previous discard, before picking and racking at an unhurried pace, The most important aspect is to organize your number tiles by suit in numerical order. So if you have a pair at this stage of the game it’s best not to grab a discard to turn it into a pung. It's true that luck has a large part to play in the game, but having a good grasp of strategic and tactical moves can increase your chances of turning this "nothing" hand into a winning one. If you have no pairs or singles combination, then look for a trend in the tiles. Discards on their own may not always provide you with a definite hand, but can be used as clues along with exposures to narrow down possible hands. So you don't need to be overly concerned about accidentally discarding something valuable. So this mid-game section is the right time to pivot, if you need to. We will not focus on a specific year's card but rather provide more general advice that can be applied when using any card. For instance, if someone passes you winds, you might assume they're not playing a wind hand. It's quite a challenge to find possibilities for hands from among a random 13 or 14 tiles. See which of these combinations (pairs, singles combinations,...) go together. "I have nothing!" When you have a pair you don't need, it can be useful to hold on to it for a while. But what if you're not dead but only a tile away from Mah Jongg and there are only a few tiles left in the wall. Look for an email blast that I’m sending on or about July 2. We are now offering them to you at a considerable discount. All the other forms of mah-jongg are free-form (very much akin to Rummy). If not, see if any of the singles do. The order of the suits is up to you, but you may want to stay consistent from one game to the next, Flowers are generally kept on the left (since, in most cases, they appear left on the card), Dragons, winds and jokers can either be placed between flowers and suits or after suits, If you've identified a potential hand (see, If you have several potential hands (or sections), re-order the tiles to model the different options, counting how many tiles fit each potential hand. Remain calm, take some deep breaths and work though your options as quickly as possible, Rack your picked tile quickly to limit other players' opportunity to call the previous discard. ONLY American mah-jongg uses a card! The National Mah Jongg League publishes a card each year at the end of March. American mahjong utilizes racks, jokers, "Hands and Rules" score cards and has several distinct gameplay mechanics. Other than sitting around a table and playing with friends, people are also playing on their computer, or online competing live with people scattered around the world. The tips listed in this article have been gathered over many years from our own experience and from the wisdom imparted to us by more experienced players. What are your options? The key to being able to determine other people's hands is a thorough knowledge of the card. Though it's good to keep options open, do not keep too many options as it will only lead to confusion. By exposing early, you also lock yourself into a hand (or small subset of hands) which may prove fatal if that hand does not pan out (which may very well be the case, since other players will be managing their discards to kill your hand). We warned against changing hands too prematurely. Test your game strategy with the Replay option. Price: $29.99. FREE Shipping. As long as you have three tiles that definitely do not fit into any of your options, just pass those first and see what comes your way in the Charleston. At this stage, combinations are less likely to be at a point where opponents can claim those discards, even though they may desperately need them. Ideally, you should aim to have at least seven tiles towards Mah Jongg before you call a tile and expose. Just discard it next if you don't need it. Object: The object of the game is to be the … Personally, I think the former often outweighs the latter, but it's a bit of a judgment call based on your knowledge of that player's hand, If you have two jokers, you are better off splitting them between two pungs or kongs, rather than using both in one exposure, if at all possible (this will depend on the hand you are playing and how many tiles you currently have towards mah jongg). Start being more careful with discards and consider a change of hand if needed. American Mahjong Introduction Equipment Starting The Game Picking a Hand The… In this article, we will discuss various strategies to help you make the most of your tiles and how to win Mah Jongg games more often. Experienced players will be able to figure out your hand based on discards, exposures and your tile organization. For instance, if it's a pung of 7s, check the high end of the 13579 section, consecutive runs and possibly like numbers. The single most popular variant in North America, it's also the least well documented. If you do figure out someone's hand and you have tiles you know they need, then discard them at this early stage (unless you need them yourself, of course). But here are a few tips to help you be more efficient: When you receive your tiles, it's important to organize them so you can start identifying patterns. Jokers can be life-savers in Mah Jongg and it's difficult to win without them. 1. Again, you should have a very good idea of each player's hand at this stage, so make sure you discard only tiles that they do not need. Pick 13 random tiles and look through the card for matches. It's true that luck has a large part to play in the game, but having a good grasp of strategic and tactical moves can increase your chances of turning this "nothing" hand into a winning one. Suggested Hands: All possible hand combinations are evaluated and sorted by the highest ma… One could argue that this player may have the tile you're missing to mahj, and by calling them dead you would be missing out on that tile. Sometimes a given exposure will lead to quite a few potential hands. This early in the game, there are rarely hot tiles (tiles needed by opponents to complete sets or - God forbid - mahj). $48.99 $ 48. If someone calls it and uses a joker in their exposure, you can then claim that joker on your next turn. Please note the price increase of $9.00 for Standard and $10.00 for Large Print Cards. If you realize there's no way you can win, then you should switch to full defensive mode and try to prevent others from winning. Worst case, you get nothing useful in the remaining passes but you're no worse off. American Mah Jongg Strategy Introduction "I have nothing!" Though it's true that it's a possibility, the odds are quite low. If you feel you have too many options, try to narrow them down to two using the following criteria. American players need a card. Now, not only do they know you're playing, say, a pung of 5 cracks, but they have a hint at its position, which helps narrow down your hand. Be extra careful with your discards and be sure to take into account their exposures and previous discards. This is because: If you are playing with inexperienced players, they may not be able to figure out your hand even with an exposure (they have a hard enough time keeping up with their own hands - let’s face it, we’ve all been there!). We have brought together a large number of games for you all in one convenient place, with many well-known names and real classics like Mahjong Titans, Connect and Shanghai. Our plan was to sell them at the Mah-Jongg tournaments where people could see them in person. Now is the time to methodically examine your options, since you're on your own and not holding up the game, Play a few trial games with friends who are also willing to practice. Rinse and Repeat. Of the many mah jongg (mah jong) variants extant today, American mah jongg is unique. You may change where you use the joker as the game evolves, but it will help you to make quicker discard calls if you can more easily see them as part of your targeted hand, It is easier to see what you have if you leave a space between blocks of tiles. More on that later. The counter-argument is that you may be giving someone a jokerless hand, which requires a higher payment. By this stage of the game, you should either know, or have a very good idea of the hands your opponents are playing. So it's important to familiarize yourself with the current year’s card. What You Need To Play: An American Mah Jongg Set consisting of 8 Flowers, 8 Jokers, 4 Red Dragons, 4 Green Dragons, 4 Soap(White) Dragons, 4 North Winds, 4 East Winds, 4 West Winds, 4 South Winds, 1-9 Craks Suit(4 of each number), 1-9 Bams Suit(4 of each number) and 1-9 Dots Suit(4 of each number), 4 racks, 2 dice and 4 Mah Jongg Cards. It's a balancing act. As a beginner, it is tempting to pick discards to make a pung or kong as early as possible in the game. On top of all that, you’re likely to feel the frustration of your fellow players, who wish to keep the game moving and this is likely to raise your blood pressure even higher! This is the common lament of many Mah Jongg players once they rack their initial tiles. I live in a senior community in Baltimore, Maryland called Springwell. MahJong Practice 2020 is pattern practice for real American MahJong with Charleston. ), Which hands or section use pungs/kongs of a given number, If the exposure is a quint, then the section (and likely the hand) should be obvious, If the exposure is winds, that is usually an easy one to narrow down as well. However, the second Charleston should be a conscious decision, based on the tiles in your hand. Mahjong or Mah Jongg is a four player game which employs both skill and luck. So even in this case, you're better off opting to go ahead with the second Charleston. Our office is now operating virtually, answering all your Mah Jongg questions Monday through Friday. You need to know not only the general categories in order to narrow down your initial hand, but also the idiosyncrasies of each. Consider consecutive runs. Lots of odd numbers? For instance, if you're getting no winds during the Charleston, it's likely someone is collecting winds. Once you get past the initial stages of learning and you've mastered the rules and the general mechanics of the game, an important skill to develop is the ability to determine what hands others are playing. Take your time to examine each hand. Other than sitting around a table and playing with friends, people are also playing on their computer, or online competing live with people scattered around the world. So, only consider these early clues as hints to be confirmed later, rather than definite conclusions.