Mahjong Guides

November 4, 2026 How to Host a Mahjong Night: A Checklist for Hosts Everything a host needs for a smooth mahjong night: what each table of four needs, room and lighting, snacks that keep tiles clean, house rules to...
November 4, 2026 How to Read the American Mahjong Card (NMJL Card Explained) How to read the National Mah Jongg League card: when it comes out, how the sections are organized, what the colors, X, C and values mean,...
November 4, 2026 Mahjong Tile Names and Meanings: An American Mahjong Cheat Sheet A cheat sheet to every American mahjong tile: what the Bams, Craks, Dots, winds, dragons, flowers and jokers show and mean, how each is used, and...
November 4, 2026 How Scoring and Paying Work in American Mahjong (and What the Coins Are For) How payment works in American mahjong under NMJL rules: discards, self-picked wins, the jokerless bonus, wall games, dead hands and errors, with a worked example. Also...
November 4, 2026 How to Set Up American Mahjong: Walls, Dice and the Deal A step-by-step guide to setting up a game of American mahjong, from choosing East and building the walls to breaking the wall with the dice and...
November 4, 2026 Joker Rules in American Mahjong: When You Can Use and Swap Jokers A clear guide to jokers in American mahjong under NMJL rules: where they can be used, how and when to exchange them, why a discarded joker...
November 4, 2026 The Charleston in American Mahjong: How Every Pass Works A plain guide to the Charleston in American mahjong, covering the order of every pass, the optional second Charleston and courtesy pass, blind passing, and the...
November 4, 2026 How to Play American Mahjong: Rules for Beginners A plain-English walk-through of American mahjong under standard National Mah Jongg League rules: the set, the deal, the Charleston, turns and calls, jokers, winning, wall games...
October 21, 2026 What You Need to Play American Mahjong: A Beginner's Checklist Starting American mahjong? Here is everything you need for the table, what each item does, and what you can add later.
October 21, 2026 Mahjong Gift Ideas for Every Player and Budget From tile keychains to full sets: mahjong gift ideas at every price, and a few questions to ask so the gift fits the player's tiles and...
October 21, 2026 Travel Mahjong Set vs Regular Set: Which Should You Buy? Travel and mini mahjong sets are smaller and lighter; regular sets are easier to read and handle. How they compare on tile size, racks and cases,...
October 21, 2026 American vs Chinese Mahjong Sets: What Is the Difference? American sets have 152 tiles including jokers; Chinese sets have 144 and none. The differences in tiles, racks and play, and how to make sure you...