Advice from a mahjong instructor: pick a mahjong hand and commit early

As an experienced mahjong instructor, I teach new players to commit to a hand early and stay focused. I want beginners to play more games and experience wins and losses on their own.

Every game is a practice opportunity

Just like a science experiment, you will learn more from trying something yourself and learning from actual game situations. Learning the mechanics of American mahjong is more important for new players than strategy.

Experience cannot be taught, so practice in person and online as much as possible.

Learn to “see” the tiles

Once the tiles are distributed, place them in the sloped portion of your rack. Assess the situation and commit immediately to a section of the card. First, eliminate any concealed hands or anything with a pair. Remember, jokers cannot be used with singles or pairs.

Do you “see” more evens? Commit to hands under 2468.  Are most tiles the same suit and in order? Commit to consecutive runs. Do you have a lot of neutral winds? Commit to winds and dragons. Focus on finding what you “see” and get ready to discard and get the Charleston started.

Focus during the Charleston

The Charleston gives each player the ability to improve a hand and to see what is getting discarded by other players. More experienced players and other teachers have memorized the card and have a significant advantage during this part of the game.

Beginner mahjong players need to stay focused and only collect what works with the section of the card they have selected. New players often get distracted by a pair or dragons that do not improve their hand. Stay focused.

When does a mahjong instructor give the advice to pick a mahjong hand?

By the start of the second Charleston, a beginner must commit and pick a mahjong hand. This will keep gameplay moving quickly because you know that 9 crak does not fit with your consecutive hand of dots.

Relax and play go-fish

East will begin the pick-rack-discard portion of the game. Stay focused. As a new player, remember the rules and mechanics for calling a tile. Strategy about when to call and defense will come later from practice. Beginners need to stay focused and collect what the hand needs.

Do NOT pivot your mahjong hand

Be sure you have read the card and the hand exactly. An experienced player would rather play with a beginner that is fast and committed rather than someone that is slow and makes mistakes.

The tiles will come to you

Do not get frustrated if you see that 4 bam you need for your pung go by. Pungs can always use jokers and there will most likely be more that come up. Self-picking is always the best way to acquire a tile! As long as you follow the mahjong instructor advice to pick a mahjong line and commit early, the game will be a learning experience.

Follow the rules

Make sure you follow the rules of the game and the etiquette. As a beginner, you should remember to use any game as a learning opportunity. Save the competitive play and frustration for the tournaments in your mahjong journey.

Advice from an advanced player

As an experienced teacher, I study the NMJL card upon its arrival every April. My goal is to memorize most of the card. By fall, I am bored with the card. I start to only play concealed hands, which means that I am not pivoting and focusing on winning hands that I have won over 100 times already.

I like to play the hands that I cannot call for and that I have not yet won. I am not trying to beat my opponent with the easier hands, I want to challenge myself. I like to get outside my comfort zone and even if another hand will be easier to win, watch my discard jokers as I try for a much more difficult win.

Mahjong is a game of strategy and luck

Remember that this is a game. It should be fun and beginners and experts alike enjoy the game most when we play quickly and we embrace strategy and luck!