Learning to Play American Mah Jongg

Preparation for Play

In order to learn American Mah Jongg you will need to have several things:

• First, you need to download and print out a set of handouts. You can download these from the Downloads page on this site and then print them out. While you might be able to get along without these, they should make this experience easier for you.
• You also need to have the current Mah Jongg card from the National Mah Jongg League. These can be obtained directly from the League or from a number of other vendors on line. The website address and phone number for the league are in handout 1.
• You should have a set of American Mah Jongg tiles with racks and pushers. To actually play the best thing is to have a set of these tiles, which can be fairly expensive, upwards of $60. You can also purchase Mah Jongg playing cards, which are more like regular cards for card games, and you can play with these, but I personally much prefer a regular set. You can find these at wherethewindsblow.com. If you just want to get a feel for what the tiles look like and for purposes of some of our handouts, we have provided a set of "printable" tiles. You can download this from the downloads page. It is best to print them on card stock or some other heavier paper, but you can print them on regular paper. Instructions for what you need to do are on the download page. Unlike the playing cards, these are not really suitable for actual play. If you are buying a tile set to use with this tutorial, Just make sure it is an American Mah Jongg set and that it has both racks and pushers.
• If at all possible you should have an experienced player with you to answer questions and coach you as you go through the handout exercises. In addition, there are parts of this tutorial where you need to have three other players or learners who can work with you.

Using the Tutorial

The video tutorial is designed to help you understand American Mah Jongg. It is divided into 8 parts. You should watch each segment and then follow the instructions at the end of that segment before you start the next one. Doing so will allow you time to absorb some of the information before you proceed to the next step. In addition to the eight actual tutorial segments, I will include some additional videos to let you see how some of the elements of the setup work. While you do not need to watch these, they may give you a better feel for the game.

Since this is a game played with other people, you will certainly need to find a group of people to play with. If you do not know of any groups but have some friends who might be interested, you can learn together. However, we have tried to suggest some exercises you can do by yourself to help you to get ready for the game.

After the Tutorial

After you have completed the tutorial, you can go to the page on Practice Ideas and get some ideas on things you can do by yourself to build your skills. Nothing, of course, can replace playing with other Mah Jongg players.

Part 1 - Learning the Tile Set