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Image 1 of 1
A four-method guide for the times when the table is short.
The fourth cancels. Sometimes the third too. The tile bag stays closed, the afternoon gets shorter, and the foursome quietly reschedules for next month.
Don't reschedule. There are four good ways to keep playing today - two methods for two players, two methods for three. Same card, same building blocks, same rhythm; just fewer hands at the table.
What this is
A working guide to short-handed American Mahjong. Two NMJL methods for times when you can't field four, plus two house variations that keep the Charleston in the game.
What's inside
Mahjong for 2, the NMJL ghost-player method. The empty seats become quiet walls, and the game keeps its shape.
Mahjong for 2, the Siamese method. Two racks per player, two Mahjongs to win. Slower, bigger, and very satisfying when it lands.
Mahjong for 3, the classic NMJL "Sally" setup. Sally takes the fourth seat, and the Charleston gets skipped.
Mahjong for 3, the house variation that brings the Charleston back by borrowing three of Sally's tiles for the ritual.
A "which method tonight?" chooser with four scenarios, so you pick the right one for the table you've got.
Who this is for
You already know how to deal, run the Charleston, and read the card. What you don't always have is the full four. This guide is for the times when three of you show up, or two, or a friend stops in unexpectedly and wants to play.
If "Sally" and "ghost player" are new vocabulary, that's fine. Both are explained inside.
The details
One PDF, four pages, US letter portrait, color printing is optional. Instant digital download after checkout. You'll need the current NMJL card and your own tiles.
Digital delivery only. Because this is a downloadable product, all sales are final. No returns or refunds.
One more thing
Hot tip from Gaia: print it and tuck it in your Mahjong bag. The time you actually need it is never the time you planned for. But it’s so much fun!
A four-method guide for the times when the table is short.
The fourth cancels. Sometimes the third too. The tile bag stays closed, the afternoon gets shorter, and the foursome quietly reschedules for next month.
Don't reschedule. There are four good ways to keep playing today - two methods for two players, two methods for three. Same card, same building blocks, same rhythm; just fewer hands at the table.
What this is
A working guide to short-handed American Mahjong. Two NMJL methods for times when you can't field four, plus two house variations that keep the Charleston in the game.
What's inside
Mahjong for 2, the NMJL ghost-player method. The empty seats become quiet walls, and the game keeps its shape.
Mahjong for 2, the Siamese method. Two racks per player, two Mahjongs to win. Slower, bigger, and very satisfying when it lands.
Mahjong for 3, the classic NMJL "Sally" setup. Sally takes the fourth seat, and the Charleston gets skipped.
Mahjong for 3, the house variation that brings the Charleston back by borrowing three of Sally's tiles for the ritual.
A "which method tonight?" chooser with four scenarios, so you pick the right one for the table you've got.
Who this is for
You already know how to deal, run the Charleston, and read the card. What you don't always have is the full four. This guide is for the times when three of you show up, or two, or a friend stops in unexpectedly and wants to play.
If "Sally" and "ghost player" are new vocabulary, that's fine. Both are explained inside.
The details
One PDF, four pages, US letter portrait, color printing is optional. Instant digital download after checkout. You'll need the current NMJL card and your own tiles.
Digital delivery only. Because this is a downloadable product, all sales are final. No returns or refunds.
One more thing
Hot tip from Gaia: print it and tuck it in your Mahjong bag. The time you actually need it is never the time you planned for. But it’s so much fun!