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The beginner's guide to American Mahjong. Foundations first, overwhelm never.
The first lesson lands. The tiles make sense, the Charleston has a rhythm, and the card stops looking like hieroglyphics. Then you sit down to play three days later, and half of it has gone fuzzy.
That's what this is for. The full first lesson on paper, written so the foundations stay sharp whether you took my class or you're picking up the game on your own.
What this is
The complete beginner's reference for American Mahjong. Ten chapters covering everything I teach in a first lesson, written for the brand-new player who wants the rules in writing.
What's inside
Meet the Tiles. All 152 of them, organized into five families, so the set stops looking like a pile.
All About Jokers. The two restrictions that trip up every new player, explained once and for all.
The Five Building Blocks. Singles, pairs, pungs, kongs, quints, and the one block that works a little differently.
Reading the Card. What the symbols mean, what the colors mean (not what you think), and the fine print that breaks Mahjongs.
Setting Up the Game. The wall, the dice, the curtsy, and the count that gets everyone to the right number of tiles.
Finding Your Line. How to organize your rack and pick a neighborhood instead of chasing a house.
The Charleston. The required round, the optional round, the courtesy pass, and the four families you almost never pass.
Playing the Game. The three steps of every turn, the rules of calling a tile, and the moment a discard becomes official.
Declaring Mahjong. The win, in one paragraph.
Five Things Beginners Always Get Wrong. The mistakes I see every week, with the fix for each.
Who this is for
Two readers. The student who just finished her first lesson and wants the reference in writing. And the curious one who can't get to me in person but wants to learn anyway.
If you don't know a Crak from a Bam, that's fine. Start at page one and read forward. Nothing in here assumes you've played before.
The details
One PDF, ten pages, US letter portrait, color printing optional. Instant digital download after checkout. You'll need the current NMJL card and a set of 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: read it once, play three games, come back to the page that fixed whatever you got wrong. That's how Mahjong actually becomes yours. Not by memorizing the card, but by playing enough rounds that the card starts to feel like a friend.
The beginner's guide to American Mahjong. Foundations first, overwhelm never.
The first lesson lands. The tiles make sense, the Charleston has a rhythm, and the card stops looking like hieroglyphics. Then you sit down to play three days later, and half of it has gone fuzzy.
That's what this is for. The full first lesson on paper, written so the foundations stay sharp whether you took my class or you're picking up the game on your own.
What this is
The complete beginner's reference for American Mahjong. Ten chapters covering everything I teach in a first lesson, written for the brand-new player who wants the rules in writing.
What's inside
Meet the Tiles. All 152 of them, organized into five families, so the set stops looking like a pile.
All About Jokers. The two restrictions that trip up every new player, explained once and for all.
The Five Building Blocks. Singles, pairs, pungs, kongs, quints, and the one block that works a little differently.
Reading the Card. What the symbols mean, what the colors mean (not what you think), and the fine print that breaks Mahjongs.
Setting Up the Game. The wall, the dice, the curtsy, and the count that gets everyone to the right number of tiles.
Finding Your Line. How to organize your rack and pick a neighborhood instead of chasing a house.
The Charleston. The required round, the optional round, the courtesy pass, and the four families you almost never pass.
Playing the Game. The three steps of every turn, the rules of calling a tile, and the moment a discard becomes official.
Declaring Mahjong. The win, in one paragraph.
Five Things Beginners Always Get Wrong. The mistakes I see every week, with the fix for each.
Who this is for
Two readers. The student who just finished her first lesson and wants the reference in writing. And the curious one who can't get to me in person but wants to learn anyway.
If you don't know a Crak from a Bam, that's fine. Start at page one and read forward. Nothing in here assumes you've played before.
The details
One PDF, ten pages, US letter portrait, color printing optional. Instant digital download after checkout. You'll need the current NMJL card and a set of 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: read it once, play three games, come back to the page that fixed whatever you got wrong. That's how Mahjong actually becomes yours. Not by memorizing the card, but by playing enough rounds that the card starts to feel like a friend.