Gregg Swain - American Mah Jongg for Everyone

American

MahJongg

For Everyone

American

MahJongg

For Everyone

THE COMPLETE BEGINNERS GUIDE

GREGG SWAIN AND TOBY SALK

ILLUSTRATIONS BY WOODY SWAIN
FOREWORD BY GLADYS GRAD

Dedication

This book is dedicated to mahjong teachers everywhere, and to the National Mah Jongg League whove added joy and friendships to our lives since 1937.

Acknowledgments

This book would not have been possible without the support of all our friends and family. Were grateful to Johni Levene and her Facebook Group, Mah Jongg Thats It, for helping us form a community. We give special thanks to Amanda Grove Holmn, Karen Walden, Gail Friedlander, Kathy Deane, Mary Paynter, Lolly Swain, Gladys Grad, Debra Castellano, Debra Bachner, and our wonderful book agent Jane Creech.

Foreword

Theres something lovely about the game of Mah Jongg, which challenges its players while allowing them to form wonderful friendships around the table. Ive taught many people, and watched them light up when they get it and win their first Mah Jongg. Its exciting for them, and for me as a teacher. Ive been running National Mah Jongg Madness Tournaments for years, and seeing players winand being able to celebrate with themnever gets old. As Gregg Swain says Everyone should be playing this game! And now, with this book, they can.

Americas history with Mah Jongg came alive in the early part of the 20th century, when the game first came to the States. Almost one hundred years later, Gregg Swain showcased this beautiful art form in Mah Jongg: The Art of the Game. Perhaps both the beauty of the tiles, and the mental challenges of the game, have made it one of the fastest growing table games in the country. Gregg and co-author Toby Salk, two wonderful Mah Jongg teachers, have written a book addressing the needs of todays players. They carefully take the reader through explanations of all aspects of the game, almost as if theyre standing at the table, working directly with the student. The exercises, activities and quizzes give a deep understanding of all Mah Jonggs facets. The book is a delight to the eyes thanks to the clear and delightful illustrations by Woody Swain. Readers will surely appreciate his complete paper tile set based on vintage mahjong pieces. Not only that, but the inclusion of those tiles allows for learning almost as soon as the book is opened. Moreover, a website keeps readers current, with updated answers to questions in the book and information about resources and new rules as they occur.

This book gives more than the basics: theres history, anecdotes and playing strategy. Players will connect with the interesting, thought-provoking, and intriguing nature of the game. Mah Jongg can appeal to the curious and adventurous game player, the potential player who remembers their mother playing, and even the Baby Boomers who would never play the game their old Mom played (she was probably in her late 30s at the time). Even young people love it: those Gen X, Y, and Zers who cast around for something to stimulate their minds and reconnect them to real people outside the computer screen; college students and high schoolers, and young kids. Players will discover their own passions for the game, and create their own personal histories and communities.

Toby says, What a treat it is to sit with a group of people and play a mentally stimulating game with beautiful tiles, taking a break from the worries of everyday life. Mah Jongg has brought more into my life than I ever could have imagined.

And now the game can do this for you.

GLADYS GRAD

MAH JONGG MADNESS

www.mahjongg.org

Preface

The word mahjong (MJ) is generic, and refers to the many variations of the game played with mahjong pieces. The universal goal is to put together a winning combination of tiles, thus getting mahjong. The rituals, scoring, combinations, and even number of tiles, vary the world over. This book will teach you the way The National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) approaches the game of Mah Jongg. Whenever you see that spelling, were referring to their type of play. Its the most popular form of the game in the United States, and daily more and more people in the rest of the world are attracted to Mah Jongg.

This book isnt an official guide to the NMJL approach to Mah Jongg and isnt sponsored by or affiliated with the NMJL. It was written because of our love for the NMJL style of play. Those tiny tiles we play with have brought us thousands of hours of joy, and weve formed many long-lasting and close friendships around the Mah Jongg table. We both love teaching the game and introducing others to this pastime. We know what a delightful addition it can be to everyones life. Mah Jongg allows players to escape their worries and exercise their brains by figuring out which hand to play, developing problem-solving skills. But its mainly those shared laughs, and the feeling of having a family of friends, that keep us going back to the table, and make us want to share the Mah Jongg joy with everyone we know.

Mah Jongg is good for the mind.

How to Use This Book

Mah Jongg is a wonderful game: its fun, challenging and exotic. The foreign images on the tiles, and the names of the tiles, can be intimidating to new players, though. Every time we give lessons to new players, we hear the same thing: Ill never be able to learn all of this. Yet, in a couple of hours, theyre playing the game! This book is designed to help you become as comfortable as our in-class students, so that you too can quickly become familiar and confident with the tiles, and the rituals and quirks of Mah Jongg. A caveat: You really need to do the tasks we ask you to. Trust us, theyre not daunting.

This book will teach you, the reader, how to play the game. You can master these concepts by yourself, or you can use this book at the same time as youre learning in class. But Mah Jongg is social, and best played with others. Get some friends to learn with you, or if your friends already play, spend time mastering the concepts in this book, and youll be able to join them in no time!

The National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) has its own approaches to the game, making it very different from other versions. Thats what this book is here for: well teach you all the ins and outs of the game, and, if you practice and do the exercises, youll be confident enough to play.

We offer a few new ways a novice player can learn. The back of the book has a couple of wonderful extras. In . It has examples of the types of hands youll find on the Card each year, allowing you to be familiar with the ways tiles are combined. Working with Our Card you will gain an understanding of how the Card can be used and interpreted.

We begin by introducing you to all the tiles. Soon youll recognize them without a moments hesitation, and youll be ready to move onto the next steps, which weve laid out carefully for you: what to do with the tiles and when. Chapter by chapter youll add to your comprehension of the game. There are activities to do and questions for you to answer, all leading to a better understanding of Mah Jongg. Soon youll be able to play and win.