Now that you've learned the basics, it's time to start playing!
1 - Play Online
Try the Mahjong 4 Friends App. It shows you suggested hands!
You can play against bots to get a feel for the game. The app not only gives you "Suggested Hands" (just click "Suggested Hands" at any time during the game and it will show you options and how many tiles away you are for each option) but it also tracks your wins. You can see what hands you win with most often, which really helps to know when playing with others.
2 – Practice, Practice, Practice
- Practice playing on Mahjong 4 Friends with suggested hands (which can help you pivot). Yes, I'm giving you permission to play with an app!
- At some point, you will want to disable suggested hands and use the card. Interpreting the card is the hardest part, so don’t delay using it for too long!
- I also recommend disabling the "Swap Joker" indicator at some point. You need to train yourself to check for joker swaps before you discard a tile.
- If you don't have the NMJL card, you can keep using "Suggested Hands" but try to look at it less often.
A word of warning: I became obsessed with the Mahjong 4 Friends app. I don't let myself play it late at night or I will be up way too late playing Mahjong!
3 – Play with other beginners
One of the most intimidating things for online players is to start playing with other live human beings in person! I found that I was very distracted by all the noise in the room (the first time I played with others was at a Mahjong mixer) and I made a lot of mistakes. It's okay to make mistakes, and it's inevitable that you will make some. Sometimes my goal when playing with others was just not to discard a tile that allows someone else to call Mahjong.
The thing I was bad at initially was breaking the wall in front of my rack. Because I played so much online, I wasn't use to using the pushers. You can practice at home once you get a mat and some tiles.
4 – Buy tiles and a mat (and a square table if you don't have one)
The most common thing I'm asked is whether Mahjong sets are expensive. They sure can be! And once you like even one Mahjong-related post on social media, your feed will be flooded with ads for tiles, mats, jewelry, and online classes.
I recommend starting by looking up Mahjong mats and tiles on Facebook Marketplace. There are always people who went a little bonkers and bought too many tile sets or mats when they first got started. Their folly is your bargain! While you're at it, if you don't already have a square table, that's another thing to look for on Facebook Marketplace.
I do have tiles and mats I sell on my store, and I try to keep the price reasonable (and remember all profit goes to a good cause!). Tiles often come from China and it's expensive to ship them, and if they're shipped via Sea transportation (which saves money) it can be a 3-4 week wait (or more) to receive them.
This is the set I bought when I started: https://amzn.to/4fObbc6. It's a reasonably priced set and comes with wood racks/pushers.
This is the mat I bought when I started: https://amzn.to/4wnu3Vm. There are a lot of mats on Amazon around this price point.
5 – Buy the NMJL card (or 4) if you don't already have one.
Why four? So the 4 people you play with on your new set will all have a card to play with.
You can buy the card directly from the National Mah Jongg League here: National Mah Jongg League
They do have an Amazon link you can use (sometimes their website is down) but be sure to use this link as there are a lot of counterfeits out there: https://amzn.to/4x0WXL1
6 – Practice Setting the Table
Once you have your set, practice setting the table, building the walls and breaking the walls. There are a lot of fun ways to play, even by yourself! I also enjoy organizing all the tiles by suit, which I do before every lesson I teach.
7 - Have Fun
Find out where people are playing locally. You can join local Mahjong groups on Facebook and find them by searching "Mahjong events near me" online.
Look for beginner-friendly open play or guided play, where instructors or experienced players are around to answer questions and give tips.
Whatever you do, don't take yourself too seriously. I recommend everyone try a new hobby at some point in their life so they experience the frustration of not being great at something right away. It's a humbling experience and one that everyone should have. It makes the wins that eventually come along all the more rewarding!
Don’t Expect Perfection – Embrace Your Mistakes, That’s How You Learn
