American Mahjong Strategy: Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing the Best Hand (with Charleston & Tips)

Since so many of you have been asking, I’m starting a new series on how to choose your mahjong line/hand on the National Mah Jongg League Card.

Struggling to decide on a hand in American Mah Jongg? In this video, I’ll walk you through exactly how to get more confident at choosing your hand using the NMJL Card. Perfect for beginners AND experienced players looking to sharpen their strategy!

Here’s what you’ll learn:

  • How to organize your tiles right after the deal - How to select a section on the NMJL Card (and a backup plan)
  • Step-by-step through ALL 6 passes of the Charleston
  • What to pass, what to keep, and how to refine your tiles towards a line
  • A mock courtesy pass and final hand reveal
  • Tips, tricks, and key mahjong terms to remember By the end, you’ll know how to narrow down from sections to lines on the card — and feel more confident choosing a winning hand.

We’re using the 2025 NMJL Card here and it will be helpful if you have yours in front of you as you watch these videos. 

You can practice this at home by grabbing your mahjong tiles and “dealing” yourself 13 tiles. Get your tiles organized by suit and number and try to choose a section of the card that works for your tiles. Then go through a mock Charleston and Courtesy Pass with your tile bag. As you pass and get new tiles continue to refine your hand until you’ve selected a single mahjong line for those tiles. The more you practice this, the faster and more confident you will be at your next mahjong game!

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