Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg: How to Play the Game & Win

by Elaine Sandberg, Tom Sloper (Foreword)

Learn the fascinating game of American Mahjong with this expert guide.This affordable best-selling book is one of the only available game strategy guides that is specifically geared toward American Mahjong (Mah Jongg) and follows the official National Mah Jongg League rules. Offering first-time players an easy-to-follow guide to this complex game, A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg includes simple, easy-to-follow instructions and clear diagrams to walk the reader through each step of the game, including how to select a hand, how to play and how to develop winning strategies. A key feature is the color text which clearly shows various hands and tiles.This Mahjong guide Step-by-step instructions for gameplay. Hands-on "Do It" exercises Tips and quizzes for easy learning Mahjong background and history An explanation of tile symbolism Glossary of Mahjong termsA Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg is the perfect guide for all skill levels to learn Mahjong--from Mahjong beginners to pros.

Genres: Nonfiction, Games, Reference, How To, Self Help, Gaming

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2007

Reviews

[Maria V. Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

My book club ladies also play Mah Jongg and invited me to play with them. This book was wonderful for teaching me the basics. Of course nothing is better than playing the game, but I at least didn't make a fool of myself! And I've been invited back to play so I take that as a good sign. ;)

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a complex topic to cover. She was very organized in her presentation and I think I understood most of what she presented. Now, the trick will be to remember it, apply it, practice, and work on developing strategy skills. Previously, I had read through several sets of instructions from the web and became thoroughly confused. Looking forward to playing the game.

[Trudy Nye · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are just starting to learn to play American Mah Jongg, this is the book you want to get. The instructions are spelled out very clearly, and there are quizzes and exercises to help you learn and remember the intricate rules of Mah Jongg as played in America. Sandberg also covers basic playing strategies. I found it extremely helpful. This book will give you the basic understanding you need to move on to more challenging Mah Jongg discussions by expert Tom Sloper.

[Leslie Mesmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an easy book to read. It breaks down the game mahjong step by step. It is obviously not a book you will read from front to back in one setting.
It is though one that will be picked up and worked through one chapter at a time.
The examples and the exercises will definitely help you understand a game that is extremely confusing.
I will be coming back to this book as I try to learn the game.

[Elizabeth Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to squeeze in one more!

[Laura Cushing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began this a few months ago, and have been working through the exercises in the book since. I will likely re-read it and work through them again in an attempt to improve my Mah Jongg game. This book provides helpful examples, full color illustrations, quizzes and exercises to get you into the game and learning.

Recommended for anyone who wants to learn American Mah Jongg, an excellent resource.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precise and helpful.

[Pat Faherty]

If you want to learn the rules and strategy of Mah jong, then this is the book for you. This also covers the Chinese game.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for newcomers to American Mahjong or for anyone needing a refresher. Easy-to-follow instructions, examples, and suggestions on building strategy.

[Nancy Lukas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning to play Mah Jongg is no easy task. This book breaks it down into simple parts. I use it as a reference when I play with my group.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been learning to play May Jongg with a group of friends. This book helped with tips in a few areas that were difficult. Definitely improved my play.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg is an excellent book for a person beginning to play American Mah Jongg or wanting to know how to play the game. I started playing the game about 4 months ago and this book has helped me understand the game immensely. The best way to learn of course, is to play but this book corresponds with the game playing and fills in many blanks for the novice player.

The author in a concise manner explains the tiles, how to set up a game and how to play. Lastly, it shows how to develop strategies. It has exercises, quizzes, tips, and a glossary of Mah Jongg terms. I can't say enough good things about this book. I don't give 5 star reviews very often. It is very helpful in helping one learn the game of American Mah Jongg. I find that I really enjoy and like the game.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book for someone who has never played American Mah Jongg but wants to learn how to play the game.

[Linda Benedict · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview and reference that I can go back to as needed.

[Gay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Easy to understand, helpful, informative.

[Bygeorgemom]

Excellent for learning how to play Mah Jongg!

[Linda Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been playing Mah-ongg for a couple of months. I am a very, very beginning student of the game. After a couple of lessons and a few games, I was still waiting for the lightbulb to click on and to say that I was having fun, so I purchased "A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg: How to Play the Game and Win" by Elaine Sandberg.

Takeaways:

1. I like that the book includes a bit of the history of Mah-Jongg. Very interesting.
2. The book is well-organized and very clearly written. It is a fast, understandable read.
3. It includes clear and helpful visuals.
4. It includes excellent exercises and practices, as well as quizzes at the end of each chapter. And I did each of them, some more than once.
5. This game is sooooo hard, and there are several things that make absolutely no sense. Sandberg acknowledges this. (At least I am not the only one.)

I can't say that the lightbulb has turned on or I am having fun yet, but perhaps with this book in my pocket, and actually getting a Mah-Jongg and winning the game, I can say that I understand it, that I want to continue playing it, and that I am having fun playing it! "A Beginner's Guide to American Mah-Jongg" is highly recommended for those just starting to learn the game of Mah-Jongg!

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a well put together step by step beginner's guide. Each step is broken down into easy to understand bits often accompanied by beautiful colour pictures.

I liked learning about the history of the game and seeing the older style tiles.
The "Do it" part throughout each section and the quiz at the end of same, is extremely helpful because doing is the only way to understand and learn this somewhat complex game.

The section on How to Select a Hand as well as What to Keep or What to Pass from the Charleston section was very insightful. I'm sure it would have taken me many games to figure these strategies out on my own.

As stated, it's a good idea to read this book and do the exercises before you play and again after you've played a few times. It makes much more sense the second time around.

[T.L. Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg by Elaine Sandberg answered several questions that had arisen after friends introduced me American Mah Jongg recently. Sandberg explains the tiles, the game, and strategies well with a bit of levity that made the information feel more accessible. A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg contains quizzes and exercises to aid in learning. I took all the quizzes and discovered I'd already done some of the exercises, but I think it would be advantageous to work through all the exercises. I also think I might take the book along next time I play since everyone in the group I'm playing with is relatively new to the game. Sandberg's approach helped me feel less intimidated. A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg is a well written, informative resource for anyone getting started playing American Mah Jongg.

[Chris Lira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a somewhat new mah jongg player, somewhere on the border of newbie to intermediate. Is book was recommended to me and I am very glad to have followed up on that reco. I had a thorough understanding of the basics, which this book covered, but it also covered 2 very important things that most beginners like me struggle with- understanding the various hands, and how to pick a hand from the tiles in my hand. It does a very good job of explaining both of these things. It also provides exercises to reinforce the comcepts, which I will do as well. Very well-written and instructive book. If you are learning to llay mah jongg, start here.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction and reference to how to play Mah Jongg. I am just beginning to learn to play, and have read lots of on-line instructions and watched lots of videos. I appreciate the valuable exercises which have helped me understand how to pick what to pass in a Charleston, and how to choose a hand to play. The writing is clear, and terms are explained. I have dog-eared a few pages to refer back to while playing. The only thing that isn't explained clearly is scoring with points, but that is probably not a beginner concept.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book a bit ago, but waited until I sat down to play my first real game before writing. My verdict: this book works.

No, I didn't win my first time playing, but, and this is the important part, I wasn't completely lost or completely intimidated sitting down at the table my first time.

The book breaks the elements of the game into sensible, digestible nuggets. There's many practice exercises and quizzes throughout to sharpen your knowledge.

Mah Jongg isn't a game to go into cold, knowing nothing. This short-ish (115 page) book is a good training regimen.

[charlene mundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource when learning mah jongg

Loved the complete explanations of every step of the game. I read it before starting lessons and continued reading as I played my first games.
Wish I had purchased the paper edition and not the Kindle edition. It was too hard to go back to something. Also the card that is necessary to understand the game was too tiny to read in kindle version.

[Charris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t have any other books to compare this to, but it was very informative and included exercises to practice after each chapter. It doesn’t guarantee the reader will master this game simply because he or she read the book. There are many videos available on the internet as well that will help the beginner understand the American version of Mahjong. To really increase your skills, go to Mahjong 4 Friends on the computer and play often.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had already learned how to play Mah Jongg but was trying to teach some new players. I had a 1 page cheat sheet that I had created but I read this to verify that I was teaching it correctly. My cheat sheet was spot on without the extras that this book includes - i.e. strategies and quizzes. A great reference book when your newbies are trying to Mahj with a joker in a pair or pick up a single in the middle of the game.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent guide in a beginner Mah girls journey. I found it to be most helpful to read after I played a few times and had a basic understanding of the games nuances. Particularly when I was able to identify what it was I didn’t know in a game that has a lot of rules! While reading I found myself having to put I down to text my group and inform them we’d misinterpreted something or were dong something incorrectly 🤣. Man I love this game!

[Paula Weisberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful, easy to understand.
I’ve been playing a little mah jongg for a while now but recently started trying to learn again. My instructor ( Senior College) gave me this book to read, which was really useful and made sense since I had a working knowledge of the game. Note to self: read it again next winter!

[Jena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reads as if a teacher is teaching you Mah Jongg step-by-step. The author begins with teaching to recognize the tiles and progresses to playing the game. Activities and quizzes in each chapter to practice and review the information taught. A great resource for any beginning or experienced player Mah Jongg enthusiast.

[Glenn Carnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Book for Beginners!

This is a “must have “book for anyone wanting to learn the basics of American Mah Jong, along with practice exercises, and strategies for winning.

If you want a comprehensive book covering all aspects of the game, then this is one book, you’ll want to be sure to add to your library!