Mastering American Mahjong: A Complete Guide to Rules and Strategy - Hardcover

Trottier, Megan

Hardcover

ISBN 13: 9798217274161

Publisher: Ten Speed Press, 2026

Synopsis

Step into the world of American mahjong with this approachable and beautiful guidebook by the founder of Oh My Mahjong, perfect for beginners and players ready to level up their game.

Whether you’re learning the tiles for the very first time or looking to sharpen your strategy, Mastering American Mahjong offers a fun, accessible path to playing with confidence and style.  

This comprehensive handbook provides you with a step-by-step overview of the rules and basic elements of mahjong, encouraging you to elevate your knowledge of the game and incorporate strategy that will set you apart at the mahjong table. With the help of engaging gameplay illustrations, you'll understand the significance of each type of tile, learn how to recognize patterns, and develop a keen eye for winning plays.  

Get ready to throw memorable game nights and create meaningful moments around the table. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your approach, Mastering American Mahjong will have you playing boldly, hosting confidently, and sharing the joy of mahjong in no time.

About this title

About the Author

Megan Trottier is the founder of the high-end, women-owned American mahjong brand Oh My Mahjong. Megan began designing her own tiles, mats, racks, and pushers during the pandemic as a way of uniting her community around mahjong. Her products honor the game’s rich heritage, igniting imagination and empowering players to create their own mahjong traditions. Oh My Mahjong’s products are available in over 1,200 stores nationwide, and Megan and her team also run the mahjong teacher certification program Mahji Mentors.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Mahjong is a Chinese tile game that was developed in the mid-1800s, toward the end of the Qing dynasty. The game originated in the Yangtze Delta, a densely populated and diverse area due to its accessibility to trade routes. Originally associated with elite men and gambling, mahjong quickly spread throughout all of China, exploding in popularity in the international cities of Shanghai and Beijing. The game soon traveled through Asia and to America by way of Chinese immigrants, international travelers, and businesspeople.

The game took off in the States, and by the 1920s, mahjong sets became the sixth largest import from Shanghai. The demand far outweighed the supply of the bamboo and bone tiles the game was played with, so new factories, some owned by American and British businesses, opened in China to support the growing market. American women quickly became some of the game’s biggest fans, and it became fashionable for high-society women to host lavish mahjong tournaments. According to some sources, more than 300,000 mahjong sets were sold in the U.S. in the early 1920s. But the game all but disappeared from American high society by the time of the stock market crash of 1929 and the emergence of the Great Depression.

During the Depression and into World War II, there were still small groups of Americans playing mahjong, primarily air force wives and Jewish American women. The air force wives developed their own style of play, which was later called Wright-Patterson after the air base where they lived. The Jewish women played many different ways. In an effort to standardize the rules of the American game, four hundred women met at the Essex House in New York City and formed the National Mah Jongg League in 1937. The League grew to stand for friendship and philanthropy. After many Americans stopped playing the game in the early 1930s, the League added the element of charitable giving. In the early 1940s there were regional League branches all around the country. Members were informed via a quarterly newsletter, appropriately named NEWS, that “You GET and you GIVE by being a member of the National Mah Jongg League,” because each chapter pledged fifty cents a year for a card to help soldiers in need. This attracted hundreds of thousands of players who looked to mahjong both to build community and to provide an opportunity to give back. By 1941, the League had 35,000 members. American mahjong was back—though quite different than before—and better than ever.

The Goal of Mahjong

What is the point of this game with beautiful tiles and lots of rules? The goal of mahjong is to be the first player at the table to complete a winning combination of fourteen tiles and declare “Mahjong!” It is a game of seeing, hearing, and talking. We use many senses when we play mahjong.

Mahjong is a draw and discard game, typically played with four people. Each player will be randomly dealt thirteen tiles, except for one player, who will be dealt fourteen tiles (this player discards first). Each player has a mahjong card, on which there are preset hands, and players will have the opportunity to trade tiles around the table in an effort to build a hand from their card. The first player to complete a line of fourteen tiles from the card is the winner.

Edition details

• Publisher: Ten Speed Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798217274161
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 128