Learn how to play Mah Jongg with Etiquette by following Debbie’s Golden Rules of Mah Jongg 

Happy New Year, everyone! Are you playing Mah Jongg today? If so, remember to take my Golden Rules along, you can learn how to play Mah Jongg with Etiquette through good habits and behaviors and feel free to share the rules with others.

We’ve all heard the statement, “21 days makes a habit,” right?  It seems that this might be a myth. Now, I’m sure you are asking yourself, “If not 21 days, then how long does it take to change your habits and behaviors?” Here is an interesting article I found by Science Alert which might answer your question.

Check out the first nine Golden Rules covered in my Golden Rules blog series and then dive right into Golden Rule #10 and move closer to transforming your habits and behaviors at the Mah Jongg table with a few simple changes.

Golden Rule #10: No announcements, please. If someone misses a Joker exchange or discards a Joker, don’t point it out.

Lions and tigers and Jokers…oh my! Those Jokers, are our friends when we need and get them, our enemies when we get them and don’t want them. Or you can kick yourself when you know you need one and you still miss a Joker exchange.

Here are two important points to help you refrain from announcing a missed Joker exchange:

1. If the player accidentally missed the Joker exchange, why rub it in?
2. If the player intentionally passed up doing the Joker exchange, it is not up to you to reveal what might be important information about what they are doing.

Here are several important points to consider before announcing that someone has discarded a Joker:

1. There are three ways to name a Joker when it is thrown:
   1. Joker
   2. The name of the previously thrown tile
   3. Same
2. When a player discards a Joker and names it a Joker, it draws attention to the fact that a Joker was discarded.
3. Naming a discarded Joker by the previously thrown tile or by “same” (my personal preference) does not draw attention to the Joker.
4. When a player throws a tile, it is everyone’s responsibility to look at the discard. If you forget to keep your eyes on the table, then you’ve missed an important clue about someone else’s hand.
5. When a player discards a Joker, and no one notices that bad boy on the table before you do, it is not your job to shout out, “Hey, Debbie must be playing a Jokerless hand,” or “Look at Debbie’s exposures, she threw a Joker, you know what that means!”

These are a few more ways to become a courteous player with Mah Jongg etiquette. Simple changes can reap great rewards when you become the type of player everyone wants around their Mah Jongg table.

If you’ve just started learning the game, pick up some tips and strategies in my book, “Unlocking the Secrets of American MahJongg.”

More on How to play Mah Jong with Etiquette in Rule #11, coming soon!

Happy Mah Jongging everyone!