Common Strategy Tips & Tricks

For American Mahjong

🧠 Stay flexible early, watch discards closely, protect your jokers, and switch hands when the tiles tell you to.

✅ 1. Pick More Than One Possible Hand

At the start of every game, choose 2–4 possible hand patterns from your reference card — not just one. This gives you flexibility if the tiles don't fall your way.

✅ Staying flexible = more winning chances

❌ Locking into one hand too early = dead hand risk

✅ 2. Get Rid of Singles Early

Singletons (tiles with no matching partner) slow you down and give clues to other players.

Early game:

  • Throw away isolated tiles
  • Keep pairs, jokers, and potential patterns

✅ 3. Watch What Other Players Are Discarding

Their discards reveal:

  • Which suits they are NOT playing
  • Whether they are avoiding evens, odds, winds, or dragons

This helps you:

  • Avoid feeding them tiles they need
  • Spot dangerous discards later

✅ 4. Save Your Jokers for Power Moves

Jokers are most valuable when:

  • Used in kongs or quints
  • Used in rare or tightly controlled hands

Don't rush to expose jokers early unless it speeds you directly toward Mahjong.

✅ 5. Expose Tiles With Purpose

Once you expose, your strategy is visible.

Expose only when:

  • You are confident in your hand direction
  • You have a clear path forward

Unnecessary exposures reduce flexibility and invite defensive play against you.

✅ 6. Count How Many Tiles Are Still Available

Example: If you need a certain tile and:

You've seen all four copies discarded or exposed

👉 That hand is no longer possible — pivot immediately.

This saves countless dead hands.

✅ 7. Use the Charleston to Shape Your Hand

The Charleston is not just random passing — it's your:

  • Cleanup phase
  • Strategy reset
  • Direction-setting tool

Pass:

Tiles that don't match your potential hands

Keep:

Pairs, jokers, dragons, and sequences

✅ 8. Pay Attention to Joker Exposure

If someone exposes multiple jokers quickly, they are likely chasing:

  • Kongs
  • Quints
  • High-value hands

Play defensively once jokers appear early.

✅ 9. Don't Be Afraid to Change Hands Mid-Game

Many winning hands start as Plan B or Plan C.

You should pivot if:

  • Key tiles never appear
  • Opponents block your needed tiles
  • The wall is running low

Changing direction is smart — not quitting.

✅ 10. The Late Game Is About Defense

Near the end of the wall:

  • Stop feeding obvious needs
  • Discard safely from already-dead suits
  • Avoid breaking protected pairs

Many Mahjongs are prevented, not won.