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American Mah Jongg for Everyone: The Complete Beginner's Guide - Hardcover | Diverse Reads

American Mah Jongg for Everyone: The Complete Beginner's Guide

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Whether you're an American Mah Jongg newbie or an intermediate player looking to gain an edge over your opponents, American Mah Jongg for Everyone is the perfect book to help you start practicing your game!

Experienced international Mah Jongg instructors Gregg Swain and Toby Salk walk you through the basics of American Mah Jongg—introducing readers to the tiles, rituals, history, rules and winning strategies of the game. Using the humor, warmth and professional tips they share with their own students, this narrative-style instruction book offers an accessible way to learn this popular game.

Topics include:
  • Recognizing Mah Jongg tiles in different types of sets
  • Building the walls and dealing the tiles
  • Organizing your tiles and planning your play
  • Understanding table rules and etiquette
  • Winning strategies for various types of hands

National Mah Jongg tournament director Gladys Grad contributes a foreword that explains why so many people love the game. Grad also has written a chapter that outlines the rules of Siamese Mah Jongg, a fun two-person game she created that you can't find in any other Mah Jongg book!

This book comes with everything you need to get started playing, including:
  • A timeless sample Mah Jongg scoring card
  • A paper set to cut out and use while learning
  • Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions
  • Over 80 color illustrations
  • Helpful practice exercises and quizzes that reinforce the lessons
  • Access to a website that provides up to date information about the game
  • A glossary of terms that every Mah Jongg player needs to know

From the many different types of tiles and how to recognize them, personal stories about the game and historical trivia, American Mah Jongg for Everyone has something for anyone interested in this fascinating game.

ISBN-13: 9780804852470

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Publication Date: 08-25-2020

Pages: 160

Product Dimensions: 7.60(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.80(d)

Gregg Swain is an author and Mah Jongg instructor. She lectures across the United States, speaking at clubs, museums, and social organizations. She is the co-author of Mah Jongg: The Art of the Game. She loves to teach Mah Jongg, helping people enjoy the fun and challenge of playing as they form new friendships around the table. She lives and works in New York City. Toby Salk is a popular Mah Jongg instructor in the Bay Area. She has taught over a thousand students how to play and win this wonderful game. She has been a featured speaker at clubs and has been interviewed for many publications including J., the San Francisco Chronicle, Alameda Magazine, Oakland Magazine, and the Piedmont Post. Gladys Grad is popularly known as the "foremost authority of American-style tournament Mah Jongg." She is the owner and tournament director for several large Mah Jongg tournaments throughout the country and is the creator of the Siamese Mah Jongg game. She lives in San Francisco. Woody Swain is a graphic designer and artist based in New York City. He has collaborated with Gregg Swain on several other books on Mah Jongg.

Table of Contents

Foreword Gladys Grad 8

Preface 10

How to Use This Book 11

Part 1 History and Fundamentals

Chapter 1 History of the Game 16

Chapter 2 Recognizing the Tiles 22

Chapter 3 Building the Walls and Dealing the Tiles 44

Chapter 4 The Card and How to Use It 66

Chapter 5 Organizing Tiles and Picking Directions for Your Hand 84

Part 2 Playing the Game

Chapter 6 The Charleston 98

Chapter 7 Overview of Play 112

Chapter 8 Basic and Advanced Strategy 124

Chapter 9 Three-Person Play 134

Chapter 10 Etiquette and Table Rules 136

Afterword 141

About the Team 144

Appendix A Siamese Mah Jongg by Gladys Grad 146

Appendix B Resources 148

Appendix C Glossary 149

Appendix D Our Card 153

Appendix E The Tile Set 157