Why this site exists
American Mah Jongg is in the middle of a remarkable moment. Yelp named it one of 2026's top trends, classes and clubs are filling up in cities across the United States, and a whole new generation is learning the game alongside the players who've kept it alive for decades. But for someone trying to learn from scratch, the existing online resources are scattered, dated, or written for people who already know what they're doing.
This site is the resource I wish had existed when I first tried to learn the game myself: plain English, step by step, no jargon dumps, and honest about the things that take a few games to click. Every guide is written and edited to be the clearest single article on its topic — the kind of explanation a patient friend would give you across the table.
Who's behind it
I'm Leo Li, an independent web publisher based in Henan, China. I founded American Mahjong Guide in 2026 after spending months researching the American game — its history, its rules, the NMJL card, the social culture around it — and finding that no single resource pulled it all together for absolute beginners. I'm not a tournament-level player or an NMJL ambassador; I'm an enthusiast who decided to build the friendliest entry point into the game I could.
Being a non-American founder means I take the editorial process seriously. Every rule explained on this site is cross-checked against multiple authoritative sources, including official NMJL publications and long-standing American Mah Jongg teachers. Where rules vary by table, I say so. Where I'm uncertain, I leave it out rather than guess. The goal is content American players themselves would recognize as accurate and useful.
How we make money
The site is reader-supported in two transparent ways:
- Display advertising through Google AdSense. Ads keep the content free.
- Affiliate links, primarily to Amazon. When you buy a recommended mahjong set through one of our links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend the type of products we'd genuinely suggest to a friend, and we never accept payment for editorial coverage.
We don't run sponsored content, paid placements, or "best of" lists that secretly favor whoever paid the most. Editorial independence is the whole point.
Editorial approach
- Plain English first. If a sentence needs a glossary, we rewrite it.
- One topic per guide, done well. Better to explain Charleston perfectly in 1,500 words than badly in 5,000.
- Updated regularly. Each article shows a "Last updated" date. The NMJL card refreshes every spring; our coverage refreshes with it.
- NMJL copyright respected. We explain how to read the annual card but we don't reproduce its specific hands or values, which are the League's copyrighted material. Always buy the current card from the NMJL.
- Reader feedback welcomed. Spot an error, disagree with a recommendation, or have a question we haven't covered? We'd genuinely like to hear it.
Contact
You can reach us by email at hello@americanmahjongguide.com. We read every message, especially corrections and suggestions for new guides.
You can also follow Leo on X (Twitter) at @LeoAmMahjong for new guides, mahjong tips, and updates.