Tag Archives: National Mah Jongg League

A SHOUT OUT FOR HELP!

Quite a while ago I posted a shout-out for help for Babs, a good friend of this blog. You can read the original post at the bottom of this message. Babs has now sent an update and we are appealing to you for help. Here is what she wrote:

Hi Ann! It’s me again! I am just checking in with your readers one more time. I have almost accumulated all the images of the NMJL cards. I am still missing 1946, and pre-1940 cards. I have managed through the generosity of fellow Mah Jongg players nationwide to find images of all the other years! Absolutely amazing! So, if you could post another plea for help I would be most appreciative. Someone must have a friend-of-a-friend with one tucked away somewhere! Feel free to share my email with anyone who can help! Thanks so much! Babs 

If you can help – and I hope you will! – please contact me and I will put you in touch with Babs. 

Here is the original posting: I received an email from Babs, a good friend of this blog. Babs is working on a very interesting and novel project. As she wrote,  “I am looking for older Mah Jongg cards. I am trying to make a complete image collection of all cards from the first year the NMJL made the card to the present. A big task, I know….do you or your “friends” have any  images of cards from the following years: 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1993,  1992, 1979, 1978, 1977, 1975, 1974, 1972, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1967, 1966, 1962, and all earlier years. Hope you can help or point me to a friend that can…

I am not aware of anyone else who has tried to put this together. I think it would be fascinating to see all the different hand combinations since the early days of Mah Jongg. Yes, I did get a number of images off eBay, but they are not complete. Most are missing the rules page which tell you the number of Flowers/Jokers for the years, or the images are too blurry to see all the hands. I have googled umpteen hundred searches for every year from 1938 and on (searching: NMJL, Mah Jongg card, Mah Jongg rule, Mah Jongg hands) so far to try and complete this, but there are not enough images online to make complete renderings of all the years. I have managed to buy a lot of cards when they are reasonable in price…but some people are charging $40.00 or more dollars for a single card…ridiculous! Considering I have 78 years to find, that’s quite expensive. Any help is appreciated. I don’t care if they have 6 separate images for each card’s panel or have 2 images , one for each side. I am stitching together what I can….and if anyone wants to donate their cards in the years I noted, I am happy to provide an address to send it to….:)  My oldest card, that I own is 1944.  Let me tell you, there have been some crazy hands……….Thanks! Babs

So, if anyone has cards from the years that Babs has cited, please let me know and I will put you in touch with her. It would be such fun to see the finished product so let’s try to help her, even if we are just loaning her cards to use for the images.

SHE’S DONE IT AGAIN!

One of my star students has been practicing on the great website wwwmyjongg.net and she is conquering the new National Mah Jongg League’s 2017 card! She frequently sends me screen shots of particularly great wins…check out this one…the last hand on the card (Singles and Pairs section) worth 60 points but, since she picked it herself, she received 120 points! Nice!!

The NMJL’s new card is now uploaded onto myjongg.net and it is a great place to really get to know the card and hone your skills. Just be warned…once you start playing on myjongg.net, it is hard to stop!

THE HISTORY OF MAH JONGG SNACKS!

The wonderful Faye Scher shared a link from My Jewish Learning – this link took us to “The History of Mah Jongg Snacks” written by “The Nosher” (explained as a “blogging tour of all things Jewish food, recipes, and news, written by Shannon Sarna and other Jewish food lovers.”). If you have been a reader of this blog over the years then you know how important I think snacks are to our beloved game…and I suspect you will all enjoy this article.  Pass the licorice!screen-shot-2017-01-02-at-8-52-19-pmscreen-shot-2017-01-02-at-8-53-14-pmscreen-shot-2017-01-02-at-8-52-56-pmscreen-shot-2017-01-02-at-8-53-14-pmscreen-shot-2017-01-02-at-8-53-28-pmscreen-shot-2017-01-02-at-8-53-48-pmscreen-shot-2017-01-02-at-8-54-00-pmscreen-shot-2017-01-02-at-8-54-29-pmscreen-shot-2017-01-02-at-8-54-18-pmscreen-shot-2017-01-02-at-8-54-29-pmI had to laugh at the last paragraph in the article when Ivy Barsky observes, “food is a kind of fifth player.” So true!!!!

TODAY’S THE DAY!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!
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Don’t forget that today – January 1st, 2017, is the day to place your order with the National Mah Jongg League for your new 2017 card (to be delivered in late March/early April). The sooner you place your order, the sooner you will receive your card. 

And, of course, here’s wishing you all lots and lots of Jokers in 2017!!!img_2021screen-shot-2016-12-31-at-3-25-57-pm

I’M NOT KIDDING…IT’S EVERYWHERE!

Have any of you seen the Amazon series “Red Oaks” with Jennifer Grey, Paul Reiser, Freddy Roman, Gina Gershon, Richard Kind and more? My dear friend (although not a Mah Jongg player!) Jodi D told me that I must watch this series, now in its second season. So, this afternoon I watched the pilot and then binge-watched right into Episode 2…and guess what I saw…the women at the Red Oaks Country Club playing Mah Jongg! Seriously, Mah Jongg is everywhere!!! Now I just have to contact the producers and let them know that in reality these women would have been playing with NMJL sets and racks because I definitely heard them say, “I still don’t have any Jokers!”img_2010 img_2011 img_2012

PLAYING ATOMIC MAH JONGG

screen-shot-2016-11-06-at-2-36-50-pmI recently received a question from our dear friend Joy H regarding Atomic hands in a Mah Jongg game. For those of you who do not know about Atomic Mah Jongg, I wrote about it several years ago in a previous blog posting. Since that posting the OM’s (my Wednesday Mah Jongg group) have amended the rules to say no Flowers as well as no Jokers are allowed. Here is Joy’s question:

Hi Ann – Our group has started playing Atomic hands when possible and now we are wondering if you could answer a couple of questions.

I read your posts about going ‘Atomic’ and understand that since it is not recognized by the NMJL, table rules must therefore be applied.  We would like to follow your table rules, although we don’t play for money.

 I’m assuming that your group declares when one is going ‘Atomic’, due to the fact that there is no line on the card.  Is that correct?

 Also why does your group follow a rule that if you pick a Flower or Joker you must change your hand?  

 I can’t understand this one but another in our group does not think 4 of a kind makes two pair, so I’m also assuming that is another table rule you have implemented.

 So many questions… so many rules ….. so much FUN!

 Think of you often, my friend,

joy

🙂

My response to Joy was as follows: 

Flowers and Jokers disqualify your hand for Atomic simply because there are so many of each and it is too easy to get pairs of them. That would give Atomic hands an unfair advantage so we say that if you pick a Flower or Joker then you are no longer Atomic (and hopefully you have a backup hand). This is not just a table rule for our group – this seems to be the standard accepted rule for Atomic hands. Also, you must declare yourself Atomic BEFORE the Charleston so that no one is allowed to pass you a Flower. And yes, with an Atomic hand, 4 of a kind is considered two pairs. Having said all of this I must also tell you that I do not “approve” of Atomic game play. It changes the nature of the game and I totally understand why it is not sanctioned by the NMJL. I only mention it briefly when teaching Mah Jongg and make it clear that I don’t like it. I personally do not play Atomic hands – I prefer to stay with the NMJL accepted hands on the card…but, that’s me. I would love to hear your thoughts on this game-changing hand. Let me know what you think!