Winning American Mah Jongg Strategies: A Guide for the Novice Player - Learn the "Secrets of Success" to Strategize, Excel and Win at Mah Jongg

The author's first book helped me a lot, back when I was first learning the ins and outs of the game. Now I can play without getting confused QUITE so often as I used to (!), but sometimes I still get super frustrated with figuring out (or maybe it's with staying confident about) building my hands. This "Strategy" guide is giving me all I hoped for, and actually more: because there's an appendix with fun historical info and images which I really like too!

Other players may have different needs, but I can attest that this book really is helping me "get it"--my skills seem to be sinking in somehow, so that I'm playing stronger. I love the change and my (more experienced) fellow players are pretty impressed already.

The reviewer Johana seemed confused about the years of the Cards that the book references; I wonder if maybe it's a language barrier she's dealing with? The book is very clear on that aspect, I thought--it includes all the examples and info you need to learn everything it teaches. Actually, I find that all the examples the author gives to help you, make it really practical. High marks!

At first I was put off this book by so many reviews griping that she discusses the 2010 card during her book for examples and then puts a 2009 card in the back of the book which, for some unknown reason, "confused" or irritated people. I thought that for whatever reason, it must have mattered. But, folks, it doesn't matter at all. You have to pick some card to use for book examples -- and every single time she gives an example, she first gives the entire hand as it appears on the 2010 card. You never have to have the 2010 card in front of you. (At least one reviewer apparently has tried to purchase the 2010 card. Don't bother. You truly do not need it.) At the end, she gives a sort of quiz where you use the 2009 card she had permission to print. There's absolutely no reason why her examples couldn't be from one card and the quiz from another that she provides readers -- because you're supposed to pick up principles of play here and not memorize any particular card. It would be impossible, then, to have a book that lasted more than a year. So ignore those complaints.

The book does exactly what it sets out to do. It gives clear strategies to help make better decisions faster during the Charleston and subsequent game play. You possibly have heard pieces before, but it's a nice collection of organized chapters pulling these ideas together. I'm pleased to have it in my collection along with Sandberg's Beginner's Guide as well as Karen Gooen's Searching for Bubbe Fischer -- all three books will take a brand new player into competency and nuanced play -- no matter what year it is or what NMJL card you're playing.

Most people agree that the hardest part of playing American Mah Jongg is deciding which hand to play. This book shows you how to arrive to an educated guess and takes some of the stress out of your decision. It tells you how to divide your tiles in different combinations to choose your best hand. The more you use their ideas the easier it becomes to make a choice.

I really like this book but wish that the author had provided a copy of the 2010 card that she refers to throughout the book to make it easier to follow along. That card not available from NMJL, but I made a copy from a friend's.

This book has helped to make it more comfortable in choosing a section first, then a hand. The author does a nice job of explaining each step and I feel all beginners could benefit from it. I plan to read it over and over in order to boost my confidence and speed. I was told it takes about a year of playing to have a good handle on it; meanwhile, I am having fun playing it and play as often as I can. It's addictive!

I just learned how to play in December 2011 and, what is most comforting, is that even experienced players can make mistakes such as exposing the "year" tiles, etc. It makes me smile when I hear newer beginners say the same words I used to say when I first started, which the author comments about throughout the book.

While I found the author's original book quite helpful, I find this one very confusing. The confusion is due primarily to the fact that the card she references in every example (2010 card) is not the sample card in the book (2009 card). I have only been playing for a year, so do not have a collection of older cards to reference. Without the card, this book is very hard for a novice player to understand. I seriously considered returning it as an 'unsatisfactory product', but have decided to see if I can locate a 2010 card to use for practice. Frustrating!!

If you struggle with how to start a hand, what to do during the Charleston, and how to read the card, this book presents a simple way to understand the game It will give you confidence as the tiles are dealt, and you will learn when to reveal tiles, and the art of defense. Some of us have to read it several times, and go back and read again to get all of the strategy down. It allows you to concentrate on one area of the game that you might need assistance with. Good luck!

Elaine Sandberg is a Mah Jongg instructor. This book is a follow-up on her bestseller A Beginner's Guide to Mah Jongg, which I found to be the best book out there for beginners.

In Winning American Mah Jongg Strategies, Sandberg's strategies and tips are excellent and clearly written. She shows you how to choose a hand, know your power tiles, learn what to keep and what to discard, how to change a hand if you have to and basically how to sharpen your skills.

There are Summaries and Practice Exercises available. At the end of the Guide, there is a quiz which poses questions and situations that you will face in every game. The answers are also given.

Although this Guide is excellent, I felt the last twenty pages could have been better used. In place of the origin of Chinese Mah Jongg vs American Mah Jongg, I would have liked to see more games and strategies in its place. Also, there was an error when Sandberg referred to games from the wrong game card year. Every year there is a new game card printed. However, this didn't affect the strategies and tips used.

I highly recommend this Guide for the Novice Player.

As a novice mah jong player, I found this book to be very helpful, with tips that have made me able to keep up with players significantly more experienced than I. I bought this book before Sandberg's book for beginners, but if I were to do it again, I would purchase both books and read the Beginner's book before this strategy book. The hottest tip is to play alone using your current card. I put all the tiles in a baggie, set up a rack and draw tiles to learn different hands on the card. GO MAHJ!!!!

Our group of Mah Jongg players has found this book very helpful in trying to find a fit in order to win. We all enjoyed her book on learning how to play also. She is very organized and methodical.

Before purchasing this book, you need to have a basic knowledge of Mahjongg and first reading her Beginner’s Guide is also helpful. Having the tiles to do the drills in the Strategies book are helpful to comprehend the suggestions in the book. Just reading it isn’t enough, for me anyway. I’ve only been playing a couple months and this book has helped boost my confidence playing with more seasoned players.