Some form of Mahjong has been played in America for around 100 years, and there are probably half a million players of Standard American Mah Jongg which uses the annual card from the National Mah Jongg League. There are other well-liked cards such as the Marvelous Mah Jongg cards, the Siamese Mah Jongg cards, and others. If so many players love American Mah Jongg with a card, what am I doing trying to mess with this beloved game? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Well, I think the history of Mah Jongg in America and around the world has been a story of both tradition and innovation, of familiarity and exploration. Creating Card Free American Mah Jongg is my attempt to bring the gameplay of American Mah Jongg to a new audience who would otherwise shy away due to the challenges of the card, or who are like the card but are curious to try something new.

I was almost one of those people who swore off American Mah Jongg, principally due to the card, but I want to start by saying that I do in fact enjoy the card very much. I enjoy the annual ritual of anticipation starting in March, the excited social media buzz of people sharing they got the card, and the inevitable joy and sorrow of finding new hands to enjoy while losing hands you loved. I would never want to lose that community spirit around the card. Not to mention, the National Mah Jongg League supports a number of excellent charitable organizations through the proceeds of card sales, so I would not want that to end either. However, I do believe there are a number of challenges that the card presents, especially to new players, which makes it harder to get into American Mah Jongg than it should be.

Playing on Mobile Apps

First and foremost, I do believe the card makes it very tricky to have a robust playing experience on a mobile device. If you are sitting at a desktop computer with an app, and you have your card in front of you, that is fine. However most people who play games on their phones are on the go, standing in line at the grocery store, on a bus or a subway train, in a break room at work, or laying in bed at night. Even on a laptop, I have resorted to taping the card on the top of my screen so I could lay in bed and play at night (surely my wife thinks I’m insane). Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could actually play American Mah Jongg on a phone app without a card?

It’s not just the logistics of carrying a card around that is a problem, it is the perception new players get when they start exploring American Mah Jongg apps. I was one of those players who first downloaded an app, realized I couldn’t play it if I didn’t buy a physical card, and immediately uninstalled the app. I came to Mahjong through Hong Kong Style and Japanese Riichi style. I played exclusively online, but when I wanted to start playing in person I discovered that everyone around me (Central New Jersey, USA) was playing American Style. I immediately looked for apps to download and start learning the game, however I ran into the wall of needing to go buy a card before I could really play. Eventually I kept persevering and discovered how truly great American Mah Jongg is, but I could have been one of the many players who quit before they got started.

The Card Itself

The NMJL card is flat out confusing to new players. I have never taught the game to new players without someone being completely dumbfounded by the fact that colors on the card do not match the suits of the tiles, even though the colors printed on the card actually do match the colors on the tiles. And the colors they use can be really tricky for people who have issues distinguishing between the colors red and green. In fact, 8% to 10% of men have red/green color deficiency, while only 0.5% of women. Could that be another factor keeping men out of the game in higher numbers? (Ok, that’s probably a stretch considering many cultural and historical factors influenced the gender disparity in American Mah Jongg, but you never know.)

From what I experience in online Mahjong forums, many players of Asian styles of Mahjong immediately dismiss learning American Style due to the card. It is a shame that players are missing out on the opportunity to explore and enjoy Quints and Jokers and NEWS blocks and the Charleston because the idea of buying a card annually to play is completely foreign to their experience of Mahjong. There is a perception (unfounded in my opinion) that the annual card is some kind of money-making scheme, which turns players off from the experience. Those players do not understand the mission of the NMJL and the importance of charitable giving in the history of American Mah Jongg, but the impression is still there. Without that perception, there could be more people interested in trying our game.

The Limitations of the Card

The limited number of hands you can win with on the card is a blessing and a curse. Having a finite set of hands allows for strategic defensive play while increasing the challenge of finding that winning hand that could be possible with the tiles you were dealt. However, at the same time, there can be real frustration when you are dealt a bunch of tiles that have almost zero chance of winning. There have definitely been times when I finished the Charleston, looked at my hand, and said “I might as well declare this thing dead and go get a snack while the other 3 play”. That is especially frustrating when you have tiles that look like they can match a hand, but one of the suits is off or something, and the whole hand is useless.

Asian styles of Mahjong use a system of rules to define a winning hand, with some special hands that you need to memorize. I really like this system, because I believe there is always a chance you can find a way to make your hand fit one of the rules of the system for a chance to win. This flexibility in Asian styles of Mahjong is in my experience less frustrating than American Mah Jongg. 

Of course, there are those who see these limitations as the best part of American Mah Jongg, and reading my worst they are likely thinking I’m just not a good enough player. They are probably right! But those people are probably not the ones who would enjoy this Card Free American Mah Jongg variant. I think those who enjoy the flexibility of Asian style Mahjong who want to explore the gameplay of American Mah Jongg, the Card Free system may be a great compromise.

How Does Card Free Fix This?

Card Free American Mah Jongg uses all the gameplay rules of Standard American Mah Jongg, except it replaces the card with a few simple rules for a winning hand. If your 14-tile hand fits the rules, you can declare Mah Jongg and win the round!  The rules are devised to be easily memorized while creating winning hands that look like the kinds of hands you would see on the NMJL card. For example, on the 2025 card there are around 20 hands that fit the rules of the Card Free system, such as the first 2 hands of the 2468 category:

1a) 222 4444 666 8888 (set: 2468, pattern 2 Pung 2 Kong, 1 suit)

1b) 222 4444 666 8888 (set: 2468, pattern 2 Pung 2 Kong, 2 suits not alternating)

2a) FF 2222 4444 6666 (set 246, pattern 1 Pair 3 Kongs, 3 suits, Flower is a Pair block)

2b) FF 2222 6666 8888 is not valid because the even numbers are not in consecutive order

The rules are easy to memorize so once you’ve learned them, you can create winning hands without needing to reference the rules. The scoring is simple too, far simpler than many Asian styles that players around the world have memorized. After just a little experience, you will have the whole system memorized without the need of a card.

Just because the game is flexible, doesn’t mean it is too easy. You still need to think quickly, recognize patterns, and make keen decisions when discarding. The Card Free System is flexible with house rules for experienced players and a skill level adjustment system so players of different skill levels can enjoy playing together.

This Game Needs an App!

Card Free American Mah Jongg will really come into its own once it becomes available on a mobile app. I envision a future where one day, all American Mah Jongg apps have a card free option for players to get started with. Experienced players could use it to mix up their play online, and new players can be introduced to the game without the confusion of the physical card. Until then, I’m hoping some brave soul decides to work with me to get an implementation up on a usable app someday…

I hope you give Card Free Mah Jongg a try, especially if you are someone who was weary of trying American style due to the card, but have found this system intriguing.