American Mah Jongg Lesson Fundamentals 7 Charleston Modeling (mock card)

Mah jongg is the 4-player Chinese tile game that took America by storm in the 1920s. One of the things that differentiate American mah jongg from Asian versions, is the Charleston. This is where players pass unwanted tiles up to 7 times. The intention is to expedite building a hand. In this video, I demonstrate an exercise that can help you gain confidence with decision making during the Charleston.
Mock American Mah Jongg card mahjlife.com/w...
The mock American Mah Jongg card is timeless and generic. This way, no matter when someone new to the game watches the video, they will have a stable reference as they learn how to play the game.
The content in the handouts have been included in my Amazon Kindle American Mah Jongg Primer books: www.amazon.com...
NMJL website: www.nationalmah...
Below is an index of videos covering the fundamentals:
Introduction for Teachers goo.gl/d1SYii
Introduction for Players goo.gl/wGVQLu
The Tiles goo.gl/LfbSzs
Block Modeling goo.gl/DWioGm
Suit Modeling goo.gl/b76hU3
Reading the Card goo.gl/zJxNmr
Category Modeling goo.gl/vNYZZR
Charleston Modeling goo.gl/Qi7EpP
Shuffle up and Deal goo.gl/heqNSM
Phase 1 The Charleston goo.gl/27JkC5
Phase 2 Pick and Discard goo.gl/mo34Zd
Phase 2 How to Exchange a Joker bit.ly/2ocJhzf
The next playlist covers skill builders goo.gl/3TQAsM
~~~
I pour passion, time, and resources into the Mahj Life TH-cam channel, Facebook group, and website which are free of charge to all viewers since their inception. My goal is to provide content that is educational, enriching, and entertaining. My mission is to help you learn fast so you can play hard. If you find this content of value, consider showing your support in the following ways:
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From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for showing your support.
Between now and the next video, may all your picks be keepers!
Michele Frizzell
Instructor, Author, Speaker
[e-mail]
6175 Hickory Flat Hwy Ste 110-335
Canton, GA 30115

[@MAHJLIFE]

The mock American Mah Jongg card is timeless and generic. This way, no matter when someone new to the game watches the video, they will have a stable reference as they learn how to play the game. To open or download the mock-American Mah Jongg card, look for a link in the video description by clicking "show more" above.

[@elainetirello3161]

Thanks so much. I'm learning a lot!!!

[@MaryMYanny]

Michelle you’re an awesome Majong instructor. Thanks☺️

[@MAHJLIFE]

Thank you, Mary :)

[@one5749]

I’ve learned so much so far. Thank you!!

[@MAHJLIFE]

Excellent and my pleasure :)

[@one5749]

Appreciate this video. A great practice idea. Thank you!!

[@MAHJLIFE]

My pleasure :)

[@kathleenklein4231]

Love these videos. I only have 2 classes left at the JCC.

[@MAHJLIFE]

Welcome to the game!!!

[@jvy1111]

New to play and enjoying the videos. Very helpful. One thing I was confused on the card was when the numbers have to match the tiles exactly as show on the card and when they can be different. Thank you.

[@MAHJLIFE]

Welcome to the game!
Flexibility and limitations are provided in the text in the parentheses for each hand :)

[@LoveXKnife]

You have a lot of content!
Would you ever do videos on riichi mahjong as well?

[@MAHJLIFE]

I am learning how to play Riichi so I have videos on that style too! Look for videos with red, white, and black thumbnails. This can get you started: th-cam.com/play/PLLk097vMqukZyzR-RY-gV8XV4S1lGFwNlj.html and these:
Random Pulls th-cam.com/play/PLLk097vMqukamU-lN9vUwp6BHu1V1k9qS.html
Solitaire th-cam.com/play/PLLk097vMqukbr87kbdJrwzniDXDWkr5OA.html
Livestreams th-cam.com/play/PLLk097vMqukYx5HByu5Ibbw8sDfgi0R9k.html

[@brdwyguy]

Love these videos, Michele - you are a great teacher, so says a Theater/Music teacher for 30yrs. ;)
Question: can you build 3 or 4 Norths, or Souths, etc?

[@MAHJLIFE]

Thanks so much for the compliment! The number of tiles in a block depends on the hand being played per the card for a given year. Since 1966, the blocks can be single, pair (2 of a kind), pung (3 of a kind), kong (4 of a kind), quint (5 of a kind).

[@carolhubbard672]

I agree with Carolyn -- how can I watch these in order?

[@MAHJLIFE]

There is an index in the video description - you can open it by clicking the text under the left corner of the video. Here it is for convenience:
Introduction for Teachers goo.gl/d1SYii
Introduction for Players goo.gl/wGVQLu
The Tiles goo.gl/LfbSzs
Block Modeling goo.gl/DWioGm
Suit Modeling goo.gl/b76hU3
Reading the Card goo.gl/zJxNmr
Category Modeling goo.gl/vNYZZR
Charleston Modeling goo.gl/Qi7EpP
Shuffle up and Deal goo.gl/heqNSM
Phase 1 The Charleston goo.gl/27JkC5
Phase 2 Pick and Discard goo.gl/mo34Zd
Phase 2 How to Exchange a Joker bit.ly/2ocJhzf

[@donnadrake7309]

This is the first video that I, totally lost.

[@MAHJLIFE]

@@donnadrake7309 what can I do to help?

[@kellimaddox2488]

I am just learning and I have a "National Mah Jongg League" 2022 card I am learning from. In your second video you said that the categories stay the same from year to year. In this video you talk about setting your hand up with North and South with 9s, in the Winds and dragons category 3rd line down. My card does not have any hands that are just North and South with 9s. Am I missing something?

[@MAHJLIFE]

I use a mock card in these lesson videos. The link is in the video description.

[@amyeverett540]

When you are building this exercise, do you put all the tiles out and then build your mock Charleston?
It does not look like you have all the tiles on your table

[@MAHJLIFE]

All the tiles are on the table. First I pull 13 or 14 random tiles for my hand. Next, I quickly look at about 30 tiles to remove the jokers then I mix them up and create the mock Charleston of six rows of three.

[@vixyswillie]

Hi Michele - question on the blind pass. Let’s say I want to pass only 2 tiles. What happens if the person who is passing me my incoming tiles also wants to pass only 2 tiles? Or what if everyone wants to pass only 2? Where does the 3rd tile come from in those cases? Thanks!

[@MAHJLIFE]

When multiple people want to do a blind pass, the player with the most tiles to pass will say to the player they are passing to, "I owe you #." That player can then pass fully and so on and the "I owe you" can be fulfilled with that player receiving their incoming pass.

[@svetlanageyfman2476]

Hi Michelle, why did you keep 9th in different suits, is there a hand that uses same numbers in different suites?

[@MAHJLIFE]

Typically, 45% of the hands on the card use like numbers :)

[@sandrapage1536]

Question: You commented you never pass Flowers...why? Thanks.

[@mahjcon]

With any strategy, never say never but passing Flowers should be a rarity. For the NMJL 2022 card, 38% of the hands use Flowers so, during the Charleston, it’s risky to pass them. When the time comes to possibly pass a Flower, I evaluate my options. For example, if I am still gathering for a category, I narrow down my options to have more discards that can be passed. If I am committed to a hand and I have no gaps with only three discards including a Flower, I may pass the Flower. This also applies when I am playing a big hand (i.e., quint, singles-pairs only, pure).

[@sandrapage1536]

Thank you......have watched 10 of your Fundamentals videos....helpful....beginning again after 3 years@@mahjcon

[@carolynbenson4843]

Having trouble watching these in order how do you get them to start from beginning and move on from there

[@MAHJLIFE]

There is an index in the video description - you can open it by clicking the text under the left corner of the video. Here it is for convenience:
Introduction for Teachers goo.gl/d1SYii
Introduction for Players goo.gl/wGVQLu
The Tiles goo.gl/LfbSzs
Block Modeling goo.gl/DWioGm
Suit Modeling goo.gl/b76hU3
Reading the Card goo.gl/zJxNmr
Category Modeling goo.gl/vNYZZR
Charleston Modeling goo.gl/Qi7EpP
Shuffle up and Deal goo.gl/heqNSM
Phase 1 The Charleston goo.gl/27JkC5
Phase 2 Pick and Discard goo.gl/mo34Zd
Phase 2 How to Exchange a Joker bit.ly/2ocJhzf

[@tisha_harrison]

@Carolyn in your TH-cam settings turn on show playlist. Michele Frizzell’s has these videos nested in a playlist that will play them in the order she’s listed here.

[@marilynstromsness7034]

I am beginning a beginners American Mah Jongg class with 3 other new beginners in my community tomorrows. Do you have a video that describes the names of each tile? MS

[@MAHJLIFE]

There is a list of links to all the videos in this lesson playlist. Here it is for your convenience; the one you are asking about is the second video:
Introduction for Players goo.gl/wGVQLu
The Tiles goo.gl/LfbSzs
Block Modeling goo.gl/DWioGm
Suit Modeling goo.gl/b76hU3
Reading the Card goo.gl/zJxNmr
Category Modeling goo.gl/vNYZZR
Charleston Modeling goo.gl/Qi7EpP
Shuffle up and Deal goo.gl/heqNSM
Phase 1 The Charleston goo.gl/27JkC5
Phase 2 Pick and Discard goo.gl/mo34Zd
Phase 2 How to Exchange a Joker bit.ly/2ocJhzf

[@janetbrooks9203]

Why don’t you pass flowers

[@MAHJLIFE]

In my opinion, Flowers are the most valuable tiles in the set next to the White Dragon. Flowers are required in 44% of the hands on the NMJL 2023 card. I pass Flowers rarely - maybe once on a game-day. I think passing a Flower is equal in risk of passing like numbers. Both of those I see as one step down from passing a pair which should be a last resort. If I'm one or two tiles from being ready to win during the Charleston, I may pass a Flower.

[@janetbrooks9203]

Thanks. Makes sense.

[@elainepietrzak8093]

I have been playing for 17 years and your explanations are very confusing. If i were a new player I would qui right now !

[@monicamunn658]

I think she is great. If you've been playing for 17 years what are you doing here then if you know everything?

[@cvan1075]

Pssh….Elaine: must be a miserable table whenever your rude self sits down to play! Just listen to the jealous griping. Off my table…swoosh….

[@MAHJLIFE]

This is part of a series. Did you see the preceding videos?

[@BeckyNunn-e5u]

I am a beginning player and I think she does an EXCELLENT job

[@kidsdeservethebest]

Is there an order to watching all of your videos? I am enjoying what I have watched so far, but I don’t to miss something. Thank you…..

[@MAHJLIFE]

The is an order for the lesson fundamentals. The list is the video description. Click "SHOW MORE" on the left side under the channel name if you are on a laptop or desktop PC. If you are using a mobile device, tap "more" on the left side under the video title.