A Facebook Rabbit Hole

As a Mah Jongg teacher I get so many Mah Jongg Facebook and instagram posts. I try and ignore most of them unless they are from one of my students. But after teaching over 27,000 people over three decades I just don’t remember all their names. Sometimes I read something because I think it is from someone I taught. Then I get sucked in and discover I never taught this person. I can always tell because I teach differently from the majority of other people who “teach” Mah Jongg.

Here was today’s rabbit hole I never should have gotten into. Someone asked “Why do you do the 2nd Charleston? We don’t. It seems Unnecessary. What am I missing?”

I responded that I know exactly why she is asking this, and offered my beyond beginner class. I did not explain why I know and how I would help because that is what my whole business is.

She was not interested, not that I was really thinking she would be, based on her comments. But I always like to learn what issues people are having with Mah Jongg because knowing that helps me develop new curriculum and ways of teaching.

What I didn’t tell this person is I can tell she was taught incorrectly right from the start. And based on all the other responders to her post, so were they.

If you want to learn mah jongg make sure it is from someone who is interested in strategy and can talk with you about the game in a deeper way than just the rules. Mah Jongg is a game of many rules and half as many exceptions, so those are important, but someone needs to be able to explain why you need to do things a certain way.

This Face Book poster who stops the Charleston probably decides what hand she is going to play based on the tiles she is dealt. That is a very novice way to play. Most people never get past the novice stage and they don’t even know it.

If you want to know more, or feel like you are a novice and would like to be more than a novice, come to my Beyond Beginner Class. Www.learnmahjongg.com

So many people stop the Charleston and they are missing out on improving their hand. Don’t stop the Charleston!