Southern Sparrow

06/16/2026

FORE! The Country Club Set is swinging back into stock tomorrow, Wednesday, 6/17, at 10a.m. Central time!

This restock will sell out, so set your alarms! Folks who have signed up to be notified on the product page will get early access!

06/15/2026

How do you choose a mahjong hand when TWO sections of the NMJL card seem equally strong?

One of the biggest challenges in American mahjong is finding a hand that works, especially wen there are multiple good options. In this solo mahjong practice session, we’ll work through a real rack that could easily fit either the Consecutive Run section or the 13579 section of the National Mah Jongg League card.

Using my favorite at-home mahjong practice method, we’ll go step-by-step through the process of evaluating the deal, selecting a section, and refining our hand through a mock Charleston.

In this video, you’ll learn:
• How to practice mahjong by yourself
• How to evaluate a rack with multiple strong options
• How to choose a section instead of a specific hand
• How to use the Charleston to gather information
• When to commit to a hand
• How to keep a backup plan alive
• How to know when it’s time to stop pivoting

We’ll start with a rack that appears to support both Consecutive Run and 13579. Throughout the Charleston, we’ll discuss what tiles to keep, what tiles to pass, and how to decide between two sections that both seem promising.

One of the biggest mistakes new players make is trying to play every possibility on the card at the same time. The Charleston is designed to help you refine your options. As new tiles come in, we’ll narrow our choices until we settle on a primary hand while maintaining a strategic backup line.

If you’ve ever looked at your rack and thought, “I have too many choices,” this video is for you.

To practice this at home:

1. Deal yourself 13 tiles from the bag.
2. Organize your rack by suit and number.
3. Choose the section that best fits your starting tiles.
4. Perform a mock Charleston by passing three tiles and drawing three replacements from the bag.
5. Continue refining your hand as new tiles arrive.
6. Once you have six or more tiles toward a specific line, consider locking in that hand.

The more you practice this exercise, the faster and more confident you’ll become when choosing a hand during a real game.

06/14/2026

How to Choose a Winning Mahjong Hand When Two Sections Both Work

How do you choose a mahjong hand when TWO sections of the NMJL card...

06/10/2026

Confused about American Mahjong scoring? In this video, I walk through exactly how to score a game using National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) tournament-style scoring rules.

We’ll cover:

• How points are awarded when a player wins a hand
• Bonus points for self-picked mahjong (drawing the winning tile from the wall)
• Bonus points for jokerless hands
• How scoring changes when the winning tile comes from a discard
• Penalties assessed to the player who discarded the winning tile
• How wall games are scored
• Common scoring scenarios every American Mahjong player should know

Whether you’re playing casually with friends, participating in a club tournament, or preparing for competitive NMJL play, understanding scoring can add a whole new layer of strategy and excitement to your game.

I also share how to use our Southern Sparrow Tournament Scorecard Pad, designed to make tracking scores simple, organized, and fun for league play, tournaments, card parties, and friendly competitions.

If you’ve ever wondered:
• How do you score American Mahjong?
• How does NMJL tournament scoring work?
• What is a self-pick worth in mahjong?
• How many bonus points do you get for a jokerless hand?
• What happens if you discard someone’s winning tile?

This video answers all of those questions.

06/08/2026

Mahjong Scoring Explained: NMJL Tournament Scoring Rules & Scorecard Walkthrough

Confused about American Mahjong scoring? In this video, I walk thro...

06/08/2026

06/08/2026

Learn how to choose a mahjong hand with confidence using this beginner-friendly solo American mahjong practice exercise.

One of the hardest parts of learning American mahjong is figuring out which hand to play from the NMJL card after you’ve been dealt your tiles. In this video, I’ll walk you through a step-by-step solo mahjong practice method, also called solitaire mahjong, that helps beginners build real gameplay strategy even without a full table.

To practice mahjong on your own:
• Deal yourself 13 tiles
• Organize your tiles on your rack
• Evaluate your strongest tile groupings, look for patterns
• Choose a single section of the NMJL card
• Practice a mock Charleston using the tile bag
• Pass and draw tiles to simulate a real game
• Refine your hand as new tiles come in
• Learn how to narrow down from a section into one specific hand
• Keep a backup line available in case you need to pivot during the game

In this specific example, we are dealt a large number of winds, so we decide to focus on the Winds & Dragons section of the National Mah Jongg League card. Throughout the practice Charleston, we work through difficult decisions about which tiles to keep, which tiles to pass, and how to avoid holding too many “maybe” tiles that weaken the hand overall.

This is an excellent exercise for true beginners because it teaches you:
• How to evaluate tiles after the deal
• How to commit to a section
• How to think through Charleston decisions
• How experienced players refine toward a final hand

If you’ve ever looked at the NMJL card and felt completely overwhelmed, this video will help you start understanding the thought process behind choosing a hand.

06/07/2026

American Mahjong Strategy: Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing the Best Hand (with Charleston & Tips)

Learn how to choose a mahjong hand with confidence using this begin...