The 2026 NMJL Card Is Here: What Every American Mah Jongg Player Needs to Know About This Year’s Hands
Scottsdale, United States – May 18, 2026 / The Charleston Club /
The Charleston Club, a Scottsdale-based American Mah Jongg company, announced today that the 2026 National Mah Jongg League card is now available in both Standard and Large sizes. The card, released annually each spring by the National Mah Jongg League, lists the year’s legal winning hand combinations and is required for NMJL-rules play across home games, club tournaments, and the expanding American Mah Jongg cruise tournament circuit.
The National Mah Jongg League, founded in 1937 in New York City and now celebrating its 89th year, releases an updated card every year. The card lists every legal winning hand for the year, organized into categories that include the year-themed hands (in 2026, the “2026” hands), Like Numbers, Consecutive Run, Wind hands, Singles and Pairs, and others. NMJL-rules play, the predominant form of American Mah Jongg, requires that all four players use the current year’s card.
The annual NMJL card release is one of the few traditions in American hobby culture that has held this consistently for 89 years. Every spring, every American Mah Jongg player in the country knows the new card is coming. The Charleston Club carries the 2026 card because customers expect it.
What the 2026 NMJL Card Looks Like
The 2026 card is a single-page printed card featuring the year’s legal winning hands organized in a grid. Each row of the grid represents one legal hand, with the required tile combinations listed left to right. Standard symbols on the card include D for Dragon, F for Flower, and 0 for Joker. Number symbols indicate specific tile values. Categories on the 2026 card include the “2026” year hands, Consecutive Run, Like Numbers, Wind hands, Singles and Pairs, and several others. The point value of each hand appears in the right margin.
The card is available in two sizes through The Charleston Club. The Standard card measures 5 1/8 inches by 4 inches and retails for $18. The Large card measures 6 1/8 inches by 4 inches and retails for $20. Both cards contain identical hand combinations; the Large card is easier to read at the table and is the choice for players who prefer larger print. The Standard card fits more easily in a tile bag or purse.
New players who have never used an NMJL card before can find a recent card-reading walkthrough on The Charleston Club blog, “How to Read the 2026 NMJL Card: A Practical Guide,” published May 8, 2026. Most new players are able to identify and pursue a target hand within their first session of play.
Why the Card Changes Every Year
The annual update keeps the game fresh and prevents American Mah Jongg from becoming a memorized pattern exercise. Each year, NMJL retires some hands from the previous card, adds new hands, and updates the year-themed hands (the 2025 hands become 2026, the 2026 hands become 2027 the following year, and so on). The game’s deeper structure (the Charleston pass, the tile counts, the basic tile types) remains constant. Only the legal hands change year to year.
This annual reset has shaped the American Mah Jongg commercial calendar. Retailers see their largest seasonal spike in the months immediately following the card release. Tile sets, racks, mats, and accessories cross-sell strongly during this window because players who refresh their card often refresh other gear at the same time.
What Pairs Well With the New Card
For players picking up the 2026 card as a refresh of their existing setup, three Charleston Club pairings are recommended.
- The Mah Jongg Cosmetic Bag ($20). A canvas zipper pouch sized for the NMJL card, chips, and small accessories. Available in eight design options including Pink, Multicolor, Green, and the white statement-print versions.
- The Mah Jongg Mat with Charleston Rules. Charleston-pass directional helpers printed around the mat edge, useful for new players still learning the sequence.
- The Wooden Mah Jongg Racks Set of 4 ($75). 19-inch length with integrated magnetic pushers, accommodates a full hand of American Mah Jongg tiles.
The Card and the Cruise Tournament Circuit
For players heading to a 2026 cruise tournament, the current year’s NMJL card is required. The 2026 Mah Jongg Fever Tournament Cruise, scheduled for October 4 through 11, 2026, on the Celebrity Beyond out of Miami, requires the 2026 card for all tournament play. The 2026 Caribbean Cruise on the Celebrity Ascent in late October requires the same. Cruise organizers typically supply tile sets and racks for tournament play, but every player brings her own card.
For players who are bound for a cruise, the Charleston Club recommends ordering the card well in advance and considering a backup card kept in a separate bag in case the primary card is lost during travel.
Availability and Shipping
The 2026 NMJL card is available through The Charleston Club in both Standard and Large sizes. The Charleston Club ships from its Scottsdale, Arizona location across the United States and to Canada. Arizona orders typically arrive within 1 to 2 business days. Standard United States shipping takes 3 to 5 business days. Expedited shipping is available at checkout.
Players can order the card directly from the 2026 National Mah Jongg League card on The Charleston Club website.
About The Charleston Club
The Charleston Club is a Scottsdale, Arizona-based American Mah Jongg company. The company sells curated American Mah Jongg sets, racks, mats, bags, accessories, the annual National Mah Jongg League card, and a designer line of 36MM Sparkle Tiles for automatic Mah Jongg tables. The Charleston Club ships across the United States and to Canada. The company is named for the Charleston pass, the opening tile-exchange sequence in every American Mah Jongg game.
Media Contact
Dolores Parrish
480-450-5822
Contact Information:
The Charleston Club
Scottsdale, AZ
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
United States
Dolores Parrish
+1-602-851-1634
https://thecharlestonclubaz.com
