The best discard is the one no one expects.

Happy Mother's Day from Prim. This week's table is full of photos of mothers and daughters at the tiles, and Prim has read every one.In this issue:The Draw: Mother's Day landed warm, the Mediterranean cruise sails tomorrow, and a quiet generational shift in who is asking whom to teach.Crak the Card: The backup hand, the unglamorous concept that wins the most games on the 2026 card.The Table Is Asking: Four principles for teaching a new player without overwhelming her.Who's Talking: Toby Salk, one of the most patient teachers of adult beginners in the country.Tile Envy: The designers reinventing the face of the American Mahjong set, from Southern Sparrow to Bespoke Garden.Set Your Rack: Mediterranean Cruise boards, Mah Jongg Fever Vegas recap, and the summer local circuit opens.Crak Intelligence: From bone and bamboo to acrylic, the four-hundred-year material history of the tile in your hand.New issues drop every Thursday at https://www.orderofthetile.com.