American Mah Jongg: Beginners Class

Bam, Crack, Dot, Dragons, and Flowers: join us for help demystifying this game and its quirky lingo, and learn just how much fun it can be! Mah Jongg is a tile game that originated in China in the mid-1800s and came to the US in the 1920s. The goal is to be the first to get a winning 14-tile sequence or "Mah Jongg". Sounds simple? Sort of, and yet complicated enough to keep you wanting to play again and again.

We will follow standardized rules created by the National Mah Jongg League (NMLJ) formed in 1937. The two sessions are interactive and fun! There’s a lot of upfront information to understand the tiles and National Mah Jongg League Card to get you up and playing.

First session: Instruction from the very basics – the tiles, reading the NMJL card, picking a hand, and how to deal. We will end with an open-hand game.

Second session: Refresh on the basics and then jump into coached play with additional focus on strategy.

Kim will have 2026 NMJL cards available for use during the class. To continue playing after the class, you may buy a card directly from the National Mah Jongg League or from Kim.