The Mah Jongg craze is spreading like wildfire
Pung, King, Quint, Chow, Bam, Crak!
It’s not a new language, although it could be. If you hear happy chatter and peals of laughter, along with the clicking of tiles, your neighbors may be learning or playing Mah Jongg.
The centuries-old Chinese game has become the latest social sensation. Mah Jongg has taken over your friend’s living room, the Waring Senior Center, Rhodes Home & Gift, Social 19, the Fox and the Falcon in Avondale, Bees Ferry Library, Magnolia Plantation Gift Shop, and filling weekend beginner classes at St. Andrew’s Family Fitness.
Elaine Fischer has been playing for fourteen years and moved to Shadowmoss four years ago. She tried to help me grasp the rippling effect of the game’s appeal. Fischer mentioned teaching a neighbor, who then taught her family. Her own grandson started playing as a toddler and now at 13 enjoys playing with his great-grandmother, age 83.
“The game brings together all ages, and keeps your brain so busy that for a while you forget everything else.” The pace of the game allows for friendships and conversations to build, and takes us all away from our screen addictions for a while. She has very few social rules for her groups, other than a strict “no drama” rule.
The game, often described as easy to learn but hard to master, is played to be the first to build a winning hand of 14 tiles, consisting of four sets and one pair. It’s just as important, not to let anyone else win.
Fischer coordinates beginner lessons and home game parties as well as large-scale tournaments with 250 attendees that include raffles, prizes, and 50/50 drawings. Vendors sell merchandise with everything from tiles, mats, themed earrings, and socks.
Yes, there are Mah Jongg-themed tattoo designs.
Fisher welcomes questions about Tuesday night open play $5 PIE (NMJL rules no blanks), the upcoming January 10th tournament, and group or private lessons by emailing: iluvmahjchs@gmail.com or following her Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/mahjonthemovechs/.
I was fascinated by the diverse international path the game has taken, from a game played primarily by Chinese men in the mid-to-late 1800s, around the Yangtze River Delta. When it initially became popular in the US, it was played by the American elite, including the President and First Lady Harding and Hollywood celebrities. In the late 1930s, a group of Jewish women decided to standardize the game and simplify some of the complicated scoring rules. They met in New York City to form the National Mah Jongg League (https://nationalmahjonggleague.org/) in 1937.
Charleston ladies chimed in on the topic online, describing their collections of vintage tiles, including designer sets and antiques made of ivory.
Christina Counts with Palmetto Pong, was on a business trip when she came across a cute boutique offering a Mah Jongg class. She signed up and has been hooked ever since.
“At first I loved the challenge of the game and the ability to play online. What keeps me coming back is the community. The friendships, laughter, and incredible support among players and fellow mahjong entrepreneurs make it so much more than a game.”
Counts founded Palmetto Pung in January, along with daughter Cate Counts, who is the creative force. Son Olin gets in on the action, organizing tiles to prepare for classes. Her advice to a newbie is to jump right in! Follow @palmettopung on Instagram or the Facebook group for upcoming events: https://www.facebook.com/PalmettoPung.
I walked down to The Fox and Falcon in Avondale to spy on the action and watched Counts working table to table advising the players.
“The conversations are as good as the game! I leave the table with more than I came with, whether it’s a new restaurant to try, a recommendation for a window cleaning service, a great recipe, or a little life advice I didn’t know I needed. There’s something about sitting around a Mah Jongg table that makes conversation flow naturally. It’s part game night, part social hour, and sometimes the best source of local recommendations you’ll ever find.”
Fischer and Counts teach and play American Mah Jongg, following the rules of the National Mah Jongg League. What makes American Mah Jongg unique is the annual card of winning hands, which changes every year and keeps the game fresh and challenging. League and tournaments generally follow standardized rules.
Charleston appears in the game. In American Mah Jongg, “Charleston” is a term for the tile-passing phase that happens right after the deal.
My local experts had similar advice for beginners:
• Most people can learn. If you can recognize a pattern, you can play.
• The game is the perfect combination of luck, strategy, and the people you play with.
• The longer you play, the more strategic you become.
• It’s great to win, but you can have a terrible hand and still have a fantastic time.
• Bring a friend or come solo, you’ll soon feel right at home.
• The people around the table make the experience memorable.
• Beware, it can take over your life – but in a good way.
Stay healthy my friends and wave at me as I wander. Send ideas to: westashleywanderer@gmail.com.
