Learn American Mahjong
There's always room at the table.
You've heard about the game. You've watched friends play. Maybe you've sat down a time or two and followed along well enough to get by, but you haven't built much confidence yet. Or maybe you've never touched a tile in your life, and "build a line" or "no jokers in a single or pair" sounds like a foreign language. Wherever you're starting, you're welcome here — and by the end of your first lesson, you won't be following along. You'll be playing.
No experience required. Seriously.
Mahjong has a reputation for being complicated — the tiles with their unfamiliar symbols, the card that reads like a secret code, the rules people seem to absorb by osmosis. Here's the truth: you can be playing a real game in a single afternoon. Where you go from there is the fun part.
These are in-home private lessons, just you and your group around your own table. No pressure, no one to impress, no need to change out of your comfy sweats if you don't want to. We learn the way you'll actually play: together, talking, laughing, picking it up as we go.
Your table, your way
Whichever series you choose, you also get a say in how the game is played.
There's no single "right" way to play American mahjong, and there's no single "right" way to learn it. Every lesson series covers the essentials — reading the card, understanding the tiles, the mechanics of play — so you can sit down at any casual table and feel at home. From there, you choose where we focus:
Standard NMJL play with walls and the traditional Charleston, or more relaxed "messy" play with an alternative Charleston. (Or a little of both.)
Play without blanks and the standard jokers, or with blanks and all ten jokers.
Keep score with a scorecard, or keep it simple with a new winner each round.
You set the pace, the focus, and the goals. We'll meet you there.
Find your starting point
In-home private lessons · 2 hours · from $275
Covers up to 4 players · add players (5–8) for $50 each
Quick Start · one lesson · $275
Read the card, understand the tiles, learn the mechanics, and build your first hands. We'll end with guided play, and you'll leave ready to sit down at a table of friends and join in.
Foundations · three lessons · save 15% · ★ MOST POPULAR ★
Everything in Quick Start, plus strategy basics, full game flow, and reading the table. Each lesson ends with guided play, so you build a real foundation for joining any table and keeping the pace.
Strategy Series · four lessons · save 15%
Everything in Foundations, plus a fourth lesson on intermediate strategy — when to pivot, how to play defense, and more — or a session focused purely on guided play.
What to expect
How lessons work.Every lesson is two hours, in your home, for up to eight players, and every lesson ends with guided play. You're not watching and waiting. From the very first session, you're sitting at the table with tiles in your hands — feeling the smooth tiles swirl in the wash, hearing the clack as tiles are racked, getting that little jolt when your hand starts to come together.
You bring the table. We'll bring everything else.
How far you'll go
Lesson One — Sit Down & Play
Quick Start · Foundations Series · Strategy Series
You'll meet the tiles, learn to read the card, and pick up the full flow of a game. You'll choose your style, too: relaxed "messy" play, or standard walls and Charleston. We'll end with a round or two of guided play. Whether it's a one-lesson Quick Start or the first in a series, by the end of this session you'll be ready to sit down at a casual table and join in.
Lesson Two — Read Your Rack
Foundations Series · Strategy Series
This is where building hands really clicks. You'll dig into the sections of the NMJL card and learn to work your tiles — sizing up what you've got and finding the line it's pointing you toward. We can add any style of play you didn't try the first time: blanks or no blanks, messy or traditional. Just like Lesson One, we'll end with guided play so you can put your new skills to work right away.
Lesson Three — Read the Table
Foundations Series · Strategy Series
You'll start seeing the whole game: joker swaps, watching the discards, keeping pace. We'll dig into Charleston strategy, too — reading what's being passed, being smart about what you pass along, and when to stop. We'll spend more time in guided play here, so you have plenty of room to practice and start thinking about defense.
Lesson Four — Pivot & Defend
Strategy Series
We'll build on everything so far — when to switch lines, how to play a little defense, and how to read the table as it moves. We'll also talk about what makes certain tiles and combinations especially powerful on this year's NMJL card. As always, we end with guided play, so you can put it all together, look like you've been playing for years, and play like the dragon you are.
Have questions before you book? Read our most common questions.
A few other things people ask about
Want a girls' night? We can teach the lesson and let your group keep playing after — a full evening around the table.
More than 8 people? Let's talk. We'll bring a second teacher.
Already learned with us? Come back for a refresher or extra guided play anytime.
Whatever brought you here — a milestone birthday, a standing group that wants a new thing, or just your own curiosity — there's a seat for you.
Travel within 10 miles of 75229 is included. Happy to come farther — just ask; a small travel fee may apply.