Beginners Guide
Your complete introduction to the game
What makes us Denver's premier mahjong destination
What is Mahjong? Mahjong is a tile-based game that originated in China, blending skill, strategy, and just enough luck to keep things interesting. In 1937, a group of mahjong enthusiasts in New York City, standardized the rules we use today in American Mahjong. The official card produced by the National Mah Jongg League dictates all the rules and available hands for any given year. The cards are modified every year just to keep things interesting!
To play standard American mahjong, four players use the official card to work towards a single hand, which equates to one line on the card. Players use 152 beautifully designed tiles, to make their winning hand. Think of it as a cousin to Rummy with the strategic depth of Chess—accessible enough to learn the basics in one session, satisfying enough to enjoy for a lifetime.
Here's the truth: mahjong has a reputation for being complicated, and yes, there are a lot of tiles and some rules to learn. But it's not actually hard—it just looks that way at first. Thousands of people learn this game every year, and most of them are surprised by how quickly it clicks.
What You Need to Play
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A mahjong set (152 tiles plus dice)
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Three other players
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A flat surface
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About 90-120 minutes
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Patience with yourself and a sense of humor
The good news? At MSC, we provide everything except that last one (though the atmosphere helps with that too).
Basic Game Flow
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Setup: Tiles are shuffled and each player builds a wall, 19 tiles across, 2 stacks high
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Deal: Players draw 4 tiles at a time (2 stacks from the wall) to form their starting hand; drawing continues until all players have 13 tiles, with the dealer starting with 14
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Play: First we dance the Charleston! We pass 3 tiles at a time up to 7 times! Remember the acronym “Rollor”. Then, players take turns drawing and discarding tiles; play always to the Right (counterclockwise); walls always to the Left (clockwise)
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Goal: Build a winning hand of melds (singles, pairs, pungs, kongs, or quints)
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Winner: First player to complete a valid winning hand calls "Mahjong!" (of course all players at the table verify the winner’s hand)
The Tiles Explained
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Suited Tiles: Bamboo, Craks, and Dots (numbered 1-9 in each suit)
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Honor Tiles: Winds (North, South, East, West) and Dragons (Red, Green, White)
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Bonus Tiles: Flowers and Seasons (most modern tile sets use Flowers)
Your First Game: What to Expect Your first Mahjong game might feel overwhelming—that's completely normal! There are lots of tiles, various rules, and new terminology. But here's the good news: by your second or third game, patterns start to emerge. By your fifth game, you'll be making strategic decisions. And by your tenth game? You'll wonder what took you so long to start playing.
