Hosting

How to host a mahjong night

You don't need a games room or a perfect set. You need four people, a table, the right tiles and a little planning. Here's a checklist to make the evening easy.

The checklist

Sets, racks and cards

You need one American set per table. It must be an American set: Chinese and Japanese sets don't include jokers, and American hands can't be played without them. If you're not sure what you have, count the tiles and look for the jokers. Our guide to buying a mahjong set explains what a complete set includes.

Before guests arrive, count the tiles. A missing tile won't stop you playing, but it changes the game in small ways, and finding out mid-hand is annoying. There should be:

• Bams, Craks and Dots, 1 to 9, four of each (108 tiles)
• Four of each Wind (16) and four of each Dragon (12)
• 8 Flowers and 8 Jokers

Every player needs this year's card from the National Mah Jongg League. Remind guests to bring theirs. If you have a beginner coming who doesn't own one yet, it's worth ordering a spare ahead of time. Cards from past years don't work for current games.

Setting up the table

• A square table works best. A standard card table is fine. Each player needs room for a rack, their share of the wall and a card.
• Use a cover or mat. A felt or padded surface keeps tiles quiet, stops them sliding, and protects the table. A tablecloth folded double will do in a pinch.
• Good light. Tiles, and especially the card, are much easier to read under bright, even light. This matters a lot for older eyes.
• Comfortable chairs. A game can run for a few hours. Chairs with back support help.
• Set out racks and dice before people arrive, so you can start soon after everyone sits down.

Snacks, but away from the tiles

Food is part of the fun, but crumbs, grease and spilled drinks are hard on tiles and cards. A few simple habits help:

• Put food and drinks on a side table or a tray at each corner, not on the playing surface.
• Choose finger food that isn't sticky or greasy. Cut vegetables, cheese cubes, crackers and simple sweets work well.
• Offer small plates and napkins, and drinks with lids or stable glasses.
• Many groups take a short break after a set number of hands for food and conversation.

Choosing seats and East

Seating can be as simple as sitting wherever you like. If you want a more traditional start, put one of each Wind tile face down, shuffle them, and let each player draw one. Whoever draws East is the first dealer, and the others sit around the table in Wind order. (Play moves to the right, and so does the deal after each hand.)

If you're teaching, sit the beginner next to an experienced player who is happy to help, or sit beside them yourself.

Teaching beginners

A new player can often be playing a first hand on the same night. The trick is not to explain everything at once.

1. Start with the tiles. Lay out one of each and name them. Point out the three suits, the Winds, Dragons, Flowers and Jokers. Our tile guide is a good reference to send before the night, and the tile quiz lets them practise at home.
2. Show them the card. Explain sections, colours and the X and C marks. Our guide on reading the card covers this in plain English.
3. Walk through the Charleston slowly. Say each direction out loud as you pass. The Charleston page has a diagram they can look at on a phone.
4. Explain jokers. Groups of three or more only, never singles or pairs. The joker quiz is a quick way to make it stick.
5. Play an open hand. Let the beginner play with their tiles visible to a helper, at least for the first hand or two.

Keep it light. Nobody learns well while being corrected constantly. Let small mistakes go in the first few hands, and focus on the big ones: passing jokers, using a joker in a pair, or exposing the wrong group.

Sending a beginner the how to play guide a few days ahead helps a lot. So does the Daily Charleston, which lets them practise choosing passes on their own.

Stakes and scoring

Decide before you start whether you're playing for points, chips or small change. Many groups play for very small amounts so the game stays friendly. Whatever you choose, be clear about it and make sure everyone is comfortable. Beginner nights often skip money altogether.

If you do keep score, the usual system is simple: the winner is paid the hand's value from the card, with double from the player who discarded the winning tile, and double from everyone on a self-pick. Our page on scoring and payouts walks through it with examples.

How long does it take?

A single hand of mahjong is fairly quick once everyone knows the game, but it varies a lot with the players and how many Charlestons you play. Beginners take noticeably longer, especially on the first few hands.

Rather than promising a number of hands, plan the evening by time. Two to three hours of play, with a break in the middle, suits most groups. Agree on a finishing time at the start, and when it comes, finish the hand in progress and stop.

Five or more guests

A mahjong table seats four. With five, the usual approach is for one player to sit out each hand and rotate in. With eight, you can run two tables if you have two sets. With six or seven, rotating players between two tables works but takes more organising.

A few house rules to set

• Do you play the second Charleston by default?
• Is coaching allowed at the table?
• What are the stakes, and how will you settle up?
• What time will the last hand start?

For more on manners and common house rules, see mahjong etiquette.

Questions

Can I host with a Chinese mahjong set?

Not for American mahjong. Chinese sets have no jokers, and American hands rely on them. Some players add joker stickers to blank or spare tiles, but you'd need eight usable tiles and the right tile count overall.

Do I need racks?

They're strongly recommended. Racks hold your tiles upright and hidden, and the pushers help move the wall forward. Playing without them is possible but awkward.

What if only three people come?

Three-player variations exist, but they change the game. For a learning night, three people can play a practice hand with an empty seat, or simply work through the Charleston together.

Should I make beginners buy a card?

For a first try, lending them a spare is kind. If they'll keep playing, they'll want their own from the League. It's the only way to know the current hands.