This past summer, my social media feeds were full of friends playing Mahjong on porches, patios, and even in swimming pools. It seemed like out of nowhere, friends from all parts of my middle-aged life were socializing around Mahjong. They were drinking champagne, wearing caftans, and smiling while showing off a row of domino-like tiles that I couldn’t decipher. Their fabulousness and fun made me yearn to learn the game.
Online, it seemed like everyone was playing Mahjong. But in my real life on Hilton Head Island, it felt like the craze hadn’t made it across the bridge yet. I was determined to learn the game because I love competition, puzzles, making new friends, and having fun. Putting on my investigator hat, I was determined to see if I could find a local Mahjong community for myself. What I realized is the game is being played all over the Lowcountry and its popularity is exploding right now.
Memorizing the various tile types is an important first step to learn the game.
In 2018, Crazy Rich Asians was released in theaters across the United States, garnering lots of attention and positive reviews. During a prominent scene, an intense game of Chinese Mahjong is played to determine a character’s romantic future. Seeing Mahjong showcased on the big screen introduced it to wider audiences, including myself. That, coupled with increased popularity during COVID-19, has accelerated the game’s growth throughout the United States.
Chinese Mahjong originated during the mid- to late 1800s in the Yangtze River Delta region of China. It made its way to New York City in the 1920s and that’s where it morphed into American Mahjong. The two variations have key differences, including the number of total tiles, scoring, and the type of winning hands.
American Mahjong uses jokers, and the winning combinations change annually based on the American Mah Jongg League’s (AMJL) scorecard for that year. Chinese Mahjong has fewer tiles, no jokers, and the winning combinations never change.
In simple terms, American Mahjong is a board game with a combination of rummy, Scrabble, and bingo. The goal is to be the first person to match 14 tiles to a specific hand from the AMJL’s game card, which offers 77 winning combinations. You must collect the correlating tiles on racks, which is similar to Scrabble, by drawing and discarding tiles to achieve your desired hand. Once a hand is completed, that person wins Mahjong, which is a similar excitement level as achieving “bingo.”
This table at Marsh on the May was Brooke’s first sign of Mahjong life in the Lowcountry.
My Mahjong Journey
My hunt for local Mahjong started with Leslie Trenta, owner of Marsh on the May in Old Town Bluffton. Last spring, I visited her carefully curated shop, where I saw brightly colored Mahjong accessories. Hats that stated “Mahj is My Golf,” bedazzled carrying cases, pillows flaunting “Mahjong Forever Housework Never,” gorgeously designed tile sets, and smooth playmats filled her back showroom. That was my first sign of Mahjong life in these parts.
“My involvement has been through carrying the sets in the store, loving the game, and talking about it,” Trenta said. She got hooked on Mahjong about three years ago with a small group of women who all live in Old Town Bluffton. “I personally love it. We have such a great group of women and community around it,” she said. Her Mahjong crew has grown significantly and recently has been capped at 20 players each Sunday afternoon. “I find it very relaxing,” she said. “The game is hard to learn, because there are a lot of nuances and caveats about it, but once you start playing, you kind of understand it.”
Another place I spotted Mahjong during my sleuthing was on a flyer at the Hilton Head Branch Library promoting free play time during their upcoming Mahjong club meeting. I decided to check it out. Prior to attending, I carefully memorized photos of the various tiles, read through the rules of American Mahjong, and tried to become familiar with the flow of the game.
Jennifer Kenwell and Carrie Collins are instructing new players across the Lowcountry with their company, Pink Palmetto Mahjong.
When I arrived, I pulled up a chair to observe, take notes, and ask questions. Thankfully, the players were very kind with their explanations, patience, and help. In my short experience, there seems to be a communal spirit of helping new players learn and enjoy the game together.
When I told Trenta that I was learning to play, she graciously invited me to her home to play with some of her Mahjong friends. Meeting Mary Reid Carter, Ashley Gering, and Pascale Dunaway helped me understand some of the deeper reasons why people are drawn to the game besides the competition.
“I play Mahjong because I relish the time with my girlfriends and I also am working hard to keep my brain sharp,” Carter said. Gering is a very active mom of three children, a full-time employee, and serves as president of the PTO at a local school. “I want something for myself and this was it,” she said. “No children, no husband, and it was nice to get away by myself.” Dunaway and her husband learned to play during COVID-19 while living in Chicago. “I relish the community and time together,” she said.
Brenda Dunaway, Pascale’s mother-in-law, was also in attendance to help work her experienced magic on me, the newbie. As an avid card player, Brenda taught herself to play Mahjong about a decade ago and she’s gone on to teach dozens of friends to play in Maryland and Bluffton. “I love the game especially for beginners because you don’t have a partner, so if you start messing up, it doesn’t really matter,” she said. “You just keep playing and no one really knows what you did with your hand. That takes the pressure off. If you’re having a bad day just enjoy the company and don’t worry about it.”
Brenda shared some wisdom that has really stuck with me as a new player. “I think it’s challenging, but 90% of the game is luck and the rest is sense and skill,” she said. “You can be the best player in the world, and if you don’t draw good tiles, you are going to have trouble winning.” Brenda and her expertise (and maybe a little bit of that luck she mentioned) helped coach me to my first Mahjong win at Leslie’s house that day! I’ve really enjoyed learning the game, meeting new people, and, of course, winning.
Left to right: Pascale, Brenda, Brooke, Mary Reid, Leslie and Ashley enjoy an afternoon of bams, dragons, craks, and dots.
Creating More Mahjong Communities
A new local business is instructing amateur players in our area. “I love every day that I get to teach and play Mahjong,” said Jennifer Kenwell, founder, owner, and instructor at Pink Palmetto Mahjong. “It’s building friendships and giving people a way to get out and socialize to meet people.”
Kenwell and her business partner, Carrie Collins, are members of Trenta’s Sunday Mahjong group in Old Town Bluffton. Together, they are teaching private lessons, group classes, and hosting Mahjong gatherings all over the area. At a recent Pink Palmetto Mahjong event, I learned so many nuances and tips to help make me a better player.
To date, Pink Palmetto Mahjong has instructed more than 150 students on how to play the challenging game. “If you’re not in a gated community, it’s kind of hard to find your people,” she said. Her goal is to create clubs in various locations throughout Beaufort County so everyone can have easier access to Mahjong groups.
Kenwell also has a personal connection to the game. “Mahjong gave me community, friendship, and it opened up Bluffton for me,” she said. As a new transplant who worked from home, she struggled to meet people. After being invited to a local Mahjong game, she instantly found a community. “It made Bluffton home for me. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. This is it. And Mahjong opened the door.”
Brenda Dunaway is an experienced player who has graciously taught numerous people the competitive game.
Want to Play?
My advice for new players is to watch online videos to become familiar with the game tiles, rules, and flow. Then, ask an experienced player to teach you the game or hire an instructor. You will also need to purchase an AMJL scorecard directly from the league.
As the game’s popularity continues to grow, playing opportunities are being offered by area organizations like the Women’s Association of Hilton Head Island, the Hilton Head Island Senior Center, and various Beaufort County libraries. In the past year, the Hilton Head Branch Library and University of South Carolina Beaufort campus have offered classes for beginners. I also learned that many gated communities have had active Mahjong communities for years.
Once you confirm that you enjoy the game and want to continue playing, consider purchasing Mahjong tiles and accessories so you can host your own games. Note that the pricing varies greatly for game sets depending on the design, colors, and manufacturer.
Good luck to you as you join the world of dragons, dots, craks, and bams. Warning, you might get hooked and for that, I say, “You’re welcome!”
Visit marshonthemay.com for more info about purchasing Mahjong game sets and accessories. Interested in hiring Pink Palmetto Mahjong for lessons? Email info@pinkpalmettoevents.com or call (843) 441-9691.
