About Us
At Mahj and Company, we specialize in two popular styles of play, helping you find the rhythm that fits your vibe:
American Mahjong: The Art of the Card
Strategic, fast-paced, and famously social. We teach the National Mah Jongg League style, where every year brings a new card and a new puzzle to solve. It’s pattern recognition at its finest. It's perfect for those who love a shifting challenge and a lively table.
Chinese Mahjong: The Timeless Classic
The elegant, "pure" form of the game played for centuries. With no cards to guide you, it’s a combination of memory, mathematics, and intuition. We teach the traditional rules that serve as the universal language of Mahjong worldwide.
The Roots:
Chinese Mahjong
Mahjong got its start in the mid-1800s around Ningbo, a bustling port city near the Yangtze River delta. Because Ningbo was a hub for trade, the game spread like wildfire. While it started in China, it didn't stay there for long. It quickly became a favorite across Asia, with countries like Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines putting their own unique spin on the rules.
In Japan, they developed "Riichi Mahjong," a high-stakes, ultra-strategic version that’s still massive today. In Vietnam, they added even more special "Joker" tiles to the mix. Despite the different rules, the heart of the game remained the same. For over a century, it’s been played in street stalls, high-end parlors, and family living rooms from Hong Kong to Tokyo. It’s all about speed, memory, and flow.
So, how did it get to the States? In the 1920s, a guy named Joseph Babcock brought the game over from China, and America went obsessed. We’re talking "Mahjong-themed parties and silk pajamas" levels of crazy.
But as the game spread, people started adding their own house rules. By 1937, a group of women in New York formed the National Mah Jongg League to standardize the game so everyone could play together. They added the "Card" (which changes every year) and a few extra tiles called Jokers. This turned the game into a fast-paced, pattern-matching puzzle. It became a staple of social life in the US, especially in Jewish communities, and it’s been a symbol of friendship and hospitality ever since.