SAN ANTONIO — Mahjong starts with a shuffling of tiles, but it isn't the game you may have seen on the silver screen.
From the colorful tiles to fun new gear, the traditional Chinese game is getting back into the mainstream.
Today, you may start with a lesson from the Mahj Social Club or Troop Mahjong. These women learned the game themselves around the time COVID-19 struck.
"Coming out of COVID, people were really craving that connection," said Troop Mahjong founder Kristel Powell. "They want to make friends, but it can be a little hard and intimidating to meet people in adulthood as friends. Mahjong really breaks down that barrier, takes away the element of small talk. You just sit at the table and you are able to relax, play the game and then the natural conversations kind of flow."
Often those players go on to become instructors themselves.
"We love it. We feel the excitement, we feel the joy when somebody Mahjongs," said Emily McMuray, co-owner of Mahj Social Club. "We're helping guide them there."
It's not an easy game by any means.
"We like to say it's a thinking game, not a drinking game," McMuray said. "You know, there's so many fun card games where you find yourself, you know, with friends and the night evaporates. But in this game, you really are, you're having to focus."
Mahjong is a game of skill as much as a game of luck.
"I think it's not as hard (as some think). Once you see it going, it's overwhelming, just like the Mahjong card, it's absolutely overwhelming when you start hearing about it," said Kathryn Weaver, co-owner of Mahj Social Club.
Choosing a run and working your brain, playing the game has proven to have hidden benefits.
"The National Mahjong League, which was started in New York, actually gives proceeds back to the Alzheimer's Association because research has been done showing that if you play Mahjong, it helps prolong dementia and Alzheimer's," Powell said. "Which is so important."
Mahjong is an option for whether you're playing to keep your mind fresh or just looking to enjoy a game night with friends.
"I would encourage people to try something new, try the game," Powell said.
To find out more about where you can learn how to play Mahjong or open play nights in San Antonio, visit Troop Mahjong or The Mahj Social Club.