Let's talk Mahj
Mahjong and Missy
Missy Mahjong is a certified mahjong instructor and mahjong enthusiast.
What is mahjong?
Mahjong is a game of strategy and luck. Originally from China, this game is played with tiles.
This game has several adaptations. The American version of mahjong that is popular today includes the Charleston, eight jokers and a card.
A player wins the game by completing a sequence of 14 tiles on the card before the other opponents.
Modern mahjong games
In 1937, a group of Jewish American women standardized the game and the rules by issuing their own set of rules. This group was known at the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL). For years, the NMJL had been the authority in the game and players typically used basic tiles with traditional Chinese markings.
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During the Covid pandemic, the game attracted new players with alternative mahjong cards and modern tile designs. Mahjong spread like wildfire through the South, especially in Texas and Tennessee.
By 2024, there were hundreds of game accessory companies and thousands of mahjong teachers.
Mahjong games in 2026
Mahjong has become more than a game, it has become a lifestyle. Women show up to the table with huge rings, fancy bracelets and perfect manicures. The table settings are always Instagram worthy.
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Messy mahjong, two player mahjong and table rule twists are common with modern players.
With people craving connection and digital detox opportunities, mahjong social clubs and meetups are growing in popularity. You can find a mahjong game anywhere from a downtown Chicago restaurant to a coffee shop in Charleston or a boutique in the Vail Village.
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Mahjong is so much more than a game. It is the new social connection that both women and men are playing from coast to coast.
Missy Mahjong
Missy loves a good tabletop game. As a teenager, she was the girl begging everyone to play a game of scrabble or euchre on a Saturday night. Not much has changed since. She dabbled in pickleball and some other games, but she always finds herself back at a table.
in 2024, Missy moved to Nashville from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Before that, she had been living in Boulder, Colorado and Chicago's Gold Coast. After moving around so much, she realized the best way to make new friends as an adult is through face-to-face connection and games.
Missy Mahjong teaches the official NMJL rules as a standard and loves to sprinkle in a few modern table rules. After all, this game is supposed to be fun!
Missy loves mahjong and appreciates the power of a good table game to bring people together. The constant asks for her to teach new players, Missy embraced the need for mahjong instructors and open play hosts and dove right in. She studied every book she could get her hands on. Missy completed the Oh My Mahjong Teacher Certification in the summer of 2024.
Now Missy Mahjong has a team of instructors and makes it her mission to teach the official rules, introduce some fun table rule twists and spread this game to everyone... everywhere!
In January 2025, Missy Mahjong started mahjong social clubs in Nashville, Chicago and Lake Geneva. If you need a lesson, guided play, a safe place to try a new table rule, more mahjong friends or just a place to pick up a game, come join a Missy Mahjong event.
In just over a year, Missy Mahjong raised over $57,000 in donations for local charities using just her time, talent and tile enthusiasm. The momentum continues. Missy is just getting started!
