Where a returning beginner fits, and what comes back faster than you expect
Some of my favorite students learned mahjong a long time ago. They played with their mother or with a neighborhood group that drifted apart, and the tiles went into a closet.
Now they'd like to play again, and the question they ask me is always some version of "Am I a beginner, or not?"
You're a returning beginner
That's the name I use, and it's a real category, not a polite way of saying you've forgotten everything. You remember more than you think, but probably not enough to sit down at an open play and keep up with the table.
The good news is that the memory comes back in chunks. Usually the tiles come back first, and the card comes back last.
What has changed since you played
The card has, every single year. The National Mah Jongg League publishes a new card annually, so the hands you knew are gone, and the hands on the 2026 card are new to everyone at the table, including women who play every week.
That's good news for you, because when it comes to the card, everyone at the table is learning this year's hands.
Mahjong 101 or Mahjong 102?
Mahjong 101 is for complete beginners, and Mahjong 102 is for returning beginners. If you're not sure which one fits, I'll usually point you to 101, because it rebuilds the foundation in 2.5 hours and nobody regrets a solid base.
If you feel steady on the basics already, email me before you book. Tell me what you remember, and if 102 is the better fit, you can start there.
What Mahjong 102 covers
I call 102 Mahjong Made Simpler. It starts with a quick review, mostly the Joker rules and what the colors on the card mean, and then we move past the four beginner neighborhoods on the card together.
From there, the class is about playing well instead of just playing. That includes reading the parentheses on the card for the freedom they give you, getting smarter about the Charleston, watching what other players expose so you don't feed their hands, and knowing when to change course on a hand that isn't coming together.
It runs 2 hours and costs $68.
A small warm-up before class
If you still have your old set, take it out of the closet this week. Sort the tiles into suits and see how many of the names come back on their own.
Then get a 2026 card. Even if you just read it over coffee, you'll walk into class already knowing what the sections look like, and my post on how to read the 2026 card is a good place to start.
Your next step
Pick a 101 or 102 date on my calendar, or send me a note if you're on the fence. The tiles have waited this long, and this is a good week to get them back out.
