GROUP CLASSES
American Mahjong classes in St. Petersburg. Let’s learn.
Open enrollment classes in Tampa Bay. Start with Mahjong 101; everything else is optional.
"I left feeling confident and excited to play. I truly can't recommend her enough."
— WENDY, MAHJONG 101
Which one sounds like you?
Pick your line, and that's your next class.
I'm curious about mahjong.
Taste of Mahjong is a relaxed 90-minute peek behind the mahjong curtain.
I'm ready to learn.
Mahjong 101 is for complete beginners. You'll learn the game and be playing by the end of class.
I'd like to practice with help nearby.
Guided Play is full games with other learners, and I'm at the table to help. Open to anyone who's taken 101, and just as useful after 102.
I know the basics and I'm ready for more.
Mahjong 102 is for returning beginners who want the next layer of the game.
I'd like to sharpen my game.
Strategy Lab takes one topic per session. Take them in any order.
I just want a table.
Open Play is no lesson, just new people to play with.
Three steps to your first table.
You don't need tiles, a card, or a friend who already plays. You need one class.
01
Book Mahjong 101
For complete beginners. 2.5 hours, $68, at venues around St. Pete. Pick the date and place that suit you.
02
Show up with nothing
I bring the tiles, racks and cards. Bring a water bottle and come as you are.
03
Leave playing
Before class ends, you'll be at a table with real tiles in your hands. Guided Play and 102 are there when you want more.
Upcoming group classes schedule
Most people start with Mahjong 101, then mix in Guided Play and 102 at their own pace. Strategy Lab is there when you want more.
The classes at a glance
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Taste of Mahjong
1.5 hours · $28
A short peek behind the mahjong curtain.Everyone keeps talking about mahjong, and you’d like to know what the fuss is about. You don’t need to commit to a full class to find out.
Taste of Mahjong is a relaxed peek behind the mahjong curtain. We meet the tiles, open the card, and start playing together. You’ll leave knowing whether this is your game.
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Mahjong 101
2.5 hours · $68
For complete beginners.You have never touched a tile. Maybe you have watched a table and had no idea what was happening.
Start here. I teach the smallest set of things you need to actually play, and leave the rest until you are ready for it. By the end of our time together, you will have played a real game.
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Guided Play
2 hours · $28 · after 101
Practice with help nearby.After class, the group chat lights up with "game Thursday?" Then everyone sits down, and nobody can remember which way the Charleston goes.
Guided Play is the in-between. You play full games with other learners, and help is right there at the table.
Not sure whether to call that tile? Ask. You get the why, then you make the call. Less lecture, more games.
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Mahjong 102
2 hours · $58
For returning beginners.You've got the basics. What you don't have yet is the rhythm, so you play a beat behind and second-guess every discard.
That's normal, and it's the whole reason 102 exists. One class teaches you the game. It can't hand you the ease that only comes from playing again, with someone at the table who can tell you why the thing you just did worked. This session does that.
We play more than we talk. By the end, the table starts to feel familiar.
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Strategy Lab
1.5 hours · $48
One topic, done well.You can play. Now you want to be better at the whole game.
The way there is one topic at a time. Each Strategy Lab picks a single thing and stays with it for the full session, and what you learn spreads well past that one topic. Get comfortable with the Charleston, and your whole opening changes.
We go slowly, and you try it as many times as you need before it clicks. Take the Strategy Lab classes in any order; take one or take all of them.
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Open Play
Free at most tables
Play on your own.You know the game. What you need is people to play it with, and a reason to get out of the house.
Open Play is exactly that. Pull up a chair, play a few games, and meet the people who’ll become your mahjong group. There’s no lesson and nobody teaching, so if you’d like help at the table, Guided Play is the better fit.
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Mahjong on Zoom
1.5 hours · fees vary
At your own kitchen tableYou’d love to learn, but there’s no class near you. Or there is, and it’s at the exact hour your life is happening.
Bring the table home. I teach the same Mahjong Made Simple method over Zoom, from wherever you are, so you learn the game at your own kitchen table. You’ll get the same patience and the same plain-English explanations, minus the drive and the parking.
All you need is your own mahjong set, a screen, and a little elbow room.
Questions before your first class.
Before you book
I've never played. Is 101 really for me?
Yes. Mahjong 101 is for complete beginners. I start at the very beginning and skip anything you don't need yet.
I played years ago. Where do I start?
Start with 101. If it all comes back fast, email me before you book and we'll see if 102 is the better fit.
What's the difference between Taste of Mahjong and 101?
Taste is a relaxed 90 minutes to see if mahjong is your game. 101 is 2.5 hours, and it's where you actually learn to play.
Can I come by myself?
Yes, and many people do. You'll sit at a table with other new players, and you may leave with your future mahjong group.
At class
What do I bring?
Nothing. Tiles, racks and cards are at the table.
Do I need to buy this year's card?
Not for class. Once you start playing on your own, you'll want your own copy of the National Mahjongg League card, and I'll show you where to get one.
Where are classes held?
Around St. Petersburg: Dillard's Tyrone Square, Paloma House, AR Workshop St. Petersburg, Pour & Decor and the St. Pete Beach Public Library. Taste of Mahjong runs at Perry's Porch. Each class's Details page has the address.
How big are the classes?
It depends on the venue. Every class needs at least 6 people to run.
Plans change
What if I can't make it?
Bookings are non-refundable, but you can reschedule once within 6 weeks of your class date at no charge.
What if a class doesn't fill?
If a class has fewer than 6 people, I'll move your seat to another date and email you first.
Why does one class book through the venue?
Some venues, like AR Workshop, handle their own bookings. When a button shows the venue's name, you're booking with them directly.
After 101
What comes next?
Guided Play gets you practicing with help at the table. 102 gives you the next layer of the game. Take them in any order, at your own pace, and add a Strategy Lab when you want to go deeper.
Nothing quite fits your schedule?
Private lessons are available at your location, mine, or on Zoom - on your timeline, for your group.