Beginner Mahjong Bootcamp

Beginner Mahjong Bootcamp is for anyone who has never touched a tile, or who has played a few times and never quite understood what was happening.

In the first hour, we go through the National Mah Jong League card together — what the colors mean, how a line is read, how a hand is built. The second hour is entirely hands-on. You sit at a table with tiles in front of you and play while Karen moves between tables, helping everyone. Questions get answered as they come up, which is the easiest time to answer them.

What we cover

•Reading the NMJL card: sections, colors, and what each line is actually asking for

•The tiles themselves — suits, honors, flowers, and jokers

•Choosing a hand from the rack you were dealt

•The Charleston, run start to finish, with the reasoning said out loud

•Calling a discard, exposing a set, and using jokers correctly

•Declaring mahjong, and how the hand is verified

•Table etiquette, scoring basics, and what to ask before you sit down at an unfamiliar table

What you take home

Included in the course fee, every student leaves with the official NMJL card for the 2026 season, valid through April 2027, and a Dottie's Mahj Beginner Playbook. The Playbook is written in the same order the class is taught.

If you don't own a set of tiles and want to practice between games, the instructor offers a cut-apart practice tile set for $14. It is not required for the course—there are tiles at every table—but it makes practice possible at your own kitchen table.

***Advanced classes will be coming in November.