For the love of mahjong

Ancient Chinese game popular in Brookings

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BROOKINGS – Watching a game of mahjong can be a puzzling experience to the uninitiated: what to make of the cracks, bams and dots; the red, green and white dragons and flowers; the winds, north, east, south and west; and finally, if it’s an American mahjong set, the jokers.

For Karen Rentsch, Donna Burns, Sherry Danielsen and Paula Tursam, putting on a demonstration game at the Brookings Public Library, it’s all elementary and easy to understand.

“It’s an ancient Chinese game that started in the 1700s,” Rentsch explained. “It’s played all over the world now.” 

It was introduced to the United States in 1920 and since then has consistently gained in popularity. 

Mahjong is played with a set of 144 tiles, with each player beginning a game with 13 tiles (after “east,” who has an extra tile and throws it out). Following the dealing out of the tiles, the four players “Charleston,” an exchange of tiles that gives each player a chance to improve their hand by passing unwanted tiles face down to other players. (This maneuver takes its name from the dance that was sweeping the country in the 1920s, about the same time that mahjong was gaining in popularity.)

As the players take their counterclockwise turns, there is a clicking and chattering of the hard, white plastic tiles. The play now settles down to taking turns in a counterclockwise fashion, drawing and discarding in a manner not unlike gin rummy. Now play involves those cracks, bams and dots; red dragons go with cracks, green dragons go with bams; and the white dragons go with the dots. Add to that flowers and winds, north, east, south and west. Finally, there are jokers, but only in American mahjong sets; Chinese sets do not have them. A game ends when a player declares “mahjong.”

The four Brookings enthusiasts are members of “The National Mah Jongg League,” headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1937 and in its 81st year, the league is the go-to body for all things mahjong in the USA and “the arbitrator for everything that relates to (mahjong).” The league started with 32 members and today boasts about 350,000 members who pay annual dues, for which they receive each year in March the Official Standard Hands and Rules cards for that year; the hands and rules are changed by the League each year “to add more excitement to the game.”

On your own, no partner

Unlike bridge, which all four women also know how to play, although they admit that they have pretty much put it aside for mahjong, this is not a partnership game. 

“Oohh no,” said one of the four, with a determined laugh. “You’re on your own.” 

And competition can be fierce albeit in a friendly fashion.

“It’s a lot of anguish,” said another, while the other three players laughed. They all agreed that mahjong is “more emotionally charged than bridge and more challenging than bridge.” 

On average, a typical mahjong game with seasoned players can go 20 to 30 minutes; but with newer, less experienced players, a game can stretch out to 45 minutes.

The four usually play a minimum of three hours. Local area mahjong players gather regularly at 1 p.m. Mondays upstairs at the Brookings Public Library and at 1 p.m. Wednesdays at the Pheasant Restaurant & Lounge (some arrive earlier and have lunch). Anyone looking to learn the game – or just watch the action – is welcome. About 16 to 20 players show up at many of the sessions.

For dedicated local mahjong aficionados, there are “annual retreats” at the Canby Inn and Suites, in Canby, Minnesota.

“And they treat us royally,” Rentsch said. “When we have our annual retreats, we start playing in the afternoon, stop for dinner, play in the evening until everybody gets tired and goes to bed. Then we get up in the morning and we play some more.”

Camaraderie, luck, challenge

In addition to being a dedicated player, Rentsch is a collector of mahjong memorabilia and artifacts. Some of what she has gathered can be seen in the display case at the Brookings Public Library. Among the items, along with some illustrations and directions on how to play, is an antique mahjong set made of bone and bamboo that was brought to America in the 1850s.

“It came from China in the 1850s,” she explained. “My son knew I was looking for an old set. He lives in Minneapolis. I said when you go to these estate sales, see if you can find a real old set.

“One Christmas then he sent this to me. He went online to find it.”

The four women have a lot of similarities in what they like about mahjong and what it brings to them. 

“I like the people I play with, and it’s a challenging game,” Burns said. 

Danielsen likes the camaraderie and meeting new people. 

Tursam also likes the people she plays with, the challenges that come with the game, and the opportunity to meet new people. One way she meets new people is by teaching mahjong. She taught an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute course on mahjong and is planning to teach another course in spring.

All of the women acknowledged that in addition to the challenge of the game, it can be stressful. Players have been known to get a “mahjong headache.” 

However, the game should be looked at and played with a relaxed attitude: nothing to be afraid of. 

Finally, they also unanimously agreed that luck plays a big role – if you don’t get the right tiles, it’s tough to win.

Contact John Kubal at jkubal@brookingsregister.com.