How to Host Mahjong

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We host mahjong games at least once per month and love to get together for quick games whenever we can. Here we’re sharing our easy and elevated mahjong set up with all the essentials. Plus we’re sharing some of our favorite mahjong storage tips!

mahjong ESSENTIALS

Mat
Tiles
Racks
American mahjong cards
Side Tables
Drinks & Snacks

Mat, Tiles, & Racks

We don’t have a dedicated mahjong room – yet! – so we use the kitchen table for hosting. Elaine has set up a little space on the side to store all her mahjong items (more on that below). To play American mahjong, you’ll need tiles and racks with pushers, and while not a necessity, a mat is nice to dampen the sound, protect the tiles, and set the stage.

We both have Oh My Mahjong sets – we love the artistry of the tiles and how the designs pay homage to traditional tiles while still looking elevated. For example, dots look like dots, bams look like bams, and craks have the Chinese characters. Pictured above is the Luminaire tile set paired with the Capri mat – both have charming monkeys with umbrellas and soft pinks and blues. The hot pink racks pop off the mat and offset the more muted colors of the tiles.

You’ll also need four American mahjong cards to reference while playing. Every year the National Mah Jongg League releases a new card with the hands that qualify for mahjong. Several companies have created their own cards like The Big Card and The International Mahjong Card. There are also beginner cards for young players that are less complicated. Regardless of which card you pick, every player should be using the same one!

Drinks & Snacks on Side Tables

The mat and tiles take up most of the real estate on the table, so we like to add two side tables for drinks, snacks, and phones. This extra space ensures that the mat stays clear for gameplay. We have these foldable acrylic side tables, which are a perfect height and size. The tray keeps everything corralled, and they fold up for storage, which is a great bonus.

We like to keep the drinks and snacks easy for a casual game. If we’re hosting a larger game night, we like to serve a bit more food like our signature Elevated Cucumber Sandwiches. We’ll also treat the spread like a potluck where guests can bring something to share.

Setting the Scene

Finally, we like to light our Smells Like She’s Playing Mahjong candle to set the mood. We like to build the walls and have all the tiles ready for the first game, but feel free to leave the tiles messy on the table. It’s also nice to have some mahjong-themed cocktail napkins and small plates available.

Mahjong Storage

As mentioned above, Elaine uses a corner of her kitchen to store her mahjong items. The Moretti Oak Bar Cabinet from Anthropologie is the perfect size to store tiles, racks, cards, and other mahjong accessories. The open shelves allow for display of mahjong tiles and barware, while the drawer holds cards, napkins, shufflers, etc. The closed shelves at the bottom hold other tiles, racks, and bags.

For mat storage, we use this adorable vintage umbrella holder. It’s the perfect size and weight to hold up the mats in their canvas bags, plus it looks great sitting out! Elaine found hers at an antique store, so be on the lookout for one next time you go antiquing.