Husbands and partners turn up too, particularly at Oak, sometimes arriving unsure of what they have walked into before getting drawn into the game. Couch’s way into mahjong had been visual from the beginning. The tiles and mats were part of the pull. Her design sensibility and her interest in mahjong now sit inside Spruce Interiors, the design studio she and Dyleski run in Highlands Creek Village, where mahjong tiles, mats and accessories are sold alongside home furnishings.
HowTo Play Four people play with 152 tiles. Each player starts with thirteen; the dealer starts with fourteen. The object is to build one of roughly 70 winning patterns shown on that year’s National Mah Jongg League card, many with multiple variations. It looks complicated at first, but much of the game comes down to pattern recognition. Players draw and discard as they work toward one complete hand. Before regular play begins comes the Charleston, a choreographed series of passes that moves tiles around the table. And the rule to remember: jokers can never be used for singles or pairs. The first player to complete a winning hand calls: “Mah jongg!” AMERICAN MAH JONGG For official rules and resources, visit the National Mah Jongg League at nationalmahjonggleague.org.
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