Not at all! This tournament is specifically designed to be a great first tournament. If you’ve been playing socially and have wondered what a tournament would look like, you are welcome here.

You do not need to be an expert or an advanced player, you just need to be able to play American mahjong independently.

This means you should feel comfortable setting up the game, deal, completing the Charleston, reading the NMJL card, and playing without instructor assistance.

Beyond that, players of all different skill and experience levels are welcome.

Kind of, but not really. This is a beginner-friendly tournament; not a tournament for beginner players. The structure of the tournament will mirror other tournaments; we’re simply creating an environment where players who are new to tournament play can feel comfortable participating alongside more experienced players.

We hope so! This isn’t a tournament exclusively for first timers. We want to bring together newer and more experienced competitive players for a day that is friendly, welcoming, and respectful at every table.

The biggest differences are structure and pace: you'll play a set number of timed rounds, rotate tables between rounds, and keep a running score across the whole day instead of just one game.

Our team will walk everyone through it at check-in, and we’ll be on site all day to help.

We’ll be playing American mahjong using tournament rules developed by Destination Mah Jongg, the experts in American mahjong tournaments. Before tournament day, all registered players will receive the rules and information they'll need to know. 

If you want to brush up on your knowledge in advance, we recommend Mah Jongg Made Easy from the National Mah Jongg League website.

No — you register as an individual and get seated with other players. It's a great way to meet new people in the Chicago mahjong community. Just bring yourself and your current-year NMJL card. (We’ll also have some available to borrow if you happen to forget!)

Each round of play is 60 minutes long, followed by a 10 minute break between rounds. Players are expected to play 4 games in 60 minutes; any game left unfinished at the 60-minute mark will not earn any points.

Absolutely. We’ll make sure players have the information they need before tournament day, including how scoring works. (And if you’ve played in our Lucky League before, you already know how it works!)

Knowing how to play mahjong independently is important; already knowing how to play in a tournament is not.

That’s our plan! There will be structure, scoring, and winners, but we’re still The Mahjong Society. Our goal is for you to leave having played a lot of mahjong, met new people, challenged yourself, and had a genuinely fun day.

A real tournament! 

We’re making this tournament especially welcoming to players who are new to tournament play, but we’re not changing the competitive structure of it. You’ll play by the same tournament rules, scoring, and time-round format you’re used to (though the rounds are slightly longer to help players acclimate).

What may feel different is the atmosphere. We’re intentionally creating a friendly, approachable tournament environment where first-time competitors and seasoned veterans play together. This means that we hold players accountable for mistakes and we keep up the pace of play, but no one feels shamed for not knowing and mistakes are gently corrected.