Past

Mahjong: The Chinese Tile Game

This class has passed
This class has passed

What’s it all about?

Sick of Monopoly? Don’t have a poker face? Come play Mahjong! Mahjong is a fun and engrossing game guaranteeing a raucous, thigh-slapping evening with friends. It is a game of skill and strategy, but also involves a degree of chance. And like the best games, banter, wit, and even sledging is expected, and brings out the true flavour of this game.

What will we cover?

Mahjong is played throughout the world at weddings, gambling dens, roadside tables, and every Chinese home. It dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, and is the origin of familiar card games like gin rummy. Instead of cards, a set of tiles is divided amongst four players, each aiming to be the first to get a high-scoring set.

The evening will start with a quick explanation of the tiles and rules, followed by hands-on tile-slamming experience. The teachers will be at hand to sort out any confusion, and by the end you will be able to spread the love and play mahjong at home with your friends!

Who will be teaching?

Sharon and Olivia are two people who met in Melbourne and became good friends. They have separately observed the game of mahjong being religiously played by their grandmothers when they were young. They have since decided that this long-time cultural activity should be shared with the rest of Melbourne.

Olivia loves all things food related, and tries to balance this by slowly improving her tennis. Her professional life revolves around engaging with people, one on one. Sharon is working to change human behaviour. She loves to learn new things herself, whether it’s about permaculture practices or the Spanish language.