Page 20 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2024

COAST NOTE
MAHJONG MAFIA MONDAY PUTS THE BAM! IN GAME NIGHT
CRAK! BAM! DOT! might appear to be straight from the pages of a comic book, but it’s actually the suits of the trendiest game out these days and it’s catching on one tile at a time.
It’s Mahjong and when Victoria Klasky first read a magazine article about the game, she just knew she had to learn to play. “I realized it was going to catch on here quick,” Klasky said. “At the beginning of the summer, I started teaching myself how to play with a group of friends and we met every week.”
By summer’s end, a surge of people became interested in mahjong and wanted to join Klasky and her
friends. She quickly bought card tables and
set up a mahjong classroom at the White
Pelican in Pascagoula. Klasky owns the lifestyle boutique along with Felicia Busby and Cayla Switzer.
As the group’s members grew, they
settled on the name the Mahjong Mafia
and started meeting on Monday nights. Klasky, a self-proclaimed mahjong addict, has
taught more than 75 people how to play and can be hired for private parties.
So, what is this tile-based game that’s pushed weekly book clubs to the curb and become the hottest trend captivating everyone from teenagers to senior citizens? The ancient Chinese game is played with some strategy and a little luck. Each player at a table of four is dealt a hand of 13 tiles marked with symbols. There are three suits called craks, bams, and dots, plus dragons, winds, and flowers. The goal is to trade and collect tiles, complete one
of the patterns listed on the official score card, and be the first to declare, “Mahjong!”
It’s slightly complicated with a lot of rules to track, but mahjong is not difficult to learn. Players of
strategy card games like Rummy, Bridge, and Spades will see the similarities to mahjong.
Anyone interested in learning mahjong, looking to host, or wanting an entrée into a
game, check out the White Pelican’s Instagram and Facebook pages for more information.
story by Cherie Ward
20 | December 2024
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living