COHASSET, MASS. (WHDH) - Shuffle, stack, and shout – Mahjong is taking off! 7’s Polikseni Manxhari takes us to Cohasset where a centuries-old card game is gaining Mass Appeal.
The game, steeped in Chinese tradition, is drawing in a new generation. Even Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s wife Ann Michael is getting in on the fun!
“I started playing because my grandmother played as a kid, and I would stay up at night and hear all the clacking of the tiles,” said David Giagrando, a Mahjong player.
It’s equal parts luck, strategy, and social hour. The game involved four players, 152 tiles, and the goal of building a winning hand.
“You’re trying to build combinations of tiles in certain patterns,” said Gretchen Robards, Founder, South Shore Mahjong. “You want to be the first one to get your 14 tiles to replicate a combination identically.”
Robards said she loved the game so much, she turned it into a career – opening South Shore Mahjong and giving lessons.
She said learning how to play is a commitment, but it’s all worth it in the end. Her beginner’s class is six hours long.
“I think the number one reason why it’s taking off is because we all want community,” she said. “There are a lot of little etiquette elements or rules that are very specific. That’s part of what makes it unique.”
Though the game is nearly 200-years-old, it is always evolving. Each Spring a new card comes out, with a brand new set of winning combinations for players to match.
“The rules of the game stay the same. The tiles stay the same,” Robards said. “A couple of the lines, like maybe three or four will be the same, but most of them change. So it’s an exciting time, because new players are coming into the fold, but also older players have to relearn the combinations. So it kind of levels the playing field a little bit.”
Players say it’s a great way to unwind and connect.
“It’s the community and spending time with friends, but also meeting new people,” said Megan Thomas.
“It’s great fun, it’s good for the mind,” said Giagrando.
Beyond lessons, South Shore Mahjong hosts several different types of events including strategy sessions, open play, and league nights.
To learn more, you can visit their website here.
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