The Table
Your table,
set with care
Be the one who brings everyone the next great thing: an afternoon of mahjong, considered rather than thrown together, set up in your own home. You bring the room and the company; we bring everything else.
The basics
The table comes to you
A mahjong table isn't a special piece of furniture. It's any table, set right: a playing mat, a rack and tile pusher at each seat, and 152 tiles ready in the center. At Mahjong Standard, we bring the whole setup to your home across the South Denver Metro area.
The ritual starts before the first hand. Your host lays the mat, sets the racks, washes the tiles face-down across the table, and has everything ready before anyone sits. You clear a surface; we turn it into the nicest table in the neighborhood for the afternoon.
The setup
What is a mahjong table?
A mahjong table is any flat surface dressed for the game: a fabric playing mat to muffle the tiles, a rack in front of each player to hold their hand, a pusher to move tiles into the center, and a full set of 152 tiles. No special table is required. The setup travels.
In many Chinese and regional styles, custom tables with built-in rails and shuffling surfaces are common. American mahjong doesn't require them. What matters is a table your friends can sit around, a mat that keeps the tiles quiet, and the right equipment for each seat. We bring all of it.
The arrangement
How is an American mahjong table set up?
To set up an American mahjong table, place a playing mat in the center of the table. Give each player a rack to hold their tiles upright, and a pusher to slide tiles across the mat. Stack the tiles face-down in the center and wash them before building the walls. Four walls, four players, one card.
The wash is one of the best parts. Everyone reaches in, tiles face-down, and moves them around until they're fully mixed. It's unhurried and tactile, a moment for the table to settle in together before the first hand. Then the walls go up, the Charleston begins, and the game is underway.
The tiles
What tiles are in an American mahjong set?
You don't need to know any of this before you sit down: your host introduces every tile in the flow of the game.
An American mahjong set contains 152 tiles. The three suits (Craks, Bams, and Dots) account for 108 tiles, with 36 in each suit numbered 1 through 9. The Honours tiles add 16 Winds and 12 Dragons. Eight Flower tiles and eight Jokers complete the set. The Jokers are unique to the American game and are used to form certain hands on the National Mah Jongg League card.
The card changes each year. The National Mah Jongg League publishes a new hand sheet annually, and the combinations you're allowed to make shift with it. That's part of what keeps the game alive: there's always something new to learn, even for experienced players. We bring the current card with every lesson.
What we bring
The whole table
arrives with us
Everything the game needs comes in with your host. Tiles washed and ready, a mat and racks for every seat, tile grabbers, the official card and a beginner guide. You don't buy a thing or borrow a thing: it's all included in your lesson, set up before you sit down and packed away when we're done.
The standard
Beautiful tiles,
set with care
The name is a promise. Good tiles, a properly dressed table, a host who makes the afternoon feel considered rather than thrown together. None of it is fussy: it's just the difference between playing a game and being genuinely hosted. That's the standard we bring to every table, in every home.
Good to know
Common questions
Do you need a special table to play American mahjong?
No. Any table your group can sit around will work. The game is played on a fabric mat laid on your regular dining or kitchen table, with a rack and pusher at each seat. No built-in rails, no custom table, no special surface required. We bring everything that turns a regular table into a proper mahjong setup.
What equipment do you need to play American mahjong?
To play American mahjong you need a set of 152 tiles, a playing mat, a rack and a pusher to slide tiles across the mat for each player, and the National Mah Jongg League card for the current year. A beginner guide is helpful for new players. At Mahjong Standard, all of this comes with your lesson: nothing to buy, nothing to borrow.
How many tiles are in an American mahjong set?
An American mahjong set has 152 tiles. These break down as: 108 suit tiles across three suits (Craks, Bams, and Dots, numbered 1 through 9), 16 Wind tiles, 12 Dragon tiles, 8 Flower tiles, and 8 Jokers. The Jokers are a feature of the American game specifically and are essential for many of the hands on the NMJL card.
Set the table.
We’ll bring the rest
Book a lesson at home, or join a public open session if you'd rather not host. We bring everything either way.