First Timers Club: What happens when you join a Mahjong Maven Club event

There’s a certain charm that surrounds mahjong—a blend of clacking jade tiles and easy laughter, where family stories flow freely, yet the air remains thick with strategic observation. 

For those of us in the Filipino-Chinese community, it’s a childhood staple: We’d grow up seeing our family members huddled around the square table, playing games and exchanging playful taunts, before eventually teaching us, the “next generation,” the tricks of the tiles.

The goal of the game is simple: Be the first to complete a winning hand of 17 tiles, usually consisting of three-of-a-kind “pungs” or consecutive “chows,” and a matching pair. On each turn, a player draws a tile and discards one. You can opt to “steal” certain discards to complete your set. 

While achieving a winning hand requires a stroke of luck, my parents taught me that the game’s depth lies elsewhere. It is a test of strategy and mental fortitude: staying sociable without letting your guard down and tracking your own hand while deducing exactly what your opponents are hunting for. 

That specific “tension”—the balance between social exchanges and a high-stakes mental fight—is exactly what seems to have piqued the curiosity of a whole new generation of players. From local family tables to youth-centric pop-ups, mahjong is finding a vibrant second life well beyond its traditional roots.

That’s why I channeled my inner Rachel Chu (or perhaps Eleanor Young) from Crazy Rich Asians for this episode of PhilSTAR L!fe’s First Timers Club and visited Mahjong Maven Club’s “Tiles & Tea.” It’s a space where mahjong enthusiasts and beginners alike can mingle and test their skills with the tiles.

I was joined by theater actor Nic Chien—of Matilda the Musical, Into the Woods, and Spring Awakening fame—who is also no stranger to the game. Having both been trained by our respective parents and lolas, we were ready to take what we learned at home to the square tables of the outside world.

A social club—among other things

Mahjong Maven's "Tiles & Tea" was held for the second time at the Podium in Ortigas. We were told to expect “an afternoon of mahjong, tea, and great company.” 

True to its description, the event housed multiple mahjong tables, packed with participants of all generations. Every couple of minutes, the players switch tables to play with different opponents. Between rounds, the players are served light snacks and refreshing drinks as the afternoon’s social anchor.

This was the vision shared by siblings Sheena, Sharlene, and Siegfried Lim, head honchos of the Mahjong Maven Club. 

The trio saw potential in the game’s social aspect. They wanted to provide a space where friends and friends-to-be gather and experience the thrill of mahjong, mirroring their own first encounter with the game.

“[The] number one goal of Mahjong Maven [was] to go out and share this culture,” Siegfried said, adding that it was their parents who inspired them to set out on this venture.

Apart from being the head organizers, the siblings also acted as the event’s primary hosts. They would weave through the crowd, mentoring first-timers and chatting with the casual players while occasionally stepping in to keep the fun competition alive.

And while you can get matched with an experienced player, the club’s participants are often very patient towards newcomers and first-timers. 

“Most of the time [players] are happy to cater to other new players and to help teach other people. This has also been a great conversation starter where others will ask, ‘Do you want me to teach you?'” Siegfried explained. “That initiative to start the conversation sums up the whole social aspects of the mahjong game.”