Questions
Everything about reserving a seat, what is included, and how our afternoons work.
Mahjong Open Play hosts American Mahjong afternoons at partner cafes, starting in Indian Shores, Florida. Come on your own or bring friends. You reserve a seat ahead of time, your host seats you at a table of friendly players at your level, and you can reserve a whole table if you want your group together. Tiles, racks, and a welcoming host are provided. Enjoy a latte, compliments of Voilà-Merci.
Our first sessions are at a partner cafe in Indian Shores on Florida's Gulf Coast, on Wednesdays, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Each session lasts about two hours. Reservations are open now: choose a session and reserve your seat or a whole table.
Our sessions are at Voilà-Merci in Indian Shores, on the barrier island in Pinellas County, minutes from Indian Rocks Beach, Madeira Beach, Belleair Bluffs, Largo and Seminole. Players also come from Redington Shores, Treasure Island, Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Parking is free. Come on your own, and your host seats you with friendly players at your level.
Mahjong Open Play hosts American Mahjong open play at Voilà-Merci in Indian Shores, on the barrier island in Pinellas County. Open play is Wednesdays, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, by reservation, for players who already know the game. New to it? A Taste of Mahjong is our beginner class. Free parking, minutes from Indian Rocks Beach, Madeira Beach, Belleair Bluffs, Largo and Seminole.
Yes, parking at Voilà-Merci is free.
Yes. Open play is by reservation, so your seat and table are ready when you arrive. Walk-up seats are available at the door only if a seat is left, at $25 plus sales tax, and they are not guaranteed.
Reserving a seat online is $20 plus sales tax. A table of four is $75 plus sales tax, which is $18.75 a seat. A walk-up seat at the door is $25 plus sales tax and is not guaranteed. Sales tax is added at checkout.
No. Most players reserve a single seat and come on their own. Your host seats you at a table of friendly players at your level, so you never need to bring a group. A reserved table of four is just for friends who want to sit together.
Yes. A guaranteed table of four is $75 plus sales tax, reserved online, and your group sits together. Reserving a table is optional, since single seats are hosted into a table.
Yes. One booking covers 1 to 4 seats, and however many you reserve, we will get you to a table. Choose Keep our group together when you book and we will seat you at one table. Bringing more than four? Reserve a second table and we will seat you near each other.
When you sign up, tell us your level: practicing, comfortable, or seasoned. We seat similar players together so everyone enjoys the game, and we keep groups together when they ask.
American Mahjong is the style of mahjong most played in the United States. It uses a set of tiles that includes jokers, a rack for each player, and a card of winning hands that the National Mah Jongg League publishes each year. Each game begins with the Charleston, a series of tile passes between players.
All three spellings refer to the same game. We call it mahjong.
Yes. Open Play is for players who already know how to play American Mahjong, including the Charleston, and can play without instruction. New to the game? Start with A Taste of Mahjong, our beginner class, on Monday, Nov 2. A seat is $40 a person. Voilà-Merci welcomes you with a latte. You'll leave able to play on your own. Playing is how you sharpen your game.
Yes. A Taste of Mahjong is an introductory American Mahjong class taught by Master Your Mahjong. Our next class is Monday, Nov 2, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm: 90 minutes of instruction, then 30 minutes of Hosted Practice Play with our hosts, preparing you for Open Play. A seat is $40 a person. You'll leave able to play on your own. Playing is how you sharpen your game. A class needs at least 8 players to run. If we don't reach 8, we'll move your seat to another date, or refund you in full if that date doesn't work for you. If you cancel a class seat 48 or more hours ahead, you receive a class credit for a future class. A class needs a minimum number of players, so its cutoff is earlier than for open play. When you join the list, tick Tell me about A Taste of Mahjong and we will email you the details.
Everything is provided: tiles, racks, and a welcoming host. Just bring your own current year National Mah Jongg League card. Enjoy a latte, compliments of Voilà-Merci.
We keep a couple of extra cards just in case, but every player is expected to bring their own current year card, purchased from the National Mah Jongg League. Buying the official card supports the League that keeps American Mahjong going. We recommend the large print card, $15.
Yes. Voilà-Merci offers every player a latte, compliments of the café. Arrive 15 minutes early to get your welcome latte and get seated.
Cancel at least 12 hours before your session and you receive a session credit to use another day. If you cancel later than that, your seat is released and you receive a credit only if another player pays for it, online or at the door. If no one does, there is no credit. A missed session without cancelling does not receive a credit either, and a seat that is not played does not earn a punch. A class seat needs 48 hours' notice, because a class needs at least 8 players, and a cancelled class seat gives a class credit for a future class. The same late cancel rule applies to a class. If you cannot attend any other future class date, write to us and we will refund you.
Join the waitlist on the reservation page. It is free, and you sign in so we know it is you. If a seat opens, we hold it for you at the normal price and email you right away with a link to accept or decline. You have up to 60 minutes to answer, less if it is close to the start, and nothing is charged until you accept and pay. If you decline or do not answer in time, the seat goes to the next person in line, and you can join again at the end of the line. We stop making offers 30 minutes before the start. Seats still open after that may go to walk-ups.
Details on credit terms are coming soon.
Think of it as a digital punch card. Every open play seat you play earns the person who paid for it one punch, once the seat is checked in at the session. After 10 punches your next seat is free. Covering seats for friends fills your card faster. A seat you cancel, miss, or give up without a replacement does not earn a punch. Classes do not earn punches.
Players must be 18 or older.
No. Play is just for fun, and no money changes hands between players.
Email info@MahjongOpenPlay.com. Kartini and Keate read every message. Mahjong Open Play is operated by TKJM Enterprises LLC.
Something we did not answer? Email info@MahjongOpenPlay.com.