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The soft clinks of plastic tiles and the speaking of a few Chinese words will soon expand to living rooms throughout Rock County, thanks to the efforts of four local women.
Carol McDonald, Lona Klosterbuer, Rhonna Jarchow and Shirley Klosterbuer will share their knowledge in an upcoming Luverne Community Education Class, “Why Play Mahjong?”
McDonald, a member of the Community Education Advisory Board, was asked if she would teach a class on how to play the ancient Chinese game. Not wanting to teach the class alone, she asked the other “mavens” if they could help out.
“We don’t claim to be experts,” Lona Klosterbuer added with a laugh.
Mahjong is a game played by four people using 144 domino-like tiles. Each tile is stamped with Chinese symbols. The object is to use the symbols to build a winning combination of tiles.
Players build 14-tile sets from a possible 51 combinations which change each year through the National Mah Jongg League based in New York. During the game each player has a combination card in front of her in order to reference which tiles to collect or discard.
“It doesn’t take long to learn the game, but it takes a while to understand all the rules,” Lona said. “You can read and read, but really to learn you must play it.”
The four women began playing four years ago and have spent a few hours each Wednesday afternoon playing mahjong. The game has replaced the women’s regular knitting or sewing sessions.
Because the game is best played with four people, an occasional substitute player is asked to fill in.
Carol Serie was one of those Wednesday afternoon substitutes at McDonald’s home.
Serie said she asked a lot of questions when she first played the game and continued to do so during last week’s game. While proclaiming herself as a rookie, she won back-to-back games.
Serie was best at selecting and discarding tiles based on the design. Designs include dragons and flowers with some tiles imprinted in different colors or with a different number. Terminology in the game includes walls, a Charleston, pungs, kongs, quints and chows involved in winning the game.
Most notable, as the game progressed, each player called out the number/color and name of the tile as it was discarded.
“Five crak, white dragon, eight bam, three dot” was how the four sounded as the game progressed around the table. Soft taps of a tile on the table could be heard regularly as a player contemplated whether to keep or discard a specific tile.
Shirley Klosterbuer, who won one game, said she doesn't have a particular strategy as she decides which suit to build. She said she traditionally starts by focusing on the number on the tiles.
“If you have a lot of evens you’re on the left side of the card,” she said. Odds are on the right side.
Knowing when to “call” or ask for a tile that a player discarded adds excitement to the game. Several times a player commented that someone must have been collecting the same combination of tiles.
Winners’ names, the games’ significant events and who took the last tile are among happenings recorded in a small notebook. These notes are later transcribed into meeting notes, which the group can reference days or years later.
The notes are not part of the official mahjong rules. It’s an activity the Wednesday afternoon players enjoy.
“It doesn’t take away from the game,” Lona said. “It makes it more fun.”
Also fun (and may not be taught at the two-session community education class) is the betting system the women have invented. The women could win or lose a dime.
As she collected 40 cents from one of her winning suits, Serie summed up why playing mahjong is more than just a game among friends.
“As we get older, it (mah-jongg) probably keeps our minds sharper,” Serie said, smiling.
“Why Play Mahjong” will be taught from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 11 and 18. Cost is $10.
Call Community Education at 283-4724 for more information or to register. The class will be limited to 12 individuals.