Live Mahjong Classes With Lara
Online American Mahjong Classes, Taught Live
Real classes, on Zoom, with an instructor who can see your rack and answer the question you actually asked. Not a video library pretending to be a class.
Looking for online American mahjong classes? Lara's Mahjong Edit runs live small-group classes on Zoom: beginner bootcamps, strategy sessions, and level-tagged classes from All Levels through Intermediate+. Most classes are taught by Lara Orndorff, an OMM Certified American Mahjong Instructor, and every class includes a recording, so a missed evening never costs you the class.
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Why learn in a live class
You can absolutely learn American mahjong from books and videos. Plenty of players do. What a live class adds is the thing no recording can give you: someone watching how you actually play and catching the habit you can't see yourself. The question you're too unsure to Google gets answered in the moment, before it becomes a habit you have to unlearn.
The honest tradeoff: live classes happen at scheduled times and move at a shared pace. If your calendar can't cooperate, every class comes with a recording, and a self-paced option like The Foundations Edit may fit your life better. Both paths work. This page is for the live one.
What's on the calendar
Mahjong Beginner Bootcamp
A live multi-session online class that takes you from zero to playing real hands with the NMJL card. $80, taught on Zoom.
Strategy Sessions
Focused live sessions on the decisions that win games: hand selection, the Charleston, defense, and reading the table. Topics and pricing vary by session.
The Confidence Club
Live instruction plus community, every month: member Q&As, strategy deep-dives, challenges, weekly games, and the full replay vault. $19.99/mo.
What the levels mean
Every class on the calendar carries a level tag, so you're never guessing whether it's for you:
All Levels means you know the rules and how to play, no advanced strategy required. Beginner+ means you know the basics and are ready to build real strategy. Intermediate+ means you're comfortable with the card and working on reads and defensive play. Brand new to the game? Start with the beginner path or the Beginner Bootcamp, then come back for the rest.
Every class includes
A live seat on Zoom, real-time questions and answers, and a recording you can rewatch anytime. Confidence Club members get more: every public class recording lands in the Club's video vault, alongside members-only monthly lives.
How live classes compare to your other options
| Option | Typical cost | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private lessons | Often $25 to $70 an hour across the market | One-on-one attention, fully custom pace | Specific problems, fastest individual correction |
| One-time course or bootcamp | Around $80 | Structured start-to-finish instruction with a group | Learning the game properly the first time |
| Live group classes | Varies by session | Real-time teaching, other players to learn beside, a recording | Building skills topic by topic |
| Ongoing membership (The Confidence Club) | $19.99/mo or $199/yr | Live sessions, challenges, weekly games, community, full replay vault | Steady improvement with people who know your name |
They stack, honestly. Many players take the bootcamp once, join the Club for the months after, and book a strategy session when a specific weakness shows up.
Who's teaching
Lara Orndorff is the founder and head instructor of Lara's Mahjong Edit, an OMM Certified American Mahjong Instructor, and a member of the Mahj Life Guild. She has reached a 100,000+ community through live classes, digital guides, and one of the largest mahjong education spaces on Instagram. Some classes are co-taught or led by guest teachers Jillian, Alicia, and Michelle, and every class lists its instructor on the schedule.
Lara's Mahjong Edit is an American mahjong education brand built for women who want real confidence at the table: live Zoom classes, digital strategy guides, and The Confidence Club membership community, all built around the NMJL card.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really take a mahjong class online?
Yes. Classes run live on Zoom, so you join from home with your webcam and your questions. You'll see the tiles on screen, hear the reasoning behind every decision, and ask about your own hands in real time. Thousands of women have learned this way, many of whom had never used Zoom for anything but family calls.
I'm a total beginner. Which class should I take?
The Mahjong Beginner Bootcamp. It's a live multi-session class built to take you from never-played to playing real hands with the NMJL card. If you'd rather warm up first, the free beginner resources on the Learn American Mahjong page are the place to start.
What happens if I miss a class?
You get the recording. Every class comes with a replay you can rewatch anytime, so a schedule conflict never means losing what you paid for.
Do these classes teach the NMJL card?
Yes. Everything at Lara's Mahjong Edit is built around American mahjong as played with the current National Mah Jongg League card, including the Charleston, jokers, and NMJL scoring.
What do I need to join a class?
A computer or tablet with Zoom, and for most classes the current year's NMJL card. Each class listing spells out anything else you'll want at your side. You do not need your own tile set for most sessions.
How much do online mahjong classes cost?
The Beginner Bootcamp is $80 for the full multi-session class. Strategy session pricing varies by topic and length. For ongoing live instruction, The Confidence Club is $19.99 a month and includes member lives, challenges, weekly games, and the full replay vault.
Ready to find your class?
The live calendar shows every upcoming class, its level tag, and its instructor.
