Lara's Mahjong Edit
Some of my favorite classes happen when I am not at the table alone. These are the instructors I bring in to teach alongside me, women I trust to make the game feel welcoming, smart, and genuinely fun. Get to know them.
Live classes coming up
Six quick questions and I'll point you to the right seat, across every live class on the calendar with me, Jillian, Alicia, Michelle, and Trish. No wrong answers, just honest ones.
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Mahj-el Tov · @mahjeltov
Jillian learned to play when she was about eight, on the 1992 card. Her grandmother hosted the weekly game, and her mom is the one who taught her. Mahjong runs in the family, her mom and her aunt both play and teach, so for Jillian the game has always been about the people first.
She runs Mahj-el Tov out of Northwest Houston and teaches both American and Siamese mahjong in a style that honors the rules without ever feeling stuffy. She is a proud member of the Mahj Life Instructor Guild, which means she teaches with real accuracy and respect for the official rules. When Jillian and I teach together, you can expect serious strategy and a whole lot of laughing.
We'll play. We'll nosh. We'll kibitz. You know, no big whoop.
Alicia is a lawyer by training, which is exactly why she is so good at making a tricky rule finally click. A friend taught her to play in 2017 and she was hooked on the tactile, gather-your-people side of the game. She has taught piano and knitting over the years, so breaking something down for a brand new player is second nature to her.
She teaches around Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky as Mrs. Mahj, in studios, homes, and clubs, and she also helps other teachers grow their own mahjong businesses. Her classes with me are warm, clear, and easy to jump into, even if you are completely new.
Mahj of Counsel.
Cypress Mahjong · @cypressmahjong
Michelle is who I bring in for the side of mahjong most players never get coached on: how tournaments actually run, how league play works, and how to play for money with real confidence. She hosts and teaches out of Houston as Cypress Mahjong, and she is known for events that are fun, welcoming, and genuinely well organized, the kind where the competition is real but so is the laughter.
She is a member of the Mahj Life Instructor Guild, so she teaches with real accuracy and respect for the game. Whether you are stepping up to your first tournament or just want the table to feel a little more like home, Michelle has a natural way of building your confidence.
Win or Wall!
Tiles With Trish · @tileswithtrish
Trish is who I bring in when someone says "I wish I had a group that played every week." She runs two leagues of her own alongside her in-home classes, so nothing she teaches is theoretical. She has already made the mistakes, fixed them, and written the whole thing down.
That last part is what makes her rare. Most hosts spend months rebuilding the same checklists and scorecards from scratch. Trish built the systems once and turned them into something you can actually pick up and use, which is exactly what you get when you learn with her.
Pull up a chair.
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