Growing up as a Chinese American, Danielle Wong Moores was familiar with the game of Mahjong, but it wasn’t something she played as a child.
“My mom (played). I always felt like ‘the grandmas play that; the moms play that; I don’t play that.’ I tried to learn, and it was so confusing. I never picked it back up,” said Moores, who only recently started playing the game that has taken off in the Augusta area over the past year.
At first glance, Mahjong tiles resemble dominoes. Both games originated in China, but dominos came first. Domino tiles tend to be longer while Mahjong tiles are thicker and adorned with several different types of symbols including circles and Chinese characters, rather than only dots.
Sometimes referred to as ”China’s national pastime”, Mahjong, also spelled Mah-jongg, spread to Western nations in the 1920s.
“Joseph P. Babcock, an American resident of Shanghai, who is credited with introducing mah-jongg to the West after World War I. In order to promote the game in the West, he wrote a modified set of rules, gave English titles to the tiles, and added index letters and numerals familiar to Western card players,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
Moores has learned to play according to the American rules although she and other members of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) of Augusta asked the older members of the group to teach them the original game. While Moores’ generation plays more for fun, the older members tend to take the game more seriously.
“Chinese mahjong is really a gambling game,” said Moores.
As such, competition can become cutthroat, she added.
Moores said having played the American version, it’s been easier to pick up the original game.
Moores plays American Mahjong monthly at West Lake Country Club with a group called Smiles and Tiles started by Lindsay Black.
A few years ago, Black was living in Dublin, Georgia, and heard about Mahjong through her bridge group, but she didn’t start playing then. When Mahjong started popping up on her Facebook feed last year, she decided to take a closer look and reached out to a friend to teach her the rules.
She started Smiles and Tiles with 12 people. It’s since grown to 200 people with about 60 playing on the last Tuesday of each month.
“You gather around the table, put your phone down and have the chance to be social,” she said.
Smiles and Tiles takes the socialization part up a notch with theme nights such as Mafia wives in January. the Masters and America’s 250th birthday in June. They also add a community service component to their games with speakers from non-profits sharing about the work they do.
While she enjoys the game itself and the socialization, Black especially loves the aesthetic surrounding it. She enjoys decorating and having the chance to create beautiful table designs puts her in her element.
The tiles themselves can be works of art. Sets can start around $20, but some can retail for hundreds of dollars.
Black owns several sets including one that received a glow-up from Moores’ daughter, Addy, a Westminster Schools of Augusta student, who loves painting.
“My mom started getting into Mahjong and taught me how to play. This is the best game ever. I play it a lot, but the tiles were confusing. They all look the same. I couldn’t even tell what was what,” said Addy, who has created her own business painting tiles to solve that problem.
The vibrant rainbow paints show up better on the tiles, allowing people to see the designs better, according to Addy.
While Moores has found a home at Smiles and Tiles, there are other Mahjong groups in the area.
Maj at the Lodge meets at Augusta Elks Lodge at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Some churches and neighborhoods have Mahjong groups.
Holly Hendrickson, Community Engagement Professional for Center Well Primary Care in North Augusta, started a group at Riverview Park Activities Center a few months ago.
“One of the things we do (at Center Well) is look for ways to encourage social and emotional wellness,” said Hendrickson.
Rachael Thomas is a newcomer to Mahjong with only one lesson under her belt prior to attending a May Center Well Mahjong event. She said she wanted something to stimulate her brain.
“It’s hard to find something new to challenge you,” said Thomas as she took in all the rules of the game.
Mahjong has been surging in popularity in the Augusta area over recent months, and Hendrickson said it seems to be especially popular among people who caused the last trend to spike in the area.
“I do see a meshing of Mahjong with pickleball,” she said. “A lot of pickleballers are playing mahjong.”
Many will take in a few rounds at Dink’d on Furys Ferry Road then eat at Taj for a group they call Maj at Taj, she said.
Anne Rheins, who teaches pickleball lessons and heads the annual NOT’Lanta Open pickleball tournament, knows many pickleball players who are learning and playing the game.
“It’s really gotten popular with a few people in pickleball,” she said
People attending the NOT’Lanta Open May 15-17 had a chance to learn Mahjong while at Montclair Park that weekend as well as win a $400 set of Mahjong tiles. Organizers set up a table under a tent during the event.
People who are interested in playing can find groups on Facebook such as Maj at the Lodge or message Lindsay Black about Smiles and Tiles on Instagram @MrsLindsayBlack.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named Augusta Magazine’s best local writer in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
