Mahjong Club Starter Kit: The Checklist for Your First Night

What do you need to start a mahjong club night? Less than you might think, but the small things matter: complete sets, tables the right size, someone to greet newcomers, and one place where the scores go. This is the checklist to print and tick off the week before your first night, whether you run a university society, a meetup or a weekly group of friends.

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Tick the boxes on screen or on paper. Printing leaves out the menus, links and FAQ.

Mahjong club starter kit · mahjonglogbook.com/en/guides/mahjong-club-starter-kit/

1. Space and tables

One square table per four players, about 80 to 90 cm (32 to 36 inches) a side. Smaller and the walls crowd each other; bigger and players struggle to reach the far wall. A folding card table works.
Four chairs per table, all the same height. Chairs without arms let players sit close to the tiles.
Good, even lighting over every table. In a dim room the dots and bamboo are hard to tell apart, especially for players new to the tiles.
A tablecloth or mahjong mat on every table. It dampens the noise of shuffling, stops tiles sliding and protects the venue's tables. A felt or rubber-backed cloth is enough.
Room to walk between tables, so teachers can move around and nobody knocks a wall over on the way to the drinks.
Two extra tables: one by the door for welcome and sign-in, one for snacks and drinks.

2. Mahjong sets: buy, borrow or rent

One set per table you expect to run, plus a spare once you expect eight or more people. Divide your expected headcount by four and round up: 10 people means three tables and three sets.
The right sets for your variant. A Hong Kong (Cantonese) set has 144 tiles: 136 suit and honour tiles plus 8 flowers. American Mah Jongg needs 152 tiles including 8 jokers, plus racks and a current-year card for each player. Riichi uses 136 tiles and no flowers.
Count every set before the night. Lay each suit out in rows of four: every tile should appear four times. A missing tile is common in second-hand and borrowed sets, and it only shows up mid-game.
Dice in every box. Hong Kong tables roll three. Add a dealer marker if your group uses one.
Label borrowed sets with the owner's name, so each one goes home with the right person, complete.

Buy, borrow or rent?

Option	Good for	Watch out for
Buy	A club that meets every week. The sets are always there and you know they are complete.	Cost and storage. Check the variant: an American set is not a Hong Kong set.
Borrow from members, friends or family	The first few nights, before you know the club will last.	Missing tiles, and sets that leave when their owner does. Count them in and count them out.
Rent from a local club, games café or shop	A one-off event, or a busy night that needs extra tables.	Availability on your date, and whether the sets match your variant.

3. Logistics

Book the venue for longer than you plan to play. About three hours fits setting up, two or three games and packing away.
Warn the venue about noise. Shuffling tiles is loud. Tell them what to expect and check any house rules about games on the premises.
Set the timings: for example, doors at 7pm, first shuffle at 7.15, last game starts by 9.30. A full Hong Kong game of four wind rounds can run well over an hour with beginners, so many clubs play one wind round per game on a first night.
Snacks and drinks on their own table, away from the tiles. Sticky fingers and spilt drinks are the quickest way to ruin a set. Lidded cups help.
Check accessibility: step-free access, a table height that works for a wheelchair, toilets nearby, and a quieter corner for anyone who finds a busy room hard.
Name one person in charge of the night: doors, sets out, tables seated, scores logged, sets counted and packed at the end.

4. Reception and check-in

A welcome table by the door, staffed for the first half hour, so nobody walks in and wonders where to stand.
Name tags and pens. Four strangers learn each other's names much faster when they are written down.
A printed sign-in sheet: name, how much they have played (never, a little, regularly) and, if they want to join, a contact for the group chat. Paper is quick and works fine.
Pair beginners with experienced players. The sign-in sheet shows who has played before; spread them across the tables.
Seat tables of four. Fill one table before starting the next. If one, two or three people are left over, seat them at a teaching table to watch until the next game starts.

5. Beginner support

A printed cheat sheet at every table: the tiles, the turn order, how to call a tile and what a winning hand looks like. The Hong Kong mahjong cheat sheet fits on one page.
One teacher per beginner table: someone patient who knows your variant and is happy to play open-handed while the others learn.
An etiquette card on each table: shuffle together, call clearly, discard face up, never take a discard back. The mahjong etiquette guide has a short code of conduct you can copy.
The rules and glossary to hand for questions: how to play Hong Kong mahjong and the Cantonese mahjong glossary.
House rules on one printed page: the variant, the minimum to win and how a game ends. Written rules settle most arguments before they start.

6. Scoring and standings

This is where Mahjong Logbook fits. A club needs one score record that everyone can see, not a different notebook at each table.

One room link for the club. Create a Mahjong Logbook room before the night and post the link in the group chat. No accounts and nothing to install.
Add tonight's players as they arrive, using the names on your sign-in sheet, so every table can pick them when it logs a game.
Each table logs its own game from one phone, hand by hand or as final totals at the end. Four tables means four entries, and nobody has to collect score sheets.
Standings and season history update themselves. Every saved game moves the leaderboard; filter it to a quarter or a year to see one season.
Play for points, not money. Agree it up front and put it in the house rules. The mahjong points system guide shows how clubs count without stakes.

A free room holds up to 10 active players; a bigger club needs Pro on its room. Mahjong Logbook keeps scores and standings only: check-in, RSVPs, member lists and table assignments stay on paper or in your group chat. The mahjong club score tracker page walks through a club night in the app.

Create your club's room →

7. After the night

Count and pack every set before people leave: four of each tile, the flowers, the dice.
Post the standings in the group chat, as a screenshot or the room's result card for the night.
Ask for feedback while it is fresh: one or two questions in the chat, such as "too fast, too slow or about right?" and "what would bring you back?"
Book the next night and announce it before everyone goes home. Same day, same time, same place is what keeps a club going.
Thank the venue and leave the room as you found it.

FAQ

What do you need to play mahjong?

A complete set for your variant, four players, a square table about 80 to 90 cm a side, and a way to keep score. A Hong Kong set has 144 tiles and three dice. American Mah Jongg also needs racks, jokers and a current-year card for each player. A cloth or mat on the table keeps the noise down.

How many mahjong sets does a club need?

One per table of four. Divide the number of people you expect by four and round up, then add a spare set once you regularly have eight or more, in case one turns out to be missing a tile.

How do I check a mahjong set is complete?

Lay the tiles out by suit in rows of four. Every suit and honour tile should appear four times. A Hong Kong set adds 8 flowers for 144 tiles in total; an American set has 152 tiles including 8 jokers. Do it before the night, not mid-game.

How long should a mahjong club night be?

About three hours works for most clubs: half an hour to arrive and seat tables, two or three games, and time to pack away. With beginners, playing one wind round per game keeps each game to a sensible length.

Does Mahjong Logbook handle check-in or table assignments?

No. It keeps the club's scores, standings and season history in one shared room. Check-in, RSVPs, member lists and seating stay on your sign-in sheet or in your group chat.

More for clubs: how to start a mahjong club, mahjong etiquette and table words, how to keep score in mahjong and university mahjong societies.