How mahjong became the hottest game in town
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With SaintMahj, Kelly Walker hosts pop-up mahjong nights at The Chloe. Photo: Courtesy of SaintMahj
Kelly Walker was eager to connect with new friends when she started hosting mahjong nights at her home a little more than a year ago.
Why it matters: The game nights have since became so popular that venues across New Orleans are asking her to set up shop.
The big picture: Mahjong is an ancient Chinese game reliant on strategy, and it's grown wildly popular across the U.S. in the past few years.
- Searches for the game on Eventbrite were up 365% between 2023 and 2024, the event app reports.
- Mahjong is even reshaping holiday traditions and creating a new career path for expert teachers.
Zoom in: As for Walker, she just wanted a way to expand her social circle without all the work of a book club, she tells Axios New Orleans.
- "None of my friends in New Orleans knew how to play mahjong, and those who did know how to play weren't interested in newcomers" to their established games, Walker says. "I got together with a group of 8 ladies who were interested, and had a friend come over and teach us how to play."
- And that was that.
Hosting every week quickly became a bit of a handful as friends found others who were eager to join the fun.
- Walker headed to The Chloe next, just popping up with her own tiles and mat while guests paid their own way for drinks and food at the bar.
- But "again the demand of keeping up with everybody playing" outgrew the casual vibe, she says.
The intrigue: A designer and architect by trade, Walker started an Instagram account and a brand — SaintMahj — to promote the events, and now she's got regular pop-up game nights at The Chloe and Hotel Saint Vincent.
- But even that seems not to be enough. A one-night event at Saba in December quickly became two.
What she's saying: "It's a reflection of how much people are craving time with other people and casual conversation," Walker says.
- Plus, learning the game itself is all part of the fun.
- "It's very rewarding when you win because the learning curve is pretty steep," she says. "It's pretty intimidating, so I'm trying to break those barriers down and make people feel like it's an approachable game. ... Anybody can come and play."
If you go: Follow SaintMahj on Instagram to find the next event.