MAHJONG STARTS HERE.
A friendly, hands-on introduction to riichi mahjong. Learn the basics, play real games, and join a growing community in Dublin.
Join the next course →
Small group
and friendly
Learn by
playing
No experience
needed
A relaxed
Dublin setting
This course is designed for complete beginners, including people who have never seen the tiles before. We’ll introduce the rules step by step, and you’ll learn by actually playing — not by memorising a wall of theory.
A QUICK INTRODUCTION
Riichi Mahjong is the Japanese version of mahjong: a four-player tile game that mixes pattern-building, decision-making, probability and a little luck. You build a winning hand while deciding what to keep, what to discard and when to take a risk.
You don’t need to memorise all the rules before you start. The course introduces them gradually, with the tiles on the table and plenty of guided play.
From your first hand
to playing with confidence. ↙
Learn the three suits, honour tiles, sequences, triplets, pairs and the basic four-sets-and-a-pair structure. Practise drawing, discarding and building complete hands.
Outcome: Recognise the tiles and understand what a complete hand looks like.
Introduce the one-yaku requirement, simple beginner-friendly yaku, open versus closed hands, Chi, Pon, Ron and Tsumo.
Outcome: Understand why a complete hand isn't always a winning hand.
Learn how to declare Riichi, identify Dora, understand Han and Fu at a basic level, and recognise Furiten. Practise winning declarations and scoring with reference sheets.
Outcome: Play hands with Riichi rules and understand how points are awarded.
Bring everything together: seating, dealer rotation, round winds, scorekeeping, basic etiquette and guided gameplay. Introduce simple defensive decisions when appropriate.
Outcome: Feel ready to join a beginner-friendly mahjong table without constant instruction.
Hi, I’m Tramy. Mahjong has been part of my life since I was eight, when I learnt Vietnamese mahjong from my parents and grandfather. After moving to Ireland, looking for people to play with led me to Riichi Mahjong — and eventually to organising Dublin’s community myself. Since May 2024, I’ve organised nearly 100 mahjong events, from regular meetups and mini tournaments to the Irish Riichi Championship 2026, an international tournament welcoming players from across Europe. I also teach private groups and became the 2025 All-Ireland Riichi Mahjong Champion. For me, mahjong has always been about more than the game: it’s family, community, and finding people to share a table with.
Join the mailing list and I’ll let you know when the next course is open for booking.
No spam.
Just mahjong. ↗
BEFORE YOU COME
Still wondering
about something? ↙
No. The course is designed for complete beginners. We start with recognising the tiles and how a hand is built, then add the Riichi rules gradually.
Definitely not. You’ll learn a small number of useful yaku first and use reference sheets while you play. Scoring is introduced at a practical beginner level rather than something you’re expected to memorise.
No. Tiles and everything else you need during the sessions are provided.
Absolutely. You don’t need to bring a group or a playing partner. The course is taught in a small group and you’ll play together during the sessions.
Yes, if you’re new to Riichi. Some fundamentals will already feel familiar, but the course will introduce Riichi-specific ideas such as yaku, Riichi, Dora, Furiten and its game structure.
Because each week builds on the previous one, attending all four is best. If you know you’ll miss a session, get in touch and we can look at what would help you catch up.
The aim is for you to understand the flow of a full Riichi game and feel comfortable joining a beginner-friendly table. You’ll still use reference sheets and ask questions — that’s completely normal when learning mahjong.
You can keep practising at beginner-friendly community games in Dublin and continue building confidence through real play.
