Shuffle, Stack, Connect
A passion for mahjong sparked an unexpected business and a growing community
Brooke Murphy remembers watching late night TV when actress, Julia Roberts talked about her recent obsession, playing mahjong.
During the interview with Stephen Colbert, Roberts explained how mahjong could create order out of chaos based on the random drawing of tiles. “It’s sort of like life,” she told Colbert. “Every day we try to make a little bit of order out of the chaos of life just with our random acts of hopefully wisdom and kindness.”
The words stuck, and before Brooke knew it, “Curiosity became an obsession,” she says with a laugh. “I was playing online, soaking up info.” She reached out to her friend, Randi Ellis. It was only a matter of time before Randi was hooked too. Brooke remembers saying, “If we love this so much then we have to tell others.”
For Brooke, it was a way to overcome what she calls “the empty nest thing,” adding that after she dropped her youngest daughter off at Boise State University, “I burst into tears.” As the mother of three, over the years she would travel for kids’ sports. “There was a lot of camaraderie,” she says. In fact, that is how she and Randi connected. That camaraderie was something she missed.
When mahjong became their shared passion, Brooke refashioned a portion of her basement into what she calls her “mahjong den.” Over the past few months, she started inviting women to gather there and learn the game.
On a Sunday afternoon, I descend the stairs to her den filled with the clicking and clacking sounds of shuffling tiles. Chatter and laughter quickly bring back memories of my childhood. My parents, aunts and uncles often played in our small third-floor apartment in the San Francisco Bay area. Taking each step feels a little nostalgic.
Instead of the banter I was accustomed to, the women at the tables talk politely. Most of them just recently learned how to play the game and most of the conversation and concentration is focused on following the rules of play.
“This reminds me of playing card games with my family,” Hedyieh Haider, one of the women, says, “I also played board games growing up. Honestly, it’s a great way to find community.”
Jan Lee, another player at the table, loves games and had seen people playing mahjong on social media and Tik Tok. “Then I saw the Chinese mahjong featured in the movie “Crazy Rich Asians” and decided to give it a try,” she says. “Mostly, I love things that make me think. It’s so fun to have a hobby and show up with people you’ve never met before.”
In mid-August, Brooke and Randi will take the next step, throwing open the doors to the Montana Mahj Tile House, at 2528 Grand Avenue. It will be the first dedicated mahjong club in the state.
The newly renovated space sports a chic vibe inspired by Asian art. Large dramatic chrysanthemums, daffodils, wisteria and peonies in colors of pink, red and blue anchor the walls of the main playroom while art deco floral chandeliers reign above the half-dozen playing tables.
Upstairs, a lounge with blue Japanese pine bonsai wallpaper lines the alcove with a large counter providing space for drinks and snacks. Three rooms off to the side allow for private play. Fuchsia pink wallpaper with bird heads wearing flower collars dominate one room while the other shows off more masculine notes in shades of orange and blue with images of peacocks among flowering branches.
Just as the walls share an artistic flair, Randi says the tiles used for play can be just as expressive. “They go from less expensive to Cartier or Tiffany and could cost $15,000,” she says.
Brooke laughs about the $42 set she bought on Amazon, which still gets quite a few compliments. When it comes to play, “We have one rule: You have to pay attention,” she says. “This is a game that requires putting your phones down for playing with something beautiful and tactile.”
The game requires focus and attention so there are small side tables at each main table for players to put their phones on. Randi adds, “There is evidence that this game is good for brain activity.”
Back in Brooke’s basement, among the crowd of players, sits Heather Bergeson, who caught onto the game quickly. On a recent trip to Arizona, she even jumped into a mahjong studio to free-play with strangers.
“I enjoy playing mahjong because it creates social opportunities while sharpening the mind and reducing stress,” Heather says. “I love that it combines skill and strategy, along with a little bit of luck. It’s challenging but it’s a game that everybody can enjoy.”
A portion of the new business will operate on a membership basis, with card access to the studio available from morning to midnight.
“We want it to be accessible for everyone,” Brooke says. The studio will host not only open play but offer lessons to anyone who wants to learn.
As Randi and Brooke reflect on their new business, and more importantly how they got here, it never ceases to amaze them. After all, Brooke is an attorney in charge of a civil litigation practice. Randi is a practicing physician assistant. On top of that, the two just learned how to play the game last fall. By February, they were shopping for studio locations.
“I never thought I would do this. To do something of this caliber, I wouldn’t have done this without this woman next to me,” Brooke says. Randi jumps in, adding, “We have marched this together. We take turns talking each other off the ledge.”
Both know when the doors open, the love of the game will be contagious.
“People need community,” Brooke says, adding someone can come in alone and leave with friends. “They can meet people immediately. This is a fun, engaging way to meet new people.”
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MONTANA MAHJ TILE HOUSE, visit montanamahj.com
How do you play Mahjong?
Mahjong is a captivating, fast-paced game of strategy, memory, and calculation that brings four players together around a table of 152 beautifully engraved tiles. The goal is to match 14 tiles to one chosen combination. Players take turns drawing new tiles from a central "wall" and discarding unwanted ones, creating a tense dynamic where everyone must closely monitor their opponents' moves to claim a discarded tile or block critical plays.
