I have a confession to make: when I need to unwind, escape, or pretend I’m sharpening my strategic mind, I’m probably playing Mahjong on my phone. It’s relaxing, it’s weirdly competitive, and it tricks me into thinking I’m doing something productive. But here’s something I didn’t expect to learn: El Paso has a full Mahjong community, complete with its own instructor. My little mobile gaming hobby suddenly feels a lot more legit, plus, it feels like a fun way to connect with a new community in 2026! Add this one to your “New Things To Try This Year” list.
If you’re new to Mahjong, here’s the quick rundown. It’s a tile-based strategy game that originated in China in the mid to late 1800s. Picture rummy but with beautifully decorated tiles instead of cards. Traditionally, four players sit around a table, build a wall of stacked tiles, and take turns drawing and discarding to form winning sets. The goal is to create matching combinations called melds and ultimately complete a hand before the others do. It sounds complicated until you get into it, but once it clicks, you’ll understand why it has kept entire families, friend groups, and grandmasters locked in heated battles for centuries.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Ruben Alvarez l Brand Shark (@iamrubenalvarez)
Here’s the part that made my whole week. El Paso has its own Mahjong Society. Not only that, but we have a certified Mahjong instructor. Melissa the Mahjong Teacher, also known around town as Melissa Rogers the VIP Matchmaker, runs classes, meetups, and full on Mahjong nights where newcomers and seasoned players can dive into the game together. She teaches beginners how to read the tiles, understand strategy, and actually feel comfortable at the table instead of panicking over which dragon tile they are supposed to discard…