This week, the table is full of movement.

We’re celebrating community wins, honoring nurses, getting ready for Charlotte, spotlighting North Texas, wrapping up league play, and sharing a few practical tips you can actually use at your own Mahjong table.

That’s the beauty of Mahjong as a lifestyle: one week it’s a packed room for National Mahjong Day, another week it’s a league leaderboard, a pop-up in a new city, a hosting hack, or one small strategy shift that changes how you play the Charleston.

So pull your chair close.

Let’s get into this week at the table.

Before we get too deep into the tiles, we want to pause and wish a very special Happy Nurses Week to the nurses in our community.

To every nurse who shows up with skill, compassion, patience, quick thinking, and the kind of strength most people never fully see — we honor you.

Whether you are at the bedside, in the clinic, in leadership, education, community health, women’s health, mental health, school nursing, case management, aesthetics, home care, public health, or behind the scenes making healthcare work, your labor matters.

And for the nurses who find their way to the Mahjong table after long shifts, heavy days, and full weeks — we hope the tiles give you a place to exhale.

This week, we celebrate you.

May your coffee be strong, your charting be light, your patients be kind, and your Mahjong hand be blessed with jokers.

In recognition of National Nurses Week, we are inviting all nurses to join us tomorrow evening at Chicago Pizza & Grille in Smyrna for a free American Mahjong Jumpstart lesson.

This beginner-friendly lesson is free of charge for nurses and is our small way of saying thank you for the care, skill, and heart you pour into others every day.

Nurses are also welcome to stay and enjoy all of our First Thursday Social Play festivities and activities with the BGMJ² community.

Come after work.
Come as you are.
Come curious.

We’ll have a seat waiting for you at the table.

Location: Chicago Pizza & Grille, Smyrna
When: Thursday, May 7th, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. during First Thursday Social Play
Who: Nurses, Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners
Cost: Free American Mahjong JumpStart Instruction for nurses in honor of National Nurses Week (free with work badge).

/

Bring your nurse bestie, your favorite coworker, or the nurse who keeps saying, “I’ve been wanting to learn Mahjong.”

This one’s for you.

Happy Nurses Week from Black Girls Mahjong, Too!

Charlotte, it’s almost your turn. Only 2 spots left…..

Black Girls Mahjong, Too! is coming to the Queen City on Saturday, June 6, 2026, and we are bringing a warm, beginner-friendly American Mahjong experience to the table.

This pop-up is for the curious, the new, the rusty, the social, and the already-hooked.

You do not have to be an expert to come.
You do not have to arrive with a full table.
You do not have to know every rule before you walk in the room.

Come ready to learn, connect, play, laugh, and experience Mahjong in a space designed to feel welcoming from the first seat.

Expect guided play, social connection, light bites, beverages, giveaways, and the signature BGMJ² table energy that turns a game night into a community moment.

Experienced players should bring their 2026 NMJL card, as loaner cards may be limited.

Yes, if you:

want to learn American Mahjong in a welcoming space,
want to meet other Mahjong players in or near Charlotte,
want a social night that feels different from the usual dinner plans,
or want to experience the BGMJ² table outside of Atlanta.

Charlotte, we’re not just visiting.

We’re pulling up with purpose.

Next Tuesday, we’re bringing the tiles to Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen — West Midtown for a night of Mahjong, food, fellowship, and good table energy.

Join Black Girls Mahjong, Too! for Virgil’s Mahjong Social Night on Tuesday, May 12th, as we gather for a relaxed evening of social play, connection, and community.

This is a great night to pull up if you’ve been wanting to learn, practice, meet more players, or just enjoy Mahjong in a vibrant, welcoming space.

Event: Virgil’s Mahjong Social Night (Free Event)
Date: Tuesday, May 12th, 7 pm
Location: Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen — West Midtown
Hosted by: Black Girls Mahjong, Too!

Expect a laid-back social Mahjong experience with BGMJ² energy:

American Mahjong social play
Beginner-friendly table support
Good food and drinks available for purchase. Please support our venue partner by purchasing food and drink.
Community connection
A welcoming space to learn, practice, and play

This is a free Mahjong social night, so you can pull up, meet the community, and enjoy the table without pressure.

For those who want a little extra support or an elevated experience, premium upgrades available.

Whether you’re brand new, still building confidence, or already comfortable at the table, this is a beautiful opportunity to come out, grab a seat, and enjoy the game.

If you’re playing American Mahjong, bring your 2026 NMJL card if you have one. Loaner cards may be limited.

Come curious.
Come hungry.
Come ready to play.

The table is waiting at Virgil’s.

Join Black Girls Mahjong, Too! for our Double Dragons Hong Kong Mahjong Tournament on Saturday, June 13th, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Luckey’s Barbecue in Marietta.

This tournament is part of our summer Mahjong energy — competitive, social, flavorful, and full of BGMJ² table talk.

If you’ve been learning Hong Kong Mahjong, sitting in on our Thursday night games, or waiting for a reason to test your skills in a fun tournament setting, this is your sign.

Tournament Entry: $75

Includes:

Hong Kong Mahjong tournament seat
Pre-fixe lunch selection
Fountain beverage
Leaderboard tracking
Prize pot participation
BGMJ² tournament experience

A portion of each tournament entry will go toward the prize pot, with payouts planned for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

Premium Tournament Entry: $95

Includes everything in the standard tournament entry, plus:

Reserved seating
Automatic table experience
Premium Mahjong table aesthetics
Welcome glass of wine
Elevated BGMJ² tournament setup

This option is for the player who wants a little extra comfort, convenience, and style at the table.

A portion of tournament entry fees will support the prize pot, with payouts for:

1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place

Come ready to play, focus, laugh, compete, and let the dragons do what dragons do.

We will also have an American Mahjong social play option indoors for those who want to enjoy the BGMJ² atmosphere without entering the Hong Kong tournament.

There will be an optional premium American Mahjong add-on for $45, which includes a pre-fixe lunch selection and premium setup.

Come if you:

play Hong Kong Mahjong,
are ready to try a tournament format,
want a fun Saturday evening Mahjong experience,
love a little friendly competition,
or want to be part of BGMJ²’s summer Mahjong series.

The Double Dragons table is not just about winning.

It is about energy, strategy, community, and taking your seat in a tournament room that feels both competitive and welcoming.

If you’re interested, do not wait too long to register.

Tournament seats are limited, and premium seats are even more limited.

The dragons are circling.

Claim your seat before they land.

This challenge is all about the Mahjong table itself — the actual table where the game is played.

We’re talking about the look and feel of the playing space:

beautiful table coverings,
intentional color stories,
coordinated racks and accessories,
fresh flowers or simple center accents,
thoughtful hostess touches,
and a setup that makes players excited to sit down and play.

This is not about the snack setup or food display.

It’s about creating a Mahjong table that feels inviting, polished, creative, and fun — while still being practical for actual play.

Throughout the month of May, community members can sign up for a Thursday night to showcase their Mahjong table design during open play.

This helps spread the fun out so that each featured table gets its moment.

At the end of the challenge, the winner will be announced at our monthly Big Card Meet-Up on Sunday, May 31st.

We’re looking for Mahjong tables that feel:

beautiful,
creative,
intentional,
welcoming,
and functional for actual play.

Think less “party table,” and more:

“This table is so cute, I want to sit here all night.”

If you want to join the challenge, start with the playing surface itself.

Choose a color palette.
Add one or two stylish accents.
Keep the table practical for gameplay.
Make sure players still have room for racks, tiles, cards, and smooth movement.
And most of all, make it feel like a table people are happy to gather around.

Pretty matters.
Comfort matters.
Playability matters.

And this month, we’re celebrating all three.

This past weekend, Black Girls Mahjong, Too! had the pleasure of participating in My Style My Closet, an experiential beauty, fashion, and self-care market created for women to shop, explore, try something new, and enjoy a beautifully curated day out.

Held at The Candela Bar in Powder Springs, the launch edition brought together a curated room of women, women-owned brands, and local businesses from across West Metro Atlanta for an elevated afternoon of fashion, beauty, wellness, tastings, connection, and self-care.

And of course, we brought the tiles.

BGMJ² was invited to provide a Mahjong display and introduce attendees to the beauty of the game in a setting that already celebrated style, leisure, and intentional community. It was a perfect reminder that Mahjong belongs in wellness spaces, lifestyle spaces, fashion spaces, and anywhere women are gathering to exhale, connect, and try something new.

We are especially grateful to Ify, one of the founders of My Style My Closet, for inviting us to be part of such a beautiful occasion.

A heartfelt thank-you also goes to the BGMJ² ladies who came out, volunteered, answered questions, demonstrated the game, and helped create a warm and welcoming Mahjong moment for the women in attendance.

This is what we mean when we say Mahjong is more than a game.

It is lifestyle.
It is leisure.
It is connection.
It is community care.
It is one more beautiful way for women to gather well.

Because let’s be honest — hosting can get expensive fast.

You start with “I’ll just grab a few snacks,” and suddenly your cart has cheese, crackers, flowers, drinks, napkins, plates, cookies, dips, and one decorative candle that somehow convinced you it needed to come home.

Before you know it, your simple Mahjong night is giving light catering invoice.

So this week’s hosting reminder is simple:

Start with what you already have before you start shopping.

Before your next grocery run, check for:

unused napkins,
extra paper plates,
cups,
serving bowls,
crackers or snacks,
tea or lemonade,
candles,
a vase,
leftover party goods,
or anything pretty that can be repurposed.

And Sis, shop the clearance table for your paper goods.

Gold napkins after New Year’s? Use them.
Florals after Easter? Use them.
Red plates after Valentine’s Day? Dragon energy.
Green napkins after St. Patrick’s Day? Bamboo-coded.

The table does not know they were 70% off.

Create one Mahjong hosting bin with paper goods, pencils, score sheets, napkins, and small table extras.

Future you will thank you.

This section is where we’ll keep dreaming, planning, and listening.

What kind of Mahjong travel experience would you say yes to next?

A beach weekend?
A cruise?
A New Orleans culture trip?
A wellness retreat?
A mountain cabin weekend?
Another international destination?

Reply and tell us where Mahjong should take place next.

!