Any Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon in Wimberley, one can hear the satisfying click-click-click of tiles as mahjong players commence what some say is the hottest game in town.
The game of mahjong is usually played by four people with tiles roughly the size and shape of dominoes. The tiles are marked with symbols. There are three suits of numbers one through nine, called either “cracks,” short for Chinese characters; “bams,” short for bamboos; or “dots.” There are additional tiles called winds, dragons and flowers. Tiles are drawn and discarded until one of the players assembles a winning hand.
The game was developed in China in the 19th century and started to spread throughout the 1920s. There are variations among groups and countries who play the game, but the object is to make matching sets, consecutive runs or pairs like the games of rummy or poker.
Mahjong relies on skill, strategy and luck. Winning means being able to “go out” with a legal hand. Hands are determined by a playing card, officially updated each year, that shows the plays that can be pursued in the course of a game. The 2022 card shows 66 legal hands. Each year in the U.S., the card is updated and available the first part of April from the National Mah Jongg League, Inc. Players send away for their cards for a fee of $12.
While it may be the hottest game in town, it is not the newest. Kathie Parker is likely the genesis of organized play in Wimberley, bringing it from Houston in the 1990s when she settled here. She taught the game to others through the Wimberley Civic Club, she says, “for a period of about 15 years.” The classes consisted of four, one-hour sessions taught on a white board explaining the rules, components and strategies of the game. She continues to play at the Community Center each week.
Parker’s influence is substantial. Regular players Ann Swift, Zelda Schnick and Shirley Schleissmann — who have been playing seven, nine, and 12 years respectively — were taught by Parker. Most local players who have been in the game more than four or five years also learned from Parker.
Interest in the game has steadily grown with groups playing at the Community Center and the Chapel in the Hills each week. The newest wave of players has been taught by four sisters known as the “Four Woodcreek Sisters.” Of the four sisters, Linda Rawlings moved to Wimberley first and took lessons from Kathie Parker. Next came her sister Robin Lowe, then Jerri LaMirand and finally, Jane Mody. All of them learned the game and became avid players.
Two or three years ago, the sisters decided to teach classes through the Civic Club.
Their method of instruction differs slightly from Parker’s, thanks to new influences from players they met in other cities. What they saw was the desire novice players had to begin playing the game quickly.
“As former teachers and principals, we understood that early rewards bolstered the enthusiasm and confidence of new players while the game was being learned,” said Linda. “For that reason, we teach the game in two long sessions with the advice that players join a group as soon as possible.”
Today, players in Wimberley seem to be falling into two groups — those who build “the wall” and those who don’t. Traditional mahjong has each player construct a wall of tiles that are shifted through play to influence how tiles are pulled during a hand. Others put all the tiles in the middle of the table for random selection. Not building the wall allows more games to be played during sessions.
Almost all the players engaged in play at the Community Center acknowledged that they continue to play for the camaraderie they experience. Others said they love the game for the mental challenge and entertainment it provides.
Player Joyce Willoughby said, “The game itself keeps you coming back. It’s mentally challenging, especially since the card changes every year.”
Shirley Schleissmann, who plays on Tuesdays, said, “I love it. For one thing, it is a reasonable form of entertainment. We play for small sums of money as dictated by the card – 20 or 25 cents – and it never gets boring. There are so many variations.”
Besides weekly play, marathons are played throughout the year. An annual marathon for experienced players, organized by Schleissmann through the Civic Club, will commence April 26 with proceeds going back into the community.
“The purpose of the marathon,” she said, “is to offer online players, home groups and players from the Community Center and Chapel in the Hills the chance to play and interact with each other.”
For those interested in continuing Kathie Parker’s legacy of learning to play mahjong in Wimberley, one spot remains in a class scheduled through the Civic Club for April 29 and May 6. Enrollment can be accessed by going to wimberleyccc.org.
Interested parties can also learn the game by attending a Wednesday, 1 p.m. session at Chapel in the Hills. Newcomers can email Rawlings at [email protected] for additional information.
