At the Mah-Jawn clubhouse in Old City, they welcome members, veterans, newcomers, and players of all levels.
They hold lessons and support club members in tournaments.
The club was founded in 2019. Mike Lee is the president and one of the original founders.
"My goal for this space is just for people to come and play Mahjong," he said. "We are lucky to have volunteers to help teach and help out. We have 15 to 20 members that meet weekly and brand new visitors being taught the game."
Mahjong originated in China during the 19th century. It is a game of skill, strategy, and luck. Japanese Mahjong, which is called Riichi, typically consists of 136 tiles, comprising 34 different types of tiles, with four of each type.
Leeya Davis of Queen Village stopped by the club one afternoon for a lesson.
"The league games can get intense with how fast people go. I'm not going to lie. But it's a really fun group," she said.
What does it take to get good?
"Awarenesss. Keeping track of the discards and the hands that you can make. One word is complex from playing to scoring," said Davis.
Lee says the Japanese version is a bit more fun competitively. The automatic tables come straight from Japan.
"It's kind of drawn people in because it's kind of a foreign concept to Americans. A lot of Americans are poker, familiar with those kind of games, but it seemed like something that is intriguing at first," he said. "I think it 's a great way to do something that doesn't require too much energy, doesn't require too much input. And it's just fun."
It's screen-free, strategic social fun from a centuries-old tile game right in the heart of Philly.
Their clubhouse is located at 2nd and Chestnut Streets in Old City Philadelphia.
To get lessons or learn more about Mahjong, you can check out the club at PhillyMahjong.com.