There's no doubt that mahjong is having a moment. The game that I've known about since I was a kid, and have played for years, and taught for over eight years, has become 'a thing' in the last few years. Once a niche game that moms, grandmothers, and aunties taught their friends and younger generations, has now morphed into an entire industry, and a game played by everyone: women, men, teens, kids, and whole families.

The Friendly Game: Few other phrases twist more knickers than that one. It's an ongoing and unwinnable debate in the American Mahjong community. And yet, it rages on!

For some, the idea is that they are playing for fun and will forgive all manner of goofs and gaffes to prevent any hard feelings. For others, you either play by the rules or you don't play. On the surface, it seems black and white, but, as in most of life, there are some gray areas to consider.

Let’s be clear, we’re calling a hand dead – not a player! And yet, calling another player’s hand dead is a super controversial move to some. Honestly, the move is mostly suffering from some bad PR. Maybe a different set of words to describe it? Let’s let that simmer for a moment and we’ll come back to it.