Amanda Wolsey and Bethany Factor did not set out to own a mahjong clubhouse in Fort Worth or set up a worldwide ranking system for the game that originated in China in the 1800s.
Fort Worth, where the West begins, is, they acknowledge, a long way from the Far East. But it was apparently in the cards — or perhaps, more appropriately — in the tiles.
The two entrepreneurs founded the American Mahjong Ranking Authority and now have launched the first official worldwide ranking system of American mahjong, debuting it with a free mobile app. The platform aims to boost mahjong domestically by providing a framework for ranked play that connects players, clubs, leagues, instructors and facilities through standardized competition.
And for those not in the know: Mahjong is hot. The four-player strategy game that uses highly decorated tiles instead of cards gained traction during the 2020 pandemic and continues to grow in popularity. Yelp data shows that searches for mahjong clubs are up almost 4,500% since last year.
“People learned it during the pandemic online, and then when that was over they began seeking places to play in person,” Factor said.
The game is appealing because it has a low barrier to entry (sets of tiles cost about $60), and while it is relatively easy to learn, it is challenging like bridge or chess, Factor said.
Mahjong traces its origins to China, where it was taken up by American expatriates in Shanghai and Beijing in the mid- to late-1800s. Entrepreneurs and American tourists brought the game to the United States, where it became popular in the early 1920s. Wolsey and Factor say that while the game is primarily played by women in the U.S., that is changing.
Wolsey, a Paschal High School and University of Texas at Austin graduate and former elementary school teacher, didn’t know what mahjong was until her husband’s job took them to Pittsburgh in 2010.
“I didn’t know anyone there and was asked to play, and I loved it because it uses all your senses,” she said. “I thought it was something like bunco, but no, it’s more than that.”
Moving back to Fort Worth in 2012, she found few players, but in the years since, she has taught tens of thousands of people how to play and is recognized for her community-building approach to the game.
Factor is a graduate of Texas A&M’s Mays Business School and is an operations executive who describes herself as a “constant entrepreneur.”
“I’m always thinking of ways to start businesses that could be profitable and exploring new industries,” she said. “I saw mahjong, which is something I had played, and so I had this idea that there was a business there and called Amanda.”
Wolsey was more than intrigued.
“I loved the idea,” she said. “I was teaching people and taking these tiles and tables to people’s homes and other spaces, which was a lot of work.”
So in 2024, the pair opened The Mahj Clubhouse at 5220 Pershing Ave., in west Fort Worth, a social club intended for players of all levels. Their timing, as the Yelp survey indicates, was right on the mark.
A lot of people want to play, they said, even those that don’t know what “dot,” “crack” and “bam” — the three main suits of tiles — mean.
“We just can’t keep people away,” Factor said. “We have a waiting list, and everyone wants to learn.”
Continuing their partnership and a shared vision to connect players and promote mahjong in the United States, they created the American Mahjong Ranking Authority platform to bring structure to the game and create an online community to serve the rapidly growing American mahjong community.
The platform digitizes the traditional tabletop experience while strictly adhering to the official rules and card standards created by the National Mah Jongg League.
Of course, finding someone to build the app they had sketched out designs for was the next step.
Discussing their next business move over wine at Colonial Country Club, the two found their coder, their bartender.
“He was a student,” Wolsey said. “It was perfect.”
The system fills a significant gap in the industry, offering the estimated 750,000 American mahjong players a consistent, trusted method to track skill levels and compete fairly, according to the founders.
It allows players to input scores from real-life games, which are then verified by two additional players at the table to ensure accuracy. This verification process feeds into an algorithm inspired by Elo-style ranking models used in tennis and pickleball, generating real-time rankings and leaderboards.
“We believe AMR Authority brings the best of both worlds — it digitizes the competitive side of mahjong while preserving the social and tactile traditions that make the game special,” Wolsey said.
The two entrepreneurs see their ranking as crucial to building a framework that mahjong needs to evolve into a modern competitive game while staying true to its roots.
The game’s popularity has seen shifts even in the past decade.
A new generation of tile set designers has overhauled the visual identity of the game, Factor said.
“The tile sets used to be pretty utilitarian and garish. The new sets have brighter colors, better typography, more personality and better designs.”
The AMR Authority app is available to download free on the Apple Store App and will soon be available for Android phones via Google Play. An optional AMR+ subscription is available for $4.99 per month with an ad-free experience and exclusive benefits.
Wolsey and Factor said they will continue to add features to the app and update it as needed.
For Wolsey, the whole experience has been like getting a “heavenly hand,” mahjong lingo for a rare, immediate win for the dealer.
“I didn’t set out to teach people or to own a clubhouse,” she said. “I was just trying to find friends to play with. So you never know where the game will lead you.”
Bob Francis is business editor at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.
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