Custom mats and tiles of greens, blues and pinks are set on tables with four chairs. Champagne is poured. “The Mahj Clubhouse” neon sign lights up. And women of all ages file in.
Every Tuesday night, women gather at The Mahj Clubhouse in Fort Worth to play American mahjong, a U.S. variation of the Chinese tile-based strategy game. While the hobby is fun and aesthetically pleasing, many of the women are there for a dose of community and friendly competition.
The Mahj Clubhouse was the first-ever social mahjong lounge in Fort Worth. It was founded by Amanda Wolsey and Bethany Factor in 2022. Now, they also run American Mahjong Ranking Authority (AMR Authority), the first-ever worldwide American mahjong ranking system.
The Mahj Clubhouse is Fort Worth first and only mahjong lounge in Fort Worth, located at 5220 Pershing Ave. Ella Gonzales egonzales@star-telegram.com Getting started
Wolsey said she was never a gamer until she was invited to play mahjong while living in Pittsburgh. She was hooked from the first game and would play nearly every day. But when she moved back to Fort Worth, she found there were very few people who had even heard of mahjong.
So, Wolsey started teaching lessons. So much so, she would have her days fully booked while her kids were in school. She’d drag a heaping load of mahjong materials to various country clubs, restaurants and homes. She realized the need for a dedicated space for her mahjong tiles and mats.
Factor said she started playing because all her friends were playing. But it was her competitive side, as a former collegiate tennis athlete, that made her addicted. She wondered why the game didn’t have a dedicated ranking system, which ultimately led her and Wolsey to create AMR Authority.
Players can track their scores in the AMR Authority app, and the leaderboard ranks each player based on their win-loss record and points. The ranking helps players in tournaments match up with others at the same level.
Between The Mahjong Clubhouse and AMR Authority, Wolsey and Factor are the pioneers behind Fort Worth’s “mahjong boom.”
The Mahj Clubhouse features custom mats and tiles crested with The Mahj Club name. The post-COVID trend of voguish mahjong sets helped propel the game to popularity in North Texas. Ella Gonzales egonzales@star-telegram.com Why did mahjong blow up in North Texas?
Wolsey gives credit for the game’s modern popularity in North Texas to The Mahjong Line, a Dallas-based mahjong supplier that sells sets that look like artwork. For example, one of their bestsellers is a pink, ranch-themed line with tiles adorned with horseshoes and cowgirl boots and a bandana-patterned mat.
“To be very frank, we used to play with a mat that looked like it belonged in a hospital. It was like a white gauzy, super-ugly thing that you laid over the table strictly for purposes of not ruining your table,” said Wolsey. “We have come a long way with all the beautiful things. You play with your eyes first.”
A mahjong match begins at The Mahj Clubhouse in Fort Worth atop their custom mats and tiles created by owner Amanda Wolsey and artist Emily Nichols. Ella Gonzales egonzales@star-telegram.com
Custom sets at The Mahjong Clubhouse are invitingly stylish. Designed by Wolsey and local artist Emily Nichols, the mats and tablecloths are in a chic watercolor pattern and a preppy bee design. The back of the tiles has a matching pattern with the dots, bams and craks (the game’s three main numerical suit types) printed in pink, green and blue.
Though the colorful and stylish sets are a fun (and expensive) aspect of the game, many players keep coming back to mahjong because of the fellowship with other players.
Instructor Lindsay Yanaway chats with The Mahj Clubhouse players, topping off their champagne and debriefing the previous weekend’s tournament on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Ella Gonzales egonzales@star-telegram.com Mahjong creating a community in Fort Worth
The Mahjong Clubhouse offers private lessons as well as weekly free play. They also host mahjong events and tournaments here and there.
One of the Tuesday players, Danielle Ungerleide, started playing because she needed a fun outlet. Though she only started a few months ago, her friends teased that she wins almost every time.
“We really are fun. We’re just a bunch of friends who get together,” said Factor. “We’re saying, ‘Who’s bringing the snacks? Who’s bringing the champagne?’ And it’s just like a fun community where we respect each other.”
To determine the dealer, a player at The Mahj Clubhouse in Fort Worth rolls the pink dice at the beginning of the mahjong match. Ella Gonzales egonzales@star-telegram.com
Not a single table was quiet the Tuesday night the Star-Telegram visited. The beauty of the game is that each player can chat while playing. Through hours of free play and tournaments, the women really get to know each other on a personal level.
Wolsey feels as though The Mahj Clubhouse is a full-circle moment for her. She moved to Pittsburgh not knowing anyone and found a community there through the game. In Fort Worth, she sees people doing the same.
The Mahjong Clubhouse remains the only Fort Worth business dedicated to providing a space to play and learn mahjong. Another business, The Bamboo Room, is in the works, but not yet open.
Interested hobbyists can find The Mahj Clubhouse at 5220 Pershing Ave. in Fort Worth. Players can sign up for lessons, free play, events and tournaments on their website. The AMR Authority app can also be downloaded in the Apple App Store for free.
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This story was originally published August 3, 2026 at 7:00 AM.
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Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.