Sisterhood
Mahjong Tournament

Sunday, August 24, 2025

Midbar Kodesh Temple Sisterhood invites you to join us for our 1st Annual Sisterhood Mahjong Tournament on Sunday, August 24, 2025!

Registration and check-in will begin at 10:00 AM, with play starting promptly at 11:00 AM. Games will continue until approximately 3:30–4:00 PM.

Prizes will be awarded at the end of the tournament.

Please bring your 2025 National Mah Jongg League card with you. The tournament will follow the Official Standard Hands & Rules of the National Mah Jongg League Inc. for the current year.

All skill levels are welcome!

Cash Prizes, Raffles, Door Prizes, and Multiple Winners!

Entry Fee on or before July 25: $50

Entry Fee after July 25: $65

Registration Closes: August 10

Event Details

Date: Sunday, August 24, 2025
Registration & Check-in: 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM
Tournament Play: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM (4 rounds)
Prizes & Awards: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Brunch will be provided at 10:00 AM. Light snacks and beverages will be available between rounds.

Tournament Details

Have patience for others; please do not criticize or judge your opponent’s play.
RESPECT: Be gracious and courteous to your fellow players. This tournament enforces ZERO TOLERANCE for inconsiderate, rude, or abusive behavior.
The “East” player will start the game by rolling the dice to break the wall.
The first Charleston is compulsory; the second Charleston may be stopped before the 2nd left pass.
You may only have a blind pass or steal on the last pass of each Charleston (i.e., the first left and the last right). If you steal a tile, you may NOT look at it. (Minus 10 points if you look.)
NO PICKING AHEAD – The next tile in play should not be touched until the previous player has discarded. Do not place your hand on the next tile or hover over the wall until the player before you has discarded.
A tile should be racked as soon as it is drawn. “Pick & Click” is the best practice. Once a tile is racked, the previous tile cannot be called by another player. (A tile may be called up until the next tile is racked.) A tile should be racked first… then discarded.
Picking and racking too quickly is considered unkind. As a courtesy to others, allow a slight pause before picking your tile so that other players have seen and considered the discarded tile. However, do not delay the game.
You must initiate your turn by picking up a tile before any jokers can be exchanged, or you will be declared dead.
If a player calls a tile and has not put it in their rack, they may decide not to take it. This is true even if they have touched or picked up the tile. Calling is not a commitment until the tile is racked.
The best practice is to place a called tile UP ON your rack. However, there is no penalty for placing it IN your rack first.
If you name a tile for discard but have not placed it on the table, you may change your mind.
When declaring Mah Jongg, display the hand “as it appears” on the Mah Jongg card.
Time will be called after 55 minutes. Each table will have 5 minutes to finish that game, or everyone playing at the table is declared dead and will receive “0” for that game.

The winner of each hand scores exact values on the card.
Add 10 points when player picks their own Mah Jongg tile.
Add 20 points when the player has no jokers. Exception: there is no bonus for Singles and Pairs hands.
Minus 10 points to player who throws winning tile to player who has one or no exposures on rack.
Minus 20 points to player who throws winning tile to player who has two or more exposures on rack.
Add 10 points to each player for a wall game. Exception: “dead hand” or Mahj in error receives 0 points.
Minus 10 points to a player who looks at a stolen tile during a blind pass.
If a player is declared “dead,” then they receive 0 points in the event of a wall game or if someone else declares Mah Jongg. Any Jokers that were exposed PRIOR to the hand being called “dead” may be redeemed during the remaining players’ turn. If you declare a hand “dead” in error, your hand is “dead.”
If Mah Jongg is declared in error and all players have exposed their hands, the person in error scores 0 points and all others score 10 points. If only one player does not expose their hand, that player scores 10 points and all others score 0 points. If two or three hands are intact, play continues. Players should NOT throw in hand or expose hand until Mah Jongg is verified.
If a concealed hand is incorrectly exposed for Mah Jongg, tiles must be returned to rack. Joker(s) cannot be redeemed, and the player is “dead.”
If a mis-named tile is called for Mah Jongg, then the discarder receives Minus 20 points and the Mahjongg receives the points on the card. A mis-named discarded tile cannot be called for an exposure. If you start to expose tiles based on what you hear, and not see your hand will be called dead.
Time will be called after 55 minutes. Each table will have 5 minutes to finish that game, or everyone playing at the table is declared dead and will receive 0 points for that game.

Is the tournament open to members and non-members?

Yes! Anyone is welcome to play!

How does the tournament work?

When you arrive and check-in, you will draw a table number and a direction (NEWS). You will start at the table you drew, and then rotate based on your table movement direction.

What rules does this tournament follow?

Our Mahj Tournament will be based off the National Mah Jongg League Tournament structure.

Is the tournament open to beginners?

Yes, however, because it is a timed tournament you must play quickly in order to complete the rounds on time. We will offer lessons for beginners on Sundays leading up to the tournament. If interested in joining those lessons, please email Tiffany at TiffanyDoctors@gmail.com.

How should I prepare for the tournament?

Play! Join Sisterhood on Sunday’s for friendly games or lessons leading up to the tournament! (insert calendar of dates for play and lessons here)

How long is the tournament?

There will be 4 rounds, an hour each, of tournament play, with a short break between rounds for snacking and bathroom breaks. Awards will be after all play concludes. Plan to be at MKT from 10am until about 4:30pm.

How many winners will there be?

There will be 5 cash prizes awarded, but there will also be raffle prizes and door prizes as well.

What kind of Mahj sets will be used?

We will use standard American Mahj Jongg sets (with jokers).

What card will be used?

We will be using the 2025 National Mahj Jongg league card. Everyone must bring their own card

Interested in Sponsoring the Event?

Sponsorship Levels

$100 – Flower Sponsor
Name displayed on event signage.
$250 – Dragon Sponsor
Name on event signage and recognition on social media.
$500 – Wind Sponsor
Name on event signage, social media recognition, and one free tournament entry.
$750 – Crack-Bam-Dot Sponsor
Name on event signage, social media recognition, four free tournament entries, and the ability to choose who sits at your Round 1 table.
$1,000 – Joker Sponsor
Name on event signage, social media recognition, four free tournament entries, the ability to choose your Round 1 table, and your logo featured on a tournament giveaway.