This post is sponsored by Hootenanny Games. I was gifted a set of Mahjong Playing Cards to try and share. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Y’all know that mahjong has become one of my very favorite hobbies over the last couple of years. I love our Sips & Suits nights, I love a beautifully set mahjong table and I have slowly collected all of the pretty pieces to create my dream setup at home.
The only problem with all of that pretty mahjong stuff is that it is a LOT of stuff. Tiles, racks, mats, dice, cards and everything else that comes along with setting up a game aren’t exactly something I’m tossing into my carry-on for a weekend away “just in case” I can drum up some players. So when Hootenanny Games sent me their new Mahjong Playing Cards, I was immediately intrigued. It’s American mahjong, but instead of playing with traditional tiles, you play with a beautiful deck of cards.
And naturally, I packed them for our weekend at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes.
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Honey and I ended up playing round after round during our stay, including a little happy hour game one afternoon, and these turned out to be such a fun addition to our weekend. We could pull them out, play a round and put everything away again without needing a full mahjong table or hauling an entire set from home.
For someone who travels as much as I do, I think that’s where these really shine.
American Mahjong, Just in Card Form
The deck translates the familiar American mahjong tiles into playing cards, so you’ll still find your Bams, Cracks, Dots, Winds, Dragons, Flowers and Jokers. You play using your regular National Mah Jongg League card, so if you already know how to play American mahjong, the game itself feels very familiar.
Obviously, handling cards is different from building a wall and playing with tiles, and I don’t think these are intended to replace a traditional mahjong set. I certainly won’t be giving up my tiles anytime soon. Instead, I see them as another way to play.
They’re perfect for travel, a beach or pool day, a girls’ weekend or anytime you want to play but don’t have the space or desire to set up an entire mahjong table. I can easily see myself throwing these into my bag for a trip with friends or keeping them handy for an impromptu game.
And unlike my actual mahjong set, they take up almost no room in a suitcase. That alone is a win.
If you want to add a set to your own travel bag, you can find the Mahjong Playing Cards here.
And Of Course, They’re Pretty
Naturally, if I’m going to play mahjong with cards, I still want them to be pretty.
Hootenanny Games collaborated with Nashville artist Amanda Norman on the original artwork, and the entire set is beautifully done. The illustrations have a soft, almost watercolor quality with lovely colors that make the cards feel special rather than like a standard deck of playing cards.
Even the packaging is pretty. The cards come in a keepsake magnetic-closure box with pearlescent dice, so the whole thing feels giftable and nice enough to leave sitting out.
As someone who has been known to coordinate an entire mahjong table down to the lamp and personalized card cover, I appreciate these things.
What We Thought After Actually Playing
Honey and I played enough rounds at The Ritz to really get a feel for them, and I was surprised by how quickly we adjusted from tiles to cards. Once you get used to looking for the suits and numbers on cards rather than tiles, play moves along easily.
Would I choose cards over my beautiful tiles for our regular Sips & Suits night at home? Probably not. Part of what I love about mahjong is the ritual of setting the table, mixing the tiles and building the walls.
But would I pack an entire mahjong set for a long weekend when I could slip this little box into my luggage instead? Absolutely not. These are going in the suitcase. (Today, in fact!)
I also think they’d make such a fun gift for a mahjong friend, particularly someone who travels frequently or already owns a traditional set and doesn’t need another one. It’s something different that still fits perfectly with a hobby we love.
Mahjong has become about so much more than the actual game for me. It’s an excuse to gather around a table, slow down, talk, laugh and spend time with people I love. If a little box of cards makes it easier to do that in more places, I’m all for it.
And after spending an afternoon at The Ritz with Honey, a cocktail and a few rounds of mahjong, I can personally confirm that game night travels very well. Sweet little box. Beautiful cards. Very little suitcase space required. My kind of travel companion.
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