CULTURE + ARTS

SLAH: What’s the Deal With Mahjong?

Inexplicably confusing yet undeniably addicting, the traditional Chinese game is taking Saratoga by storm.

By Natalie Moore

January 22, 2026

When I first started noticing people playing Mahjong around town—at Kaffee House on West Ave and at the Saratoga Y—I figured the game was like Rummikub. (I hate Rummikub.) But the more I learned about it, the more intrigued I became.

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Natalie Moore

Natalie Moore is the editor of Saratoga Living and Capital Region Living magazines. A native of Ballston Lake, she began her career as an editorial intern at Saratoga Living, and, essentially, never left. In addition to overseeing the creation of the print magazines, she is the main contributor to Saratoga Living After Hours, a Substack newsletter that covers the Spa City’s social scene. In an alternate reality, she is a professional pickleball player.