The Mahjcast: Two Bros Talk Mahjong

It’s spooky season, and this one is stacked.Gotham's Mahj Queen of Halloween Jill Kargman joins us with Sandy Drucker-Wright and Peyton Cochran, the founders of Center & Spring, to talk mahjong, Halloween, goth glamour, fast play, dead hands, and the limited-edition collection that’s basically impossible to get your hands on. Jill also gets into why mahjong became such an obsession, her dream table, tournament play, and why sometimes the best response to table drama is simply: it’s just an f'in game, people!Then we recap one of the mahj-iest weeks we’ve ever had: the Mahjong Warriors tournament, a house full of out-of-town players, a visit from the team behind a new mahjong documentary, a big Mahj the Magazine night in NYC, Mini Mahj Daily chaos, and more questionable decisions than we’d care to admit.Plus: Jason wins a hand that may have changed his life, Ira continues to be everyone’s favorite, and we raise a cauldron to badass women making mahjong cooler, weirder and more fun.Pull up a chair, rack your tiles, and let’s play.Follow us: @themahjbros on Instagram + FacebookFollow our new friends: @jillkargman & @centerandspringEverything Mahj Bros: www.themahjbros.comListen, subscribe, rate & review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.

This week on The Mahjcast, it’s Jason’s birthday, and the Bros are celebrating with one of our BIGGEST episodes yet. 🎂🀄First up, the hysterical social media mahjong sensations @mahjladies pull up a chair. Mara and Sharon talk about going from a decades-long weekly mahjong game to social media stardom, Cameos, mahjong fame, questionable tuna fish etiquette, pickleball, the Alamo, Marshalls, and everything in between. Let’s just say there wasn’t a dry Depends to be found.And then, a Mahjcast exclusive: Lesssssssslie Kimel, founder and creator of @MiniMahjDaily, joins us for a rare interview about the phenomenon that has taken the mahjong world by storm. Leslie gives us the story behind MMD, how she built the “Wordle of mahjong,” what nearly half a million games played looks like, why Ivy is such a bitch, the recent National Mah Jongg League card rollout, and where Mini Mahj Daily goes from here.Plus:🀄 Jason and Ira play the 1973–74 NMJL card🀄 Ira reveals the final results of his Summer Challenge… and then loses the evidence🀄 A birthday edition of “How Well Does Ira Know Jason?”🀄 The Mahj Bros Battle heats up on Mini Mahj Daily🀄 And The Last Tile looks at the creators, personalities and communities turning mahjong from a game into a full-blown lifestyleIt’s funny, a little inappropriate, occasionally educational, and very Mahj Bros.Pull up a chair. Rack your tiles. Let’s play.🎧 Listen to The Mahjcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @themahjbros🌐 Everything Mahj Bros: themahjbros.comAnd, as always… may the jokers be with you. 🀄

This week on The Mahjcast, Jason and Ira are still dealing with the fallout from the reverse joker swap heard ’round the mahjong internet. Is it genius? Is it a mahjtastrophe? Is it Jason’s Law? The community has spoken — loudly — and the bros are unpacking every scandalous tile.Plus, Nancy from Cane Bay Mahjong joins by phone to talk about her team’s incredible Guinness World Record win — 48 hours, 202 games, bathroom-break strategy, no sleep, and one very missed Depends sponsorship opportunity.Then we head down to Tampa, where Florida is Florida-ing, the mahjong drama is juicy, and apparently even vintage tile boxes can trigger the bomb squad.And we are thrilled to welcome one of our favorite Mahjiverse personalities, Bird Bam Beth, for a hilarious, smart, slightly profane conversation about teaching mahjong, house rules, super jokers, alternative cards, mahjong on mushrooms, dogging, building community, and why there really is room for everyone at the table.It’s a full-on great mahjisode this week. So pull up a chair, rack your tiles, and let’s play.

This week on The Mahjcast, Jason and Ira go full Mahj in the Wild as they unpack real-life games, table drama, dry spells, ten-joker chaos, and the emotional toll of being completely mahjless.We’ve got a loaded mailbag, a truly scandalous Mahj Confession involving a bride, a bachelorette weekend, and way too many pauses after discards, plus shout-outs to Modern Mahjong, the New York Jewish Mahjong Festival, Mix and Maj in Summit, and more.Then the Mahjbros debut a brand-new segment: Mahjbros Investigate, featuring Rebekah from @themahjongpivot, as we crack open the case of the “mistaken mahjong” and determine whether a viral post from @ohmymahjong was actually wrong… or secretly a perfectly good mahjong all along.Plus: Ira’s mahj vocabulary lesson, Jason’s losing streak, Rebecca’s Utah mahj scene, and a Last Tile reminder that being mahjless doesn’t make you hopeless — it just means your next mahjong is coming.Pull up a chair, rack your tiles, and let's play.DM us on Instagram @themahjbros, we'd love to hear from you.

This week on The Mahjcast, Jason and Ira welcome Kim Eagle from Ladies That Mahj to the table — and yes, we are officially obsessed.Kim shares how she went from learning mahjong during hip surgery recovery to building a fast-growing teaching community in Bucks County, PA, with sold-out classes, online lessons, and more than a few strong opinions on how the game should be taught.Also this week:Ira clarifies the rules of his big summer card challenge — and somehow makes it even more complicatedJason reviews the Mahjong app and brags about his win rateKim weighs in on playing for money, food at the table, alternate cards, and when to stop the CharlestonWe talk teaching beginners, commitment issues at the table, and why touching the tiles mattersMahj Moment spotlights So Bam Fun and Bird Bam BearsThe Mailbag brings pineapple kugel, tile flickers, and listener pet peevesMahj Confessions returns with a shocking cheating scandalA very hysterical Dream Table Last Tile--You'll want to pass it on!Follow Kim at @ladiesthatmahj and find her classes, content, and recently-launched online course at LadiesThatMahj.com.Follow us on Instagram at @TheMahjBros and slide into our DMs with your Mahj Confessions, Mailbag questions, Dream Table picks, and hot takes. We're giving away subs to Mahj the Mag, people, let's go! ($150 value)Pull up a chair, rack your tiles and let's play.

It’s our 10th episode, and we’re celebrating with a major mahj-lebrity: Lance Karp of Maj With Lance — teacher, collector, mahjong storyteller, and one of the most influential voices helping grow the game right now.Jason and Ira talk with Lance about how mahjong became his passion, why the game is having such a powerful cultural moment, and how the table can reconnect people in a world that feels more divided and distracted than ever. We get into men joining the game, the beauty of teaching beginners, the magic of vintage sets, Kelly Ripa’s mahjong skills, and why the National Mah Jongg League card still matters.Plus, Lance weighs in on the big debates: playing for money, food at the table, stopping the Charleston, alternative cards, defensive play, and why 2026 may officially be the year of the pivot.And yes, Ira’s quest to win every hand on the card continues. Only about 1,399 games to go, bro.In this episode:Lance Karp joins the Mahj BrosIra’s summer challenge updateThe debut of our new Mahjcast theme songWhy mahjong is exploding right nowMen at the table and growing the game2026 card strategy and hands we loveLance plays along for a special edition of Call It!Kelly Ripa, dream tables and the energy vintage sets bringListen now on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Podcasts. May the jokers be with you.

This week on The Mahjcast, Jason and Ira dive headfirst into one of the most debated moves in the game—stopping the Charleston. Is it strategy, sabotage, or a straight-up declaration of war? We break down the etiquette, psychology, and table drama behind the move that can flip an entire game on its head.Plus, we’re unpacking the Winds & Dragons section of the 2026 card—why it’s more powerful (and more playable) than people think, how to approach it, and where the real pivot opportunities lie.Also in this episode:A very spirited Maj Bros election drama (yes, there was campaigning…) The Mahj Moment: why mahjong is having a major cultural comebackThe Maj Bros mailbag + some of our favorite community momentsMahjong creators we’re loving right nowA special Dream Table (Mother’s Day edition ❤️)And, of course… a Last Tile that might actually win Ira over (no promises)It’s strategic, it’s opinionated, it’s a little chaotic—and it’s a can’t-miss episode.Pull up a chair, rack your tiles… and let’s play.

We’re coming off one of those nights—the kind that reminds you why you love this game. A perfect NYC evening with friends, great food, great vibes, and some seriously good Mahjong.This week, we’re diving into the 2-4-6-8 section on the new 2026 card—clean, structured hands that might look simple, but bring major strategy (and serious pressure on those sixes). We break down pivots, where people get stuck, and how to think through this section when the tiles aren’t cooperating.We’re also getting into:The mistake that cost us a big hand (read the card, people)Defensive vs offensive play—when to go for it vs play it safeWhy sixes are flying this year and how to manage the chaosThe Mahjong Moment—IG handles we love and the growing culture of the gameReal friends vs Mahj friends… and the Holy Grail!Plus: dream tables, listener shoutouts, and a Last Tile that actually hits (whether Ira likes it or not).So pull up a chair, rack your tiles, and let’s play.