Mahjong has taken over card tables everywhere. This is how you catch up.

The C.H. Booth Library runs a three-session bootcamp for complete beginners, and the commitment is the point: one registration enrols you in all three evenings, and it is first-time students only, so the whole room learns at the same pace. Sets and 2026 cards are provided. As much as anything it is a way to meet people, which is most of why the game has spread the way it has.

The three evenings. September 15, 22 and 29, each 5:30pm to 7:45pm.

Good to know. Free, limited to twelve places, and registration covers all three sessions. The class is currently full, but there is a waiting list. The library also runs a Mahjong Monthly newsletter for anyone wanting to hear about future sessions.

Where to go. The Genealogy Room at the library, 25 Main Street.