About Michael Kane

I grew up between Guam and Hawaii, where mahjong was woven into the fabric of everyday life. I saw it played at family gatherings, in community spaces — the rhythmic click of tiles, the focused silence of players in thought, the laughter when someone called “Mahjong!” I knew the tiles from mahjong solitaire computer games, but the real game felt distant. Complex. For other people.

That changed when fellow engineers invited me to join the work mahjong club. The club runs with official company sanction and the enthusiastic support of a close colleague who founded and runs it. I sat down. It only took four sessions to get completely hooked.

Two years later, I haven't looked back.

Sociologists call it a “Third Place” — the community beyond home and work where you truly belong. For me, the mahjong club is exactly that.

We meet weekly, hosting 4 to 6 gaming tables, and the group is as diverse and welcoming as any I've been part of. Hong Kong style is the mainstay, but the club has opened my eyes to much more. Some members play Malaysian mahjong — including social low-stakes games that are really about camaraderie. Many love the meditative depth of Japanese Riichi. And just recently, a visiting guest taught everyone Sichuan rules in one electric evening.

This breadth of exposure — Hong Kong, Riichi, Malaysian, Sichuan — is rare in a single instructor. It means I can place any style in context, draw connections, and help students see the bigger world of mahjong, not just one corner of it.

A good mahjong teacher breaks complexity into clarity. My background as an Engineering Manager has shaped how I approach teaching: patiently, structurally, building a genuine foundation before adding nuance. I don't want students to memorize rules — I want them to understand the game well enough to play it with confidence and enjoy it for years to come.

My first class of four students — all complete beginners in their 50s — finished four sessions and were playing real games. They asked if I had a website. I realized I should.

If you've been curious about mahjong, I'd love to be the one who brings you into it.