As summer time approaches, adults in Baton Rouge are trading in their free time for community Mahjong clubs.
Mahjong, a 200-year-old Chinese tile game, is making a comeback in the United States and is now gaining traction across Louisiana. With its recent popularity across social media, adults in Baton Rouge have taken the game to a new level by forming social clubs.
Mauree Brooksher and Stephanie Politz took their obsession with the tile game and created Mahjong Rouge back in 2024, a company emphasizing community-building for players around Baton Rouge to create friendships through Mahjong. The pair offers intermediate and advanced group lessons while setting up open-play opportunities for players, creating community through a unique hobby.
“I think mahjong gives people a sense of purpose,” Politz explained. “Your purpose could be anything. It’s different and people like it. It’s fun. It’s so good for your brain. It’s a mental exercise that you don’t all the time get.”
Since launching Mahjong Rouge, Brooksher and Politz have seen friends and first-time players share their love of Mahjong throughout the Baton Rouge area, posting their fun experiences on social media while attracting new members every week.
“Some people love it for the social reasons and some people love it for the competitive aspect,” Brooksher said.
Michael DiResto, the director of the Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs at LSU, explains how today, at least 43% of Americans do not participate in any clubs or organizations in their community – something he believes is likely due to COVID-19’s initial impact on the U.S. back in 2020. Yet, with the rise of social media trends like Mahjong, social clubs like Mahjong Rouge are helping others find an easier way to connect in the community.
“When it comes to polarization, the best remedy for that is to get people in a room together interacting face to face,” DiResto said. “You’re going to miss out on some kind of opportunities if you’re not out there interacting with people. You never know where it’ll go.”
Locals like Mary Claire Horgan came to that same conclusion, eventually joining Mahjong Rouge in 2025 to root herself more into the community.
After walking into her first Mahjong lesson led by Brooksher and Politz, Horgan hasn’t looked back.
“Every time I’ve gone to the Mahjong Rouge, I’ve played with all new people,” Horgan said. “I know no one, but I meet everybody at my table and I’ve been doing this now for about probably a year and a half.”
With the rise of social clubs forming around Baton Rouge, Brooksher and Politz encourage adults to find community through Mahjong or other-related hobbies, knowing that participating in fun-filled activities with others can lead to lifelong connections.
