Matcha & Mahjong Tournament — Morning Lavender presents a casual Hong Kong mahjong tournament

Date
Fri, Aug 21
Time
6:00 – 8:00 PMCheckin begins at 5:30 PM
Location
Morning Lavender Cafe330 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA 92780

All amateur skill levels welcome · Snacks and water provided
Additional drinks & lite bites available for purchase

Register now

Entry

Pick your seat at the table

Early bird pricing through Aug 18
一

Single Player

$15
per player
Early bird · $20 after Aug 18
四

Table of Four

$48
for 4 players
Save $12 · $60 after Aug 18
Seats are randomly assigned — registering as a table of four saves you money, not your seat

Registration

Reserve your tiles

Registration has closed. Questions? Email hello@morninglavendercafe.com
Total$15

Payments are processed securely by Square. You'll see Morning Lavender Cafe on your statement.

Prizes & Titles

What you're playing for

1st

Grand Champion

Winner of the final hand

1st Place Trophy + Premium Table Mat + 5 matcha drink vouchers + Bragging Rights

2nd

Runner-Up

Most points among the other finalists

Zippered Tile Bag + 4 matcha drink vouchers

3rd

Third Place

2nd-most points among the other finalists

Mahjong Mug + 3 matcha drink vouchers

Special

Zimo Master

Most self-draw wins

Zimo Trophy + $20 Spa Gift Card + 5 matcha drink vouchers

Hong Kong Style · Official Tournament Reference

How it's played

How to win

  • Any legal 4 sets (Pongs/Chows) and 1 pair wins the hand (14 tiles).
  • No minimum Fan requirement — "Chicken Hands" (Kaiu) are 100% legal.
  • Flower and Season tiles will be exposed and replaced by a tile from the dead wall.

Winning point values

Standard Win1 point
Zimo Win1.5 points

Pace of play etiquette

  • 7-Second Guideline: roughly 7 seconds to make a move — keep the game moving.
  • No Rewinds: once a discarded tile touches the table, it cannot be taken back.
  • Continuous Shuffling: build walls immediately, don't wait on scorekeeping.

Mistakes & dead hands

  • Incorrect Pong/Chow/Win calls, or the wrong tile count, you may retract that call and play continues.
  • Incorrect Mahjong calls, your hand is DEAD.
  • Penalty: flip your hand face-down and sit the hand out — the other 3 continue.
  • Call a Judge immediately if there's a dispute.

How the night unfolds

Tournament format

1

Group stage

Three 15-minute games. 1 point per win (chicken hands count), 1.5 for a zimo. Top 24 by total points move on — ties broken by dice roll.

2

Intermission

About 10 minutes for drinks and lite bites while scores are tallied.

3

Second stage

6 tables, two more 15-minute games. Points carry over from the group stage. Top 16 by total points move on — ties broken by dice roll.

4

Elimination round

16 players, 4 tables, one hand each. Points from this hand carry over too. A draw replays at that table — no dice.

5

Final table

4 players, one hand — replayed if it draws, never settled by dice. The winner takes Grand Champion regardless of points; Runner-Up and Third Place go to the two highest point totals among the other finalists.

New to mahjong?

Learn & practice every Wednesday, 5–7 PM at Morning Lavender Cafe. Lessons at 4pm.

Play fair · Play fast · Have fun.