Rocky Mountain Mahjong

 

Avery, the self-taught Mahjong maestro who transformed a bulletin board post into a thriving Mahjong community of over 3,100 players since 2022.

After moving from Texas to Colorado, Avery's quest to connect led to a 2nd place finish at the 2024 Mahjong World Championship. With a professional background in educating surgeons on new medical procedures, Avery brings precision and passion to every lesson.

When not orchestrating tile triumphs, Avery enjoys managing the pickleball team "The Denver Dinkers," running the golf league "Birdies & Bogeys," guiding blind athletes in marathons and triathlons, cross-country skiing, volunteering with Denver Trout Unlimited, bird watching, reading clinical studies, fly fishing, curling, and spending time with a 4-year-old niece and 8-year-old dog.

I teach in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. EMAIL ROCKY MOUNTAIN MAHJONG

Where do you teach? 

Denver and the surrounding areas 🏔️

Where, when and how did you learn mahjong? 

I have a nearly eidetic memory, so when I picked up a mahjong book in 2022, I somehow taught myself the game in under an hour. Not exactly the typical learning path—but it turns out my brain and bams get along just fine!

Tell us why you love Mahjong?

There’s just something about tiny tiles and big personalities that brings people together—the magic of the Mahjong community is unrivaled. My healthcare brain also loves the sneaky cognitive perks (who knew building new neural pathways could be this fun?). And that moment when a client’s eyes light up because it finally clicks? Absolute gold.

What is your favorite mahjong memory? 

There are two that stand out:

First, the time I came in 2nd place at the 2024 Mahjong World Championship—as a total newbie! I couldn’t believe it, but nothing beats the feeling of outsmarting the pros with solid strategy and a whole lot of heart (and kindness!).

The other was a random Friday night with 11 friends, playing Mahjong by my pool, George Strait on the speaker, and plans to stop at 8pm that turned into a midnight mahj marathon. That night, surrounded by laughter and tiles, I knew I didn’t just win a game, I’d won at life.

What is your favorite NJML line or mahjong tile? 

Most people love a Joker, I like winning a joker-less hand. I’ll take a Soap or a wind any day!

What makes you laugh? 

Witty banter is my unofficial love language, clever puns always crack me up (egg-specially the unexpected ones), and my four-year-old niece is basically a tiny stand-up comic with zero filter and impeccable timing.

One thing you can't live without. 

After losing my home and everything I owned in a fire in 2018, I found out pretty fast that “stuff” isn’t it. But my friends and community? They were my human fire blanket—warm, comforting, and absolutely essential.

Motto for life

It’s a toss-up between “I love that for you” (said with just the right mix of sincerity and sass) or “Kindness: my daily dose of doing the most.” Basically, I’m here to hype you up and hold the door open.

What would you sing on Karaoke night?

Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot—complete with a full choreography I definitely didn’t rehearse in my bathroom mirror (yes I did). But if I had actual vocal range instead of just range of motion, it would 100% be Delicate by Taylor Swift.

What Mahjong Line set is your favorite to play on?

My favorite set? Easy—The Lucky Line: Jade Green. Do I love green? Absolutely. Am I obsessed with the little mushrooms? You bet your bams I am. And the jokers? Let’s just say if loving an aggressively charming set of tiles is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

The person, alive or dead, you would love to have at your dinner party.

Easy—Taylor Swift. She’s the ultimate mastermind, lyrical genius, and strategic queen…basically the mahjong of humans. I’d love to have dinner, swap stories, and then casually destroy her in a friendly round of tiles (that she eventually writes a Mahj-coded song about).

Stranded on a desert island and you only have one movie to watch...

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. I may not have Wi-Fi, fresh water, or basic survival skills…but I will have costume changes, choreography, and a 3-hour emotional rollercoaster to keep me going. Who needs a rescue plan when you’ve got 44 songs and a glitter mic?