Feeling a certain ennui about life? Have you tried mahjong?
Cassie Lazzo (center) organizes a game of mahjong at Restaurant Iris May 9, 2025. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
In a few short years, mahjong, the Chinese tile game, has morphed into the mental equivalent of pickleball, a neighborhood pickup game with all kinds of appeal.
It stimulates brain function. It’s a distraction from screens and, for a society increasingly at home and alone, mahjong has become the modern-day equivalent of a sewing circle or men’s cigar night.
Cassie Lazzo, a registered nurse and Memphis mom of three, is one of the region’s largest influencers. Since late 2023 — when the craze landed here — she’s taught the game to more than 1,000 people in five states in lessons that cost $75 a person.
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Mahjong Cassie Lazzo Subscriber OnlyIt’s GivingTuesday week! Will you join the celebration?
Donate now to help power our free community news access program.You know the value of having unlimited access to The Daily Memphian’s news. When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians with quality, in-depth local news through
- free access at over 300 schools and libraries
- free podcasts and radio broadcasts
- free newsletters
- and more!
Thank you for keeping up with local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
Jane Roberts
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
Comments
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.