Mahjong, bridge and canasta lessons at home in Montclair, NJ

Getting the table back together

Mahjong and canasta need four players. On Home Happenings, you set up the table: a neighbor or two, a friend from the old book club, a daughter who is in town. The pro brings the game, teaches the rules and keeps play moving. Because it takes a few sessions for a new group to find its rhythm, mahjong and canasta bookings start at four visits.

Bridge works the same way when you have a foursome, and pros can also teach bidding to a pair who want to join a game later.

Groups often rotate who hosts each week, and the pro simply goes to that house. Tell them the address in messages ahead of time so nobody is waiting at the wrong door.

Chess as a weekly ritual

Chess is a little different. Most people who book it already know how to play. What they miss is a real opponent across the board every week. The pro shows up, sets up the pieces and plays a proper game, maybe two. Some will review a game afterward or teach openings if you want that.

For a widower who used to play with his brother, or a retired teacher who misses the club, that standing Thursday game matters.

Pros can also help groups pick the right game. A group that loves to chat might do best with canasta. A group that likes a puzzle might take to mahjong. A pair who want a challenge might enjoy bridge. Message a pro with your group's personality and they will suggest a fit.

Where Montclair plays

The Montclair Public Library has two branches, the main library and the Bellevue Avenue branch in Upper Montclair, and both are good places to borrow books on bridge strategy or mahjong hands between sessions. Many groups also head out together for lunch in Montclair Center on Bloomfield Avenue after a game.

Learning at home first means everyone gets comfortable with the rules before trying a public table.

Price and booking

Pros set their own rate between $50 and $150 an hour, and sessions are 1, 1.5 or 2 hours. Card games tend to run long, so 2 hours is popular. The fees at checkout are a $2.50 booking fee and a 10% service fee. The rate covers the session, not each player, so a table of four can split it however they like.

Most tables book four weeks in a row at the same hour, or a standing weekly game. Cancel free up to 3 days ahead, which helps when one player has a conflict.