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

Getting four at the table

Mahjong and canasta are four-player games, so you set up the table: friends, neighbors, a sister, a daughter who's visiting. The pro brings the set or cards and teaches. Because these games take a few sessions to sink in, mahjong and canasta bookings are at least 4 visits.

In Roseland, finding three more players is often easier than people expect. The Roseland Senior Society meets at the Roseland Free Public Library, and a standing game at someone's house is a natural next step for a group that already knows each other.

Bridge, and chess

Bridge has a reputation for being hard, and it does take time. A good teacher breaks it into pieces: first the play of the cards, then a simple approach to bidding. Lapsed players often want a refresher more than a full course, and that's easy to arrange.

Chess is a little different. Most people who book chess want an opponent, someone to play a proper game with each week who won't go easy on them. Some pros also teach, so if you're newer to the game, say so.

A sample first session

For mahjong, the first visit is usually tiles and basics: the suits, the honors, how a hand comes together. By the end of the hour you'll have played a few slow practice hands with the teacher talking you through each turn. By the third or fourth visit the table is playing on its own and the teacher is mostly answering questions.

For canasta, it's melds and the discard pile on day one, and scoring once everyone has the rhythm.

Chess is simpler to start: one board, two players, and a pro who'll play a full game at your level. Many players like a short review afterward of the move where things went wrong.

Cost

Pros set their own hourly rate between $50 and $150, and visits are 1, 1.5 or 2 hours. Game sessions often run 1.5 or 2 hours. The person booking pays one rate for the visit, not per player, plus a $2.50 booking fee and a 10% service fee. Book four weeks at the same time, or every week until you cancel.

If one of your four can't make it some weeks, ask the pro how they handle it. Some will sit in so the game still runs, which also makes it easier to learn by watching how an experienced player thinks through a hand.