LV atmosphere continues to draw mah jongg tournaments

Monday, March 12, 2001 | 9:52 a.m.

The Marjorie Troum Mah Jongg Tournament West makes its 17th appearance in 10 years in Las Vegas this week, and its founder attributes that longevity in part to the growth of Las Vegas as an international city.

"Not many events have been coming to Las Vegas on as regular a basis as we have for the last 10 years," said Troum, daughter of the late Dorothy Meyerson, who wrote the first standardized rules for mah jongg in the United States in the 1940s.

"The city has grown so much in that time and has become such a popular destination for people -- and mah jongg players -- from all over the world. Also, Las Vegas is just a fun place to play. We really look forward to this stop."

Marjorie Troum West tournaments are conducted throughout the West, with a core of top regular players joining locals in various cities for spirited play.

Mah Jongg is a centuries-old game invented by the Mandarin Chinese. It features four players at each table, with each contestant using 14 of the 152 small Chinese-symboled tiles to achieve a winning hand. Unused tiles are discarded to opponents. A player says "mahj" or "that's it" when making a winning hand.

This week's event, which begins Wednesday with social play and continues Thursday and Friday with tournament action, is at the Riviera hotel. While the closing date for out-of-towners has passed, Troum's policy is to accept entry fees of $69 from local players until five minutes before the first round Thursday at 9 a.m.

The Las Vegas stop on the tour started in 1991 at the old Dunes hotel and moved the next year to the Imperial Palace. It was held at the Golden Nugget in 1993 and '94. Starting in 1995, there have been two stops in Las Vegas, with events at the Sahara in 1995 and '96, Golden Nugget in 1997, Gold Coast in 1995 and the Monte Carlo 1996-2000.

The event, co-sponsored by Troum's Mah Jongg Supply of Coronado, Calif., and Steve and Roberta Last's Travel Wizard of La Mesa, Calif., usually draws 50 to 100 players who compete under the national mah jongg rules.

The second tournament of 2001 will return to the Golden Nugget, Aug. 28-31.

For more information on entering either event, contact Steve or Roberta Last through the week at the Riviera, 734-5110.