So Bam Fun

Category: Learning · American Mahjong lessons & events
Also called: SoBamFun; SBF mahjong lessons
Last checked: 2026-09-16

What it is

So Bam Fun is a first-party American Mahjong instruction company offering private in-home lessons, public beginner/open-play events, and corporate sessions across 10+ U.S. cities. Instructors bring tiles, racks, and materials; teaching is framed around National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules. It is a learning / events operator, not a tile shop and not a single-city JCC drop-in listing.

Who it’s for

Beginners and social players who want instructor-led American Mahjong — private group lessons at home or ticketed public beginner / guided / open-play events in major U.S. cities — rather than a self-paced app-only course or a single local club night.

Why it’s listed

Plaza needs a citeable multi-city learning operator with printed lesson prices, city list, and a live ticket calendar — not already on disk (not Mahj with Molly, School of American Mah Jongg, Master Your Mahjong, Lara’s Mahjong Edit, Atlanta Mentors, Tom Sloper, or Mahjong Journey).

• Homepage (https://www.sobamfun.com/) loaded on 2026-09-16: “Beginner-friendly lessons and events across 10+ U.S. cities”; offers Private Mahjong Lessons, Corporate Mahjong Events, and Public Mahjong Events; cities listed include Atlanta GA, Austin TX, Boston MA, Chicago IL, Dallas TX, Nashville TN, New York NY, Orange County CA, Phoenix AZ, San Francisco CA, Washington DC. Contact hello@sobamfun.com.
• Private lessons page (https://www.sobamfun.com/private-lessons/): 2-hour sessions; instructors bring tiles, racks, and materials; American Mahjong / NMJL rules; “We come to you.” Printed pricing: private group lessons start at $300 for a 2-hour session; pricing varies by group size, location, and city; recommends 2–3 lessons to fully grasp the game. FAQ repeats the $300 starting figure.
• New York city page (https://www.sobamfun.com/new-york/): NYC private group lessons start at $400 for a 2-hour session; NMJL framing; instructors travel Manhattan / Brooklyn (and discuss beyond). Same 2-hour structure and bring-everything model.
• Public events hub (https://www.sobamfun.com/events/): formats Beginner Mahjong Lesson (structured 2-hour class), Guided Open Play (previous lesson required), and Open Play (no instruction). Registration via https://tickets.sobamfun.com/. City ticket filters linked for Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, New York City, Orange County, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.
• Tickets calendar (https://tickets.sobamfun.com/) on 2026-09-16 listed numerous dated September–December events (examples that day): Sep 16 Beginner Lesson & Open Play at Burger Joint / Thompson Central Park (NYC, 7:00–9:00 PM EDT); Sep 17 Beginner Lesson at Bibliotheque (NYC); Sep 20 Austin / Chicago events; Sep 21 Atlanta Whitley; Sep 22 Emmy Squared Navy Yard (Washington DC); Sep 29 The Chloe (Nashville); Oct 11 Sixty Vines (Washington DC); continuing through Dec 14 TimeOut Union Square (NYC). Confirm the live tickets board for seats and ticket prices before treating a date as open.

Private-lesson starting prices above are what the official So Bam Fun pages showed on the check date. Public event ticket dollar amounts are set on the tickets platform per event — confirm there before booking. Prices and calendars can change.

Official URL

Home: https://www.sobamfun.com/

Private lessons: https://www.sobamfun.com/private-lessons/

Public events: https://www.sobamfun.com/events/

Tickets calendar: https://tickets.sobamfun.com/

NYC page: https://www.sobamfun.com/new-york/

Location

Multi-city U.S. operator. Homepage / events pages list Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, New York, Orange County, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. Private lessons travel to the student’s home/office/venue; public events use dated venue listings on the tickets calendar.

Notes

• American Mahjong / NMJL instruction. Do not list as Riichi or Chinese-family table teaching as the primary identity.
• Learning + ticketed social events company, not a first-party tile manufacturer.
• Not affiliated with Mahjong Plaza.

FAQ

Q: What style of mahjong does So Bam Fun teach?
A: Official private-lessons and NYC pages say American Mahjong using National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules.

Q: How much do private lessons cost?
A: On 2026-09-16 the private-lessons page said group lessons start at $300 for a 2-hour session (varies by city/group size). The NYC page printed a $400 starting figure for that market.

Q: Do I need to bring tiles?
A: No. Official pages state instructors bring tiles, racks, NMJL cards, and materials; you need a table and your group for private lessons. Public events are ticketed via tickets.sobamfun.com.