Understanding the NMJL Card

The National Mah Jongg League publishes a new card every year, typically mailed in late March to early April. This card defines ALL valid winning hands for American Mahjong.

The card costs $14 ($15 for large print) and is available from nationalmahjonggleague.org. Proceeds support charitable causes including the Alzheimer's Association and American Heart Association.

Using the current card is essential - last year's hands are not valid. Most groups expect players to have the current card memorized or readily available.

NUMBERS (1-9): Represent tiles of any suit. A '5' means the 5 of any suit.

COLORS: The primary way suits are indicated. Tiles in the SAME color must be the SAME suit; tiles in DIFFERENT colors must be DIFFERENT suits. You choose which suit goes with which color.

DD, GG, RR: Dragon pairs - D for any Dragon, or specific (Red Dragon = R, Green = G, White = W).

NEWS: The four Winds - North, East, West, South. Sometimes shown as 'NNNN' for four Norths.

FF: Flower pair. FFFF means four Flowers.

0: White Dragon (also called 'Soap' - the blank tile).

Each hand shows a point value (25, 30, 35, 40, 50). Higher points = harder hands.

A 'C' after the points means CONCEALED only - no exposures allowed until you win.

Basic hands (25 pts) are more common and easier to make. 50-point hands are rare but rewarding.

Point values matter for scoring - the winner collects this amount from each player (doubled for self-pick or from the discarder).

2468 (Evens): Hands using only even-numbered tiles (2, 4, 6, 8)

13579 (Odds): Hands using only odd-numbered tiles (1, 3, 5, 7, 9)

CONSECUTIVE RUN: Hands with sequential numbers (123, 234, 456, etc.)

LIKE NUMBERS: Hands where tiles share the same number across suits (111 222 333)

ADDITION HANDS: Mathematical patterns where tiles add up to specific values

QUINTS: Hands featuring five of the same tile (using Jokers)

SINGLES AND PAIRS: Special hands with single tiles or pairs only

369: Hands using only 3, 6, and 9 tiles

CATEGORIZE YOUR TILES: When you pick up your hand, quickly sort by category - what evens do you have? Odds? Pairs?

FIND YOUR SECTION: Based on your tiles, identify which section(s) of the card offer possibilities.

HIGHLIGHT FAVORITES: Many players highlight or tab hands they've successfully played or particularly like.

PRACTICE RECOGNITION: Drill yourself on reading hands until the notation becomes automatic.

DON'T MEMORIZE EVERY HAND: Focus on the structure and patterns. You'll naturally learn frequently-played hands.

KNOW THE EXPENSIVE HANDS: Higher-point hands often require Quints or specific combinations. Know what's achievable with your Joker count.

WATCH FOR TRAP HANDS: Some hands look possible but require tiles that are already played. Check discards.

YEAR-TO-YEAR CHANGES: Some categories get easier or harder each year. Pay attention to what's new.

CONCEALED OPPORTUNITIES: Concealed hands pay more but are risky. Know which are worth attempting.