Understanding the NMJL Card

  • The 2025 NMJL Card is organized into nine sections of hand types. These sections are:
    • 2025 – hands depicted in this section mainly contain groupings of numerical tiles that represent the year the card was issued. Groupings of Flower, Dragon, and Wind tiles are also used in the hands.
    • 2468 – hands depicted in this section mainly contain groupings of even numbered numerical tiles. Two “Addition Hands” are also included this year. Groupings of Dragon and Flower tiles are also used in the hands.
    • Any Like Numbers – hands depicted in this section mainly contain groupings of identical numerical tiles. Groupings of Flower, Dragon, and Wind tiles are also used in the hands.
    • Quints – hands depicted in this section contain at least one Quint grouping. Groupings of Flower and Wind tiles are also used in the hands.
    • Consecutive Run – hands depicted in this section mainly consist of multiple groupings of identical tiles, of the same suit, that are in numerical sequence. Groupings of Flower and Dragon tiles are also used in the hands.
    • 13579 – hands depicted in this section mainly contain groupings of odd numbered numerical tiles. One “Addition Hand” is also included this year. Groupings of Dragon, Flower and Wind (NEWS) tiles are also used in the hands.
    • Winds-Dragons – hands depicted in this section mainly contain groupings of Dragon and/or Wind tiles. Groupings of numerical tiles are also used in the hands.
    • 369 – hands depicted in this section mainly contain groupings of 3, 6, and 9 numerical tiles. Two “Addition Hands” are also included this year. Groupings of Dragon and Flower tiles are also used in the hands.
    • Singles and Pairs – hands depicted in this section mainly contain groupings of numerical tiles in Singles and/or Pairs. Groupings of Flower, Dragon, or Wind tiles are also used in the hands.
  • Each section of the NMJL Card contains multiple lines identifying what groupings create a winning Mah Jongg hand. When discussing specific NMJL Card hands, the hand being discussed is identified by the Section Name and Line Number (i.e. 2468 Line 3). Sometimes the NMJL Card will identify two different hands on the same line. In instances where this occurs, the two options are identified by an “A” or “B” when discussing a specific hand (i.e. 2468 Line 1A or 2468 Line1B).
  • The NMJL Card hands consist of various groupings of 14 tiles with each hand belonging to one of the nine sections of hands.
  • The NMJL Card hands can be depicted using one, two, or three colors (Blue, Green, and Red). Each color represents a different suit however each color is not specific to any one suit.
  • The NMJL Card hands consist of the following numbers and/or letters:
    • 1 – numerical tile 1, 1 Bam or 1 Crak or 1 Dot
    • 2 – numerical tile 2, 2 Bam or 2 Crak or 2 Dot
    • 3 – numerical tile 3, 3 Bam or 3 Crak or 3 Dot
    • 4 – numerical tile 4, 4 Bam or 4 Crak or 4 Dot
    • 5 – numerical tile 5, 5 Bam or 5 Crak or 5 Dot
    • 6 – numerical tile 6, 6 Bam or 6 Crak or 6 Dot
    • 7 – numerical tile 7, 7 Bam or 7 Crak or 7 Dot
    • 8 – numerical tile 8, 8 Bam or 8 Crak or 8 Dot
    • 9 – numerical tile 9, 9 Bam or 9 Crak or 9 Dot
    • 0 – White Dragon
    • F – Flower tile
    • N – North Wind tile
    • E – East Wind tile
    • W – West Wind tile
    • S – South Wind tile
    • D – Dragon tile, Red Dragon, Green Dragon, or White Dragon
  • The NMJL Card always depicts Flower tiles (F), Wind tiles (N, E, W, S), and “0” (White Dragon tile used specifically as a zero) using the color Blue however these tiles are suitless and do not belong to any specific suit.
  • Dragon tiles are associated with a specific suits:
    • Red Dragon belongs to the Crak suit
    • Green Dragon belongs to the Bam suit
    • White Dragon belongs to the Dot suit
  • When the White Dragon is used as a Zero (“0”), the White Dragon is no longer associated with the Dot suit and is considered suitless.
  • A White Dragon, used as a Zero, can not be used in a consecutive run.
  • The NMJL Card uses three colors (Blue, Green, and Red) on the card to indicate when different suits must be used in a specific hand. The color-coding never dictates which suit must be used.
  • If a NMJL Card hand is shown in only one color, the numbers (1-9) and any D (Dragon tiles) shown in the NMJL Card hand must consist of tiles all from one suit. The player can decide on which suit will be used to represent the one color.
  • If a NMJL Card hand is shown in two colors, the numbers (1-9) and any D (Dragon tiles) shown in the NMJL Card hand must consist of tiles from two suits. The groupings shown in the same color must be represented by the same suit when the player makes the hand. The player can decide on which two suits will represent the two colors.
  • If a NMJL Card hand is shown in three colors, the numbers (1-9) and any D (Dragon tiles) shown in the NMJL Card hand must consist of tiles from all three suits. The groupings shown in the same color must be represented by the same suit when the player makes the hand. The player can decide on which suit will represent each color.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has parenthetical words following the depicted hand, these parentheticals always overrule the color-coding or letters shown.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “only” in the parenthetical words, the word “only” does not indicate that Joker tiles are not allowed. The word “only” is indicating that only the tiles depicted can be used to complete the hand.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “Any Like Nos” in the parenthetical words, the hand is depicted with one number (usually a “1”) however the hand can be completed with any like numerical tiles (1-9).
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “Any Wind” in the parenthetical words, the hand is depicted with one Wind tile however the hand can be completed with any Wind tile (N, E, W, or S).
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “Any 2 Non-Matching Nos” in the parenthetical words, the hand is depicted with two non-matching numbers however the hand can be completed with any numerical tiles that do not match.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “Any 2 Consec Nos” in the parenthetical words, the hand is depicted with two consecutive numbers; however the hand can be completed with any two numerical tiles that are consecutive.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “Any 3 Consec Nos” in the parenthetical words, the hand is depicted with three consecutive numbers; however the hand can be completed with any three numerical tiles that are consecutive.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “Any 4 Consec Nos” in the parenthetical words, the hand is depicted with four consecutive numbers; however the hand can be completed with any four numerical tiles that are consecutive.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “Any 5 Consec Nos” in the parenthetical words, the hand is depicted with five consecutive numbers; however the hand can be completed with any five numerical tiles that are consecutive.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “These Nos Only” in the parenthetical words, the hand must be completed with the exact numerical tiles as shown on the NMJL Card.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “Matching Dragons” in the parenthetical words, the hand must be completed with the Dragon tile associated with the suit being used for that specific color.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “Opp Dragons” in the parenthetical words, the hand must be completed with a Dragon tile not associated with the suit being used for that specific color.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “Any 2 Dragons” in the parenthetical words, the hand can be completed with any 2 of the 3 Dragon types.
  • If a NMJL Card hand has “Any 3 Dragons” in the parenthetical words, the hand must be completed with all three Dragon tile types.
  • The NMJL Card also depicts Single and/or Pair groupings together for aesthetic purposes only. While these groupings may look like a unique Pair, Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet they are not and they must abide by the Single and Pair rules. Some examples of these unique groupings from the 2024 NMJL Card are:
    • 15 – this is not a Pair but instead is a visual appeal grouping of Two Singles
    • 46 – this is not a Pair but instead is a visual appeal grouping of Two Singles
    • EW – this is not a Pair but instead is a visual appeal grouping of Two Singles
    • 123 – this is not a Pung but instead is a visual appeal grouping of Three Singles
    • 369 – this is not a Pung but instead is a visual appeal grouping of Three Singles
    • 2024 – this is not a Kong but instead is a visual appeal grouping of Four Singles
    • NEWS – this is not a Kong but instead is a visual appeal grouping of Four Singles
    • 112 – this is not a Pung but instead is a visual appeal grouping of a Pair and a Single
    • 11223 – this is not a Quint but instead is a visual appeal grouping of Two Pair and a Single
    • 998877 – this is not a Sextet but instead is a visual appeal grouping of Three Pair
  • Each hand on the NMJL Card is assigned a value and this value is used by the player who claims Mah Jongg to calculate how much each player should pay them for the winning hand.
  • Each hand on the NMJL Card is designated as either an Exposed Hand (X) or Concealed Hand (C).
  • A player playing an Exposed Hand (X) can claim any discarded tile (except Joker) to make a valid exposure prior to declaring Mah Jongg. A valid exposure prior to Mah Jongg is a Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet. A player does not need to expose any tiles prior to the declaring Mah Jongg; however the player is allowed when playing an Exposed Hand (X).
  • A player playing a Concealed Hand (C) can claim any discarded tile (except a Joker) only to declare Mah Jongg. No portion of the hand may be exposed until the player declares Mah Jongg.
  • In American Mah Jongg, the NMJL Card has hands consisting of consecutive runs which consists of multiple groupings (Single, Pair, Pung, or Kong) of identical tiles, of the same suit, with the groupings in increasing numerical sequence.
    • Consecutive Run examples (not a complete winning hand):1 Dot Pung, 2 Dot Pair, 3 Dot Kong


      5 Crak Single, 6 Crak Pair, 7 Crak Kong


      3 Bam Quint, 4 Bam Pair, 5 Bam Quint

    •