American mahjong
What is the card in American mahjong?
What the yearly card is, how to read a hand on it, and why you bring your own.
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The short answer
In American mahjong, a printed list of the hands you are allowed to win with. It changes every year, so everyone at the table aims for the same small set of patterns. Each hand on it has a value.
JONGG does not provide a full digital copy of the National Mah Jongg League card. Bring your own printed card when you play NMJL hands.
Reading a hand on the card
Each line on the card is one hand you can win with, with its value printed beside it.
Two meanings: the tiles you are playing, including any groups laid face up, and a winning pattern on the card. A completed winning hand has fourteen tiles in total.
A hand marked concealed on the card must be built without calling any discards, except the very last tile that wins it. All its tiles stay hidden until the win.
A group you lay face up after calling a discard must fit a hand on the card.
Practice this in JONGG
See which card editions JONGG supports, then practice keeping your options open while you choose a hand.