The short answer: The Mahjong card is the NMJL annual rule card — a large folded card with about 5 columns of winnable hands. Each row uses abbreviations (D for dots, B for bams, C for cracks, N, E, S, W for winds) plus numbers. The back lists the flower legend, and an app version exists too.
Someone slides a folded card across the table and you’re supposed to know what “6666 C” means. Don’t panic — the Mahjong card is a simple grid. Learn the abbreviations and you can read any row.
What’s printed on a Mahjong card?
The card is a grid of hands — the only reference you can win from. About 5 columns, each a different type.
- Singles and pairs — runs of tiles with matching pairs
- Pungs — three of a kind
- Kongs — four of a kind
- NEWS — wind and dragon hands
- Year hands — special hands named after the year
How do you read the abbreviations on a Mahjong card?
Every row is one winnable hand in short code. Learn 4 rules and you can read any row.
- Suits have letters: D is dots, B is bams, C is cracks
- Winds are N, E, S, W — dragons show as red, green, or white symbols
- Numbers name the tiles: “D 5 D 6 D 7” is dots 5, 6, 7 in sequence
- A dot beside the hand number means the hand must be concealed
The back lists the flower legend — which flower pairs with which wind — plus notes. The NMJL also sells the card as an app, so you can check hands on your phone instead of squinting at paper.
Reading your card is step one. Our guide to reading a Mahjong card walks through each column, and our what is the NMJL card article explains why the card changes yearly. New to the game? Start with what American Mahjong is, then play a free round online.
Related Questions
Is the Mahjong card the same every year?
No. The NMJL publishes a new card every April with completely different hands. Competing players buy a new one each year — last year’s hands are no longer legal.
Do you have to win a hand from the card?
In American Mahjong, yes — calling Mahjong with a hand that isn’t on the card doesn’t count. That’s what makes the game fair. Home games may relax the rule, but club and league play always use the card.
What do the dots next to hands mean?
A dot marks a concealed hand — no exposed melds. Hands without the mark let you call discards. Reading the marks is half the strategy.
Is there a Mahjong card app?
Yes. The National Mah Jongg League sells the card as a mobile app, so you can check hands on your phone. Many players still prefer paper, but the app has the same hands.