Reading the Card

How to decode the NMJL® card — the blueprint for every winning hand

Goal: Understand every symbol, color, and pattern on the NMJL® card so you can scan it confidently during a real game

Estimated time: 12–16 minutes

Prerequisite: Lesson 2

Unlocks: Lesson 4

Why it matters: The card IS the game. Every decision you make — what to keep, what to pass, what to call — comes back to the hand you're building from the card.

Step 1 of 18

🃏 What Is the NMJL® Card?

Every year, the National Mah Jongg League® releases a card listing every legal winning hand. To win a round of American Mahjong, your 14 tiles must exactly match one of those hands.

No card = no game. It's the single most important item at the table.

The card changes every April— you'll buy a fresh card each spring from the NMJL® for about $15. Think of it like a new season in a video game.

You don't have to play the current year's card — but everyone at the table must be playing the same card. Most groups use the latest one.

The sample hands in this lesson are our own teaching examples — not a reproduction of the copyrighted NMJL® card. To play for real, buy the current card from the National Mah Jongg League®.