The NMJL Card: How to Get It and Read It
In American mahjong, you can only win with a hand printed on the card of the year, published by the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL). A new card comes out every spring, and most clubs and tournaments switch to it as soon as it is out.
Where to buy it
Order the card directly from the National Mah Jongg League. A large-print version exists for easier reading. Many teachers and clubs also order cards for their players.
We don't sell the card or copy it: it belongs to the League. Our sets work with every year's card.
How to read it
- Each line is a hand. The hands are grouped in families, such as the year's hand, 2468, Like Numbers, Quints, Consecutive Run, 13579, Winds and Dragons, 369, and Singles and Pairs.
- Colors show suits, not specific suits. A hand printed in one color uses one suit; in two colors, two different suits; in three colors, all three suits. You choose which suits.
- X or C. X means you may call discards to expose groups. C means the hand must stay concealed until you declare mahjong.
- The number on the right is the value of the hand, used for paying at the end of the game.
New to the game? Read our guide to playing American mahjong.