# How to Read an American Mahjong Card (NMJL): Beginner's Guide
> How to read an American (NMJL) mahjong card step by step — what the colors, numbers, X/C marks, and points mean, and how to match your tiles to a hand.
**Source:** https://www.mahjongmaster.co/blog/how-to-read-american-mahjong-card-nmjl/
**Author:** Kenji Tanaka (https://www.mahjongmaster.co/about/kenji-tanaka/)
**Publisher:** Mahjong Master (https://www.mahjongmaster.co)
**Published:** 2026-05-30
**Updated:** 2026-05-30
**Category:** strategy
**Difficulty:** beginner
**Variant:** american
**Tags:** american-mahjong, nmjl, the-card, beginner-guide, how-to
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**An American mahjong card (the NMJL card) is a single sheet listing every legal hand you can win with that year. To read it: pick a section, read each line as one 14-tile hand made of groups, use the colors to know which groups share a suit, check the X (exposed) or C (concealed) mark, and note the point value.** Your finished hand has to match exactly one line — no mixing.

If you are brand new to the American game, read [what American mahjong is](/learn/american/beginners/01-what-is-american-mahjong/) first, then come back here. This guide is about the one skill every new player struggles with: actually reading the card.

> **Note:** The National Mah Jongg League publishes a new card every year, and the exact hands change annually. This guide teaches the *format* so you can read any year's card. Always play from the current year's official card — older cards are not interchangeable.

## What Is "The Card"?

In American (NMJL) mahjong, you do not invent your own winning hands the way you do in [Japanese riichi](/blog/mahjong-vs-american-mahjong-differences-explained/). Instead, the National Mah Jongg League publishes an official card each year, and **the only hands you are allowed to win with are the ones printed on that card.** Every player at the table uses the same card.

The card is the rulebook for hand-making. It is small, dense, and color-coded, and learning to read it is the real entry barrier to the American game — not the tiles. Once the card makes sense, everything else clicks.

## The Anatomy of a Card Line

The card is divided into **sections** with headers like the current year, Any Like Numbers, Consecutive Run, 13579, Winds-Dragons, 369, Quints, and Singles and Pairs. Inside each section are individual **lines**, and each line is one complete 14-tile winning hand.

A single line is read left to right as a series of **groups**. Here is what the symbols mean:

| Symbol | Means |
|---|---|
| Numbers (1–9) | A suit tile of that number (Bam, Crak, or Dot — the color tells you which) |
| `N` `E` `W` `S` | The four winds (North, East, West, South) |
| `D` | A dragon |
| `0` or "soap" | The white dragon (often shown as a zero) |
| `F` | A flower tile |

Repeated symbols mean a group of that many identical tiles. So a run of the same number printed three times is a **pung** (triplet); four times is a **kong** (four of a kind); two is a **pair**. The whole line always adds up to **14 tiles**.

## Colors Are Suits — But Not Specific Ones

This is the part that confuses every beginner. **The colors on the card do not name a suit.** A color simply means "choose a suit," with one rule:

- Groups printed in the **same color** must be the **same suit**.
- Groups printed in **different colors** must be **different suits**.

So if a line is printed in two colors, the hand needs exactly two suits — and *you* decide which two, based on the tiles you draw. A three-color line needs all three suits (Bams, Craks, and Dots). A single-color line stays in one suit. The colors give you flexibility: the same printed line can be built in your strongest suit.

## X vs. C: Exposed or Concealed

At the end of each line you will see an **X** or a **C**:

- **X** — the hand can be played **exposed**. You may call tiles from other players' discards and set your melds face-up on your rack.
- **C** — the hand must be **concealed**. You may not call any tile; you complete the entire hand by drawing.

Concealed hands are harder to complete, so they are worth more points. As a beginner, **favor X (exposed) hands** — calling tiles lets you build faster and learn the flow of the game.

## Reading the Points

Each line shows a **point value** (the year section and harder hands typically run higher). That is what you collect if you win with that hand. It is tempting to chase the flashy high-point lines, but the smart beginner move is to pick a **low-to-mid-point exposed hand that already matches your tiles.** A 25-point hand you actually complete beats a 75-point hand you never finish.

## Jokers and the Card

Jokers are wild tiles unique to American mahjong, and the card controls where they are allowed:

- Jokers **can** substitute in groups of **three or more** identical tiles (pungs, kongs, quints).
- Jokers **cannot** be used for **singles or pairs**.

That single rule is why the "Singles and Pairs" section is the hardest on the card — no joker help — and why it scores the most.

## Common Beginner Mistakes

- **Mixing two lines.** Your hand must match *one* line exactly. You cannot take three tiles from one line and the rest from another.
- **Reading a color as a fixed suit.** Color means "a suit," not "Bams." Stay flexible.
- **Committing too early.** For the first few turns, keep two candidate lines in mind. Commit once your draws clearly favor one.
- **Chasing points.** Win rate beats point value for beginners. Pick the line your tiles support.
- **Using last year's card.** The hands change annually. Always use the current card.

## Practice With Real Tiles

Reading the card clicks far faster when you can lay tiles next to a line and physically match them. If you do not have a set yet, almost any complete American (NMJL) set works — see our [guide to the best American mahjong sets](/resources/mahjong-sets/) for picks at every budget. Then sit down with the current card and walk one line at a time.

## Keep Learning

- [The tiles and the card](/learn/american/beginners/02-tiles-and-card/) — the tiles you will be matching to each line
- [Building hands in American mahjong](/learn/american/beginners/04-building-hands/) — turning a card line into a real hand
- [American mahjong scoring and strategy](/learn/american/beginners/05-scoring-strategy/) — what those point values are worth
- [Best American mahjong sets](/resources/mahjong-sets/) — practice the card with real tiles---
## How to Read an American Mahjong (NMJL) Card
Read any line on the National Mah Jongg League card — colors, numbers, X/C, and points — and match it to the tiles in your hand.
**Time required:** PT8M
1. **Find the section that fits your tiles** — The card is split into labeled sections (the current year, Any Like Numbers, Consecutive Run, 13579, Winds-Dragons, 369, Quints, Singles and Pairs, and so on). Scan the section headers first and look for one whose pattern your starting tiles already lean toward, then read the lines inside it.
2. **Read each line as a sequence of groups** — Every line is one complete 14-tile hand, written left to right as groups of tiles. Numbers stand for suit tiles, the letters N E W S are the winds, D is a dragon, F is a flower, and 0 (or 'soap') is the white dragon. Count the tiles in the line — it always totals 14.
3. **Use the colors to tell suits apart** — The card prints each line in colors. A color does not name a specific suit — it means 'pick a suit.' Groups in the same color must be the same suit; groups in different colors must be different suits. One line may use one, two, or three colors, which tells you how many suits the hand needs.
4. **Check the X or C at the end of the line** — X means the hand may be played exposed — you can call (claim) tiles from discards to build melds face-up. C means the hand must stay fully concealed; you may not call any tile and must complete it by drawing. Concealed hands are harder, which is why they score more.
5. **Read the point value** — The number printed with each line (commonly 25 to 75+ for the year) is what the hand is worth if you win with it. Higher-value lines are harder to build. Beginners should favor lower-point, exposed (X) hands that match their tiles, not the flashiest line on the card.
6. **Commit to one line and build toward it** — Your finished hand must match exactly one line on the card — you cannot mix pieces of different lines. Pick a line your tiles already support, stay flexible for the first few turns in case a better-fitting line appears, then commit and discard everything that does not serve it.
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*This content is from [Mahjong Master](https://www.mahjongmaster.co), a free educational reference for riichi (Japanese) and American (NMJL) mahjong. When citing this page, please link to https://www.mahjongmaster.co/blog/how-to-read-american-mahjong-card-nmjl/.*