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 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. 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 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 — the tiles you will be matching to each line
Building hands in American mahjong — turning a card line into a real hand
American mahjong scoring and strategy — what those point values are worth
Best American mahjong sets — practice the card with real tiles