# The Tiles & The Card

> Learn the 152 American Mahjong tiles including Jokers, and how to read the official NMJL Card that defines all valid winning hands.

**Source:** https://www.mahjongmaster.co/learn/american/beginners/02-tiles-and-card/
**Author:** Kenji Tanaka (https://www.mahjongmaster.co/about/kenji-tanaka/)
**Publisher:** Mahjong Master (https://www.mahjongmaster.co)
**Published:** 2026-02-16
**Updated:** 2026-02-16
**Variant:** american
**Difficulty:** beginner
**Chapter:** 2

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Before you can play American Mahjong, you need to understand two things: **the tiles** and **the Card**. Let's start with the tiles.

## The 152 Tiles

American Mahjong uses **152 tiles** (vs. 136 in Asian variants). Here's the breakdown:

### Suit Tiles (108 tiles)
Just like Asian mahjong, there are three suits with numbers 1-9:

- **Bams** (Bamboos): 36 tiles (four of each 1-9)
- **Cracks** (Characters): 36 tiles (four of each 1-9)
- **Dots** (Circles): 36 tiles (four of each 1-9)

### Honor Tiles (28 tiles)
- **Dragons**: White (Soap), Green, Red, 4 of each = 12 tiles
- **Winds**: East, South, West, North, 4 of each = 16 tiles

### Flowers (8 tiles)
Unlike Asian variants where flowers are bonus tiles, in American Mahjong they're regular tiles used in hands:
- 4 different flower designs, usually numbered 1-4, one of each repeated twice = 8 tiles

### Jokers (8 tiles)
**This is the big difference!** American Mahjong includes **8 Joker tiles** that can substitute for any tile (with some restrictions).

## Understanding Jokers

Jokers are powerful wild cards, but they have rules:

✅ **Can be used for:**
- Any suit tile (Bams, Cracks, Dots)
- Any Dragon or Wind
- Flowers

❌ **Cannot be used for:**
- Single tiles or pairs (must be in groups of 3+ tiles)
- 2024+ NMJL rules: Cannot be used for certain hands marked "No Jokers"

**Example:** If your hand needs three 5 Dots and you have two 5 Dots + one Joker, that works!

## The Card: Your Playbook

The **Card** is American Mahjong's defining feature. Published annually by the National Mah Jongg League, it lists 60-70 **valid winning hands** organized into categories.

### Card Structure

The Card is organized into sections:

1. **2024** (or current year) - Hands using the year number
2. **Consecutive Run** - Sequential tiles like 111 222 333
3. **369** - Hands using 3, 6, and 9 tiles
4. **Singles and Pairs** - Unique hand patterns
5. **Winds** - Hands focused on Wind tiles
6. **Dragons** - Hands focused on Dragon tiles
7. **Quints** - Five of a kind
8. **And more...**

### Reading the Card

Each line on the Card represents one valid hand. Here's how to read it:

**Example hand:** `FF 1111 2222 3333`

- **FF** = Two Flowers (any flowers)
- **1111** = Four 1s in any suit
- **2222** = Four 2s in the same suit as the 1s
- **3333** = Four 3s in the same suit

**Point value:** Each hand shows a point value (usually 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, or 75 cents/points).

### Card Abbreviations

- **FF** = Any two Flowers
- **N, E, S, W** = North, East, South, West winds
- **D, G, R** = Dragon tiles (White/Soap, Green, Red)
- **1111** = Four of that number in any suit
- **1111 2222** in same color = Same suit for both

### Concealed vs. Exposed Hands

Some hands have two point values:
- **Higher value**: Hand is completely concealed (no exposures)
- **Lower value**: Hand has at least one exposed combination

## Choosing Your Hand

At the start of each round, you'll look at your initial 13 tiles and the Card, then decide which hand to pursue. Tips:

1. **Look for patterns** - What tiles do you have multiples of?
2. **Consider Jokers** - Jokers make complex hands easier
3. **Stay flexible** - Early in the game, keep options open
4. **Check point values** - Higher point hands are usually harder

**Beginner Tip:** Start with simpler hands in the "Consecutive Run" or "Winds/Dragons" sections. Save exotic hands for when you're more comfortable.

## Practice Exercise

Look at these tiles (imagine you just received them):

`1B 2B 3B 3B 5C 6C 7D 7D 7D E E S FF`

Which Card hands could you build toward?
- A Consecutive Run hand (you have 1-2-3 Bams started)
- A hand with 7 Dots and Flowers
- A Wind-heavy hand (you have two Easts, one South)

The beauty of the Card is there are always multiple options!

## Key Takeaways

- American Mahjong uses **152 tiles** including 8 Jokers
- **Jokers** substitute for any tile in groups of 3+
- **The Card** lists all 60-70 valid winning hands for the year
- Each hand has a **point value** (25-75)
- You choose one hand from the Card and build toward it

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**Next Chapter:** [Gameplay Flow](/learn/american/beginners/03-gameplay-flow/) - Learn how a round works from setup to Mah Jongg!

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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/learn/american/beginners/02-tiles-and-card/.*