Mahjong 101: Reading the Card

Mahjong cards are printed in three colors; red, blue and green. If a hand is printed entirely in one color, it means that all tiles in that hand are to be from ONE SUIT.

Similarly, if a hand is printed in two colors, the tiles are to be selected from TWO DIFFERENT SUITS; and three colors, THREE DIFFERENT SUITS.

For example, in consecutive runs, a hand may read: 11 222 3333 444 55, in all one color. In order to make Mahjong, you must have all the above tiles, in the above order in one suit only. In other words, if you are using Dots, you must have two one dots, three two dots, four three dots, etc.

Another hand may read: 444 555 6666 777, written in two colors with a parenthetical following it, (Any 2 suits, 4 consecutive Nos.) This means that you must use two suits, but you may use any four consecutive numbers, you are not bound to play four through seven. You may play the hand 666 777 8888 9999, wherein the sixes and sevens must be one suit and the eights and nines must be another suit.

The instructions may refer to “Pung” and “Kong.” A Pung is three of a kind, a Kong is four of a kind. A “Quint” is five of a kind, of which one must be a joker (except for flowers).

When the instructions refer to matching dragons, they are as follows:

• Craks match with RED DRAGONS; 
• Bams match with GREEN DRAGONS 
• Dots match with WHITE DRAGONS.

White dragons are sometimes called “Soap.” 

Be careful, as some hands require matching dragons and others require opposite dragons. When a hand calls for opposite dragons, if you are using Dots, the dragons must be either green or red; for Bams, white or red, etc.

A white dragon (soap) is used for the zero.

Flowers do not belong to any suit and are used wherever there is an F.

Back to Mahjong 101: The Rules